The Fanatic
Quiver Distribution | Release Date: August 30, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
18
METASCORE
Overwhelming dislike based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
2
Negative:
14
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
San Francisco ChronicleZaki HasanAug 28, 2019
So while The Fanatic isn’t doing anything particularly new, it knows exactly the movie it wants to be. There’s a trashy, pulp energy powering us through the efficient 88-minute run time — long enough to invest us in the stakes, short enough not to wear out its welcome. Read full review
70
Film ThreatAlan NgAug 30, 2019
Whether you’re astonished or offended, Travolta gives a marvelous and unforgettable performance. Read full review
67
UproxxVince ManciniJan 2, 2020
“Fred Durst and John Travolta team up to ineptly recreate Big Fan” is a compelling pitch, perhaps the most compelling pitch, and the movie itself mostly delivers on the kind of train wreck absurdism that it promises. Read full review
42
Entertainment WeeklyChristian HolubSep 4, 2019
Unfortunately for Travolta (and for us), only one movie can hold the dubious distinction of being the worst. In place of Wiseau-style eccentricity, The Fanatic has contempt for both its characters and audience. Read full review
40
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonAug 29, 2019
One can understand the draw of The Fanatic for someone like Mr. Travolta: It calls for full immersion, mentally and physically. And he pulls it off. Read full review
38
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 27, 2019
The Fanatic narrows into a simple character study by Travolta. That’s not enough, and what’s here is as quaint and dated as many of the words that come out of Moose’s mouth. Read full review
37
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanAug 27, 2019
Does not live up to the extravagantly wounded ferocity with which Travolta attacks his part. Read full review
33
ConsequenceBlake GobleAug 29, 2019
Like the Hollywood it tries to lampoon, in its way, The Fanatic comes across as shallow. It is, as they say in the biz, a flop. Read full review
25
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiAug 29, 2019
John Travolta’s new film is a lot like “Misery” — just without the acclaim. Read full review
25
ObserverRex ReedAug 29, 2019
It’s a disaster. Read full review
25
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeAug 28, 2019
Mostly, the action, while bloodier than one might expect, is as goofy and dim-witted as the dialogue. Read full review
25
The Film StageMike MazzantiAug 27, 2019
If you enjoy hooting at corrosive and inept cinema that is neither worthwhile or giddily reprehensible then you might have found a new subject for fanaticism. Read full review
20
The GuardianLeslie FelperinJun 11, 2020
It would be risible if it weren’t so offensive, mean-spirited and, frankly, nasty. Read full review
15
TheWrapRobert AbeleAug 27, 2019
A brainless, exploitative folly which gives John Travolta free rein to mine the history of cringe-worthy autism portrayals for an offensively garish Frankenstein pantomime of unhinged obsession. Read full review
10
The New York TimesGlenn KennyAug 29, 2019
As it lumbers to its climax, the movie delineates the border that separates the merely stale from the genuinely rancid. For all the heavy lifting The Fanatic does, it winds up on the weaker side of the divide. Read full review
10
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeAug 28, 2019
While Travolta may believe he's seriously engaging with the character, following thesps like Dustin Hoffman and Sean Penn into the always-dicey enterprise of mimicking disability, his performance is all shtick and no heart. Read full review
0
RogerEbert.comBrian TallericoAug 30, 2019
Fred Durst’s The Fanatic hates fans. It hates actors. It hates tourists, shop owners, and servants. It really, really hates autistic people. And it hates you. It’s a movie that thinks you’re an idiot, someone who won’t see through its shallow provocations, illogical behavior, and vile misanthropy. Read full review
0
Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayAug 29, 2019
It’s probably for the best that The Fanatic is so terrible. If it were made with any actual care, it’d be offensive instead of just dumb. Read full review
0
VarietyDennis HarveyAug 28, 2019
Bad in ways that sometimes provoke a disbelieving guffaw, but more often stir pained embarrassment. Read full review
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