Stardust
IFC Films | Release Date: November 25, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
35
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
1
Mixed:
12
Negative:
6
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
65
Film ThreatAlan NgDec 17, 2020
Overall, the movie’s performances are good, not great, but enjoyable nonetheless. Read full review
60
CineVueTom DugginsJan 19, 2021
The film should scratch an itch for the Bowie obsessive hungering for a decent take on the overall mythology, but at the same time, it may leave that very audience wondering when, if at all, the South London lad will get a more comprehensive big screen outing. Read full review
58
IndieWireKate ErblandApr 22, 2020
While there are flashes of originality in the film’s script — which quite artfully builds on Bowie’s worries with a distinctly personal edge — most of it is relatively straightforward, never as psychedelic or sophisticated as its opening shot, which finds Flynn stuck in spacesuit and unable to engage with the world around him. Read full review
50
The Film StageOrla SmithDec 3, 2020
If it is possible to make a good David Bowie film without any David Bowie music—and without the blessing of Bowie’s family—then this certainly isn’t it. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenNov 27, 2020
Even though Stardust is not coated in gossamer, the film still has some glittery moments. Read full review
50
IGNKristy PuchkoNov 25, 2020
Ultimately, it's bland, not bold, and achingly absent of enchantment. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzNov 24, 2020
Because while Stardust covers the period of Bowie’s life just before he released his breakthrough 1972 album, the film doesn’t feature a single track from the record. Or any Bowie music at all. Read full review
50
VarietyOwen GleibermanApr 17, 2020
The movie gives us only a small taste of it, but it’s enough to whet your appetite: for a Bowie biopic that captures this cracked actor in all his funhouse-mirror rock ‘n’ roll glory. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyApr 16, 2020
Stardust is a mostly listless odyssey, its lack of excitement compounded by the absence of Bowie's music. Read full review
48
TheWrapSteve PondApr 20, 2020
Flynn’s ferocious commitment to the role is something to admire, even if we’re not completely convinced. Read full review
40
The Irish TimesTara BradyJan 14, 2021
Exasperating viewing for fans and certain to baffle newcomers, it’s a curious, imaginative thing, but who exactly is it for? Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter BradshawJan 14, 2021
This is a strained, frustrating concoction that doesn’t do its subject justice. Flynn really can sing, though. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaNov 25, 2020
The new David Bowie biopic Stardust could be marketed as “Bowie as you’ve never seen him,” but it feels like “Bowie as no one ever saw him.” Read full review
30
Rolling StoneDavid FearDec 3, 2020
How can you recreate the first Ziggy concert in 1972 at Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, and fail to evoke even an ounce of the moment’s dynamism even when you have the moves down? Does Stardust exist solely to make Bohemian Rhapsody seem better by comparison? Why are we still watching this? Read full review
30
The New York TimesGlenn KennyNov 27, 2020
The director, Gabriel Range, who wrote the movie with Christopher Bell, opted to press on, even after he was denied permission to use Bowie’s songs. They might not have helped much, however. Read full review
25
RogerEbert.comMonica CastilloNov 27, 2020
The lack of a solid narrative means Stardust cannot compensate for the production’s modest budget, which lacks a noticeable amount of Bowie songs and includes many scenes filmed on the cheap. Read full review
25
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyNov 24, 2020
As played by actor-musician Johnny Flynn, the Halloween-costume Bowie we meet in Stardust is a miserable, charmless wannabe. Which is to say that the film fails where a single photo of this most chameleonic of music legends would succeed: It makes Bowie boring. Read full review
20
The Observer (UK)Simran HansJan 17, 2021
The whole thing feels strangely pedestrian, unable to capture or channel Bowie’s maverick spirit. Read full review
0
ConsequenceScout TafoyaNov 25, 2020
I saw this movie last Wednesday, and I still feel like I’m watching it, like its dry and stuttering dynamic hasn’t yet ended, like I’ll never hear a real Bowie song again. Someone commit me before I’m forced to don my famous alter ego, Lights Camera Jackson, to cope with my insanity. Read full review
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