Rudderless
Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date: October 17, 2014 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
52
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
5
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperOct 16, 2014
Regardless of Crudup’s ranking as a box-office draw, he’s every inch the movie star in Rudderless, a rather strange but engrossing film with one of the more jarring twists of any film in recent memory. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianMarc MohanOct 17, 2014
The movie wobbles as it approaches the home stretch, but, thanks to its leading man, manages to stick the landing. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattOct 16, 2014
An ill-judged twist pitches the story sideways, but Crudup's performance holds the center. His pain isn't soggy or showy; it just feels true. Read full review
83
HitfixDaniel FienbergAug 15, 2014
[Crudup] responds with a performance that's funny, heartbreaking and confidently musical, anchoring a film with a challenging and sometimes shaky premise that very much requires his steadying presence. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeAug 15, 2014
Though some plot elements are pushily therapeutic, they're offset by others whose novelty distinguishes Rudderless from movies of its sort. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleLeba HertzOct 16, 2014
What makes this movie work is the charisma of Crudup and that Macy and Co. don’t dwell on the events that led up to the shooting. Rather, they use the son’s death as a launching for Sam’s journey into accepting the loss and getting on with his life. Read full review
75
The PlaylistChase WhaleAug 15, 2014
It’s an ambitious and strong first start for Macy’s filmmaking career as he’s clearly taken a note or two from some of the great filmmakers he’s worked for. Don’t let the title of this film fool you—Rudderless is solid. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerOct 16, 2014
Rudderless accumulates puzzling details and goodwill in near-equal measure. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerOct 16, 2014
Rudderless is humane and almost entertaining. A crucial late plot development disrupts the predictability, instigates a third act and provides reason for watching. Read full review
60
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzOct 16, 2014
Rudderless is a quietly ambitious film, and if it eventually collapses under the dramatic weight it's asked to shoulder — and it does — at least it's trying. Read full review
60
The DissolveGenevieve KoskiOct 15, 2014
Rudderless’ biggest flaw is that it’s overly committed to its trajectory, creating obvious cause-and-effect scenarios rather than letting its characters simply live and act within the situation the story places them in. Read full review
50
Village VoiceSam WeisbergOct 14, 2014
The result, despite a few stellar moments, is a not-quite-tragic-enough meditation on mourning and self-healing, crossed with a not-quite-gritty-enough portrait of indie rockers trying to break big. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierOct 16, 2014
William H. Macy has pitch-perfect instincts as an actor. As a movie director, he’s bound to do better than his first feature, this big-hearted, nicely paced but ho-hum character study. Read full review
40
VarietyDennis HarveyAug 15, 2014
Crudup does a lot to keep things watchable, playing with a slightly acidic wryness that suggests the character’s humor has only been heightened by his grieving hopelessness. Read full review
38
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreOct 14, 2014
A tragic quasi-musical that never quite finds its way. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineTomas HachardOct 13, 2014
It unnecessarily hampers itself for over an hour for the sake of a gotcha moment before finally allowing its actors to explore something more than generic grief. Read full review
37
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanOct 16, 2014
Rudderless is a competent, well-acted melodrama, yet in scope and ambition it has the modest and serviceable scale of the small, not silver, screen. Read full review
30
The New York TimesStephen HoldenOct 16, 2014
Rudderless, the misbegotten directorial debut of William H. Macy, is so dishonest, manipulative and ultimately infuriating that it never recovers after its bombshell revelation two-thirds of the way into the movie. Read full review
20
Time OutKeith UhlichOct 14, 2014
What really makes Rudderless a full-blown affront is a late-breaking narrative revelation (no spoilers here) that’s meant to add resonant emotional depth, but instead comes off as jaw-droppingly repugnant. That’s appropriate, though, for a movie with no sense of direction. Read full review
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