Spenser Confidential
Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): March 6, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
49
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
9
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperMar 6, 2020
It’s a fantastically over-the-top, drive-in B-movie for the streaming generation. Read full review
70
The New York TimesElisabeth VincentelliMar 6, 2020
The prospect of spending more time with this crew is not a bad one. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranMar 6, 2020
Adapted apparently quite loosely from Atkins’ Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland, Spenser Confidential has ended up with a genially amusing script expertly tailored to its actors by Sean O’Keefe and the canny veteran Brian Helgeland. And, as smartly cast by the veteran Sheila Jaffe, Spenser Confidential gets spot on performances from a variety of actors, from household names including Alan Arkin to other less celebrated but undeniably talented folks. Read full review
65
PolygonKaren HanMar 10, 2020
As Berg and Wahlberg (perfect partners, even in name) ascended inexorably toward a parodic level of Bostonian-ness in Spenser Confidential, I wondered if I wouldn’t be having a better time just getting a more concentrated dose of Arkin in The Kominsky Method. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreApr 7, 2020
Tone counts for everything in action mysteries like this, and the team that made “Lone Survivor,” “Deepwater Horizon,” “Patriots Day” and the debacle “Mile 22” know each other’s strengths and play to them. Read full review
63
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiMar 6, 2020
Here’s some perfectly mindless couch viewing. Read full review
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeMar 6, 2020
The film even pokes fun at itself in the process, fully aware that Spenser Confidential isn’t meant to be taken as seriously as Wahlberg’s last few movies — and just as well, since irreverence plays well on Netflix. Read full review
60
IGNJim VejvodaMar 6, 2020
Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke's fun chemistry helps elevate the predictable murder-mystery Spenser Confidential. Read full review
60
Rolling StoneDavid FearMar 6, 2020
You might not pay money to see this in a theater, but you’d watch it on your couch in a second, which is why Netflix makes perfect sense for it. A coda sets up a sequel. There are worse things to look forward to. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattMar 6, 2020
Fists will smash; pecs will flex; hard consonants, like dirty cops, don't stand a chance. It's the only sure thing in this crazy world, kids — except maybe a sequel. Read full review
58
ConsequenceMike VanderbiltMar 6, 2020
A boilerplate action-comedy, that, while not wholly original, provides enough memorable two-fisted tough guy action and likable characters to waste a Wednesday night with on the fly. Read full review
50
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliMar 9, 2020
Spenser Confidential is a perfect Netflix movie – a mid-budget action/thriller featuring a recognizable star and not requiring much in the way of attention or dedication from a viewer. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzMar 6, 2020
Spenser Confidential makes far more narrative and visual sense than the incomprehensible "Mile 22," and carries less of an America First odour than any of the pair’s previous partnerships. But it also proves that it is finally time that Berg and Wahlberg explored a trial separation. If you really love someone, guys, set them free. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyMar 6, 2020
While the partnership between Wahlberg and actor-turned-director Peter Berg has produced a few duds since the success of Lone Survivor, none have been as generically mediocre. At the very least, one can appreciate it for being environmentally friendly. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckMar 6, 2020
Spenser Confidential seems to be aiming for a buddy-film, action-comedy vibe, but the problems are that there's virtually no chemistry between Spenser and Hawk, the gags (many of them revolving around Spenser's deepest relationship seeming to be with his dog) are lame at best, and the action is strictly pro forma. Read full review
25
IndieWireDavid EhrlichMar 6, 2020
A junky, paint-by-numbers crime saga that stacks up to The Town like Cats does to Singin’ in the Rain. It pains a lifelong New Yorker to say this, but Boston deserves better. Read full review
25
RogerEbert.comKristy PuchkoMar 6, 2020
An insipid buddy-cop mystery that feels like a forgotten artifact of the 1980s. Read full review
25
The Associated PressMark KennedyMar 4, 2020
Spenser Confidential is a bit of a mess tonally with a plot that keeps attracting new weird layers, like lint on a sweater. It wants to be funnier than it is. It hopes to be deeper than it is. Read full review
20
The GuardianBenjamin LeeMar 6, 2020
A clumsy, unfunny adaptation of a much-loved literary crime series Read full review
16
The PlaylistAsher LubertoMar 9, 2020
Chalk this Team WahlBerg’s latest collaboration as a massive swing and miss, which ranks among the city’s worst cinematic disasters. Read full review
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