The Hurricane
Universal Pictures | Release Date: December 29, 1999 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews
Positive:
24
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Washington blows you away. To say he gives the performance of his career is an understatement.
100
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Both the movie and Denzel Washington are knockouts.
100
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Washington can bank on an Oscar nomination for the most forceful work of his career. Read full review
91
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
This is some of the finest acting you will see on-screen, maybe ever. Single-handedly, Washington turns The Hurricane from so-so to must-see. Read full review
90
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Brilliantly played by Denzel Washington Read full review
90
L.A. WeeklyF. X. Feeney
This is the deepest of Jewison's three racially themed films, the other two being "In the Heat of the Night" and "A Soldier's Story." Read full review
90
TNT RoughCutMorgan Fouch
One of year's most thought-provoking and soul-stirring films.
88
USA TodaySusan Wloszczyna
Epic in nearly every way, The Hurricane has the power to blow you away. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
This is one of Denzel Washington's great performances, on a par with his work in "Malcolm X." Read full review
88
New York PostLou Lumenick
An expertly crafted, deeply moving film.
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Jewison handles this rich tapestry of non-linear scenes with the skill of the old pro he is, and carefully modulates the drama to create the maximum emotional impact. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Washington immerses himself, even more than he did in "Malcolm X," in a stare of unforgiving outrage. Read full review
80
VarietyEmanuel Levy
In what's easily his most zealous and fully realized performance since "Malcolm X," Washington elevates the earnest, occasionally simplistic narrative to the level of a genuinely touching moral expose. Read full review
80
TimeRichard Schickel
In Washington's finely shaded performance he's a low-pressure system, illuminated by distant flashes of lightning.
75
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Milks Carter's story for maximum "inspirational" value, and at times the movie skirts dangerously close to afterschool-special territory. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunAnn Hornaday
Jewison's focus on the Canadians' dogged do-gooderism might have actually prevented a good movie from being a great one.
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
(Washington) raises it to the level of importance with an acting job that's one unbroken chain of intense emotion. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeJay Carr
(Washington's is) an astonishing performance, partly because it's so devoid of histrionics, and it has Oscar nomination written all over it.
75
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
The rest of this well-intentioned picture never reaches (Washington's) level of subtlety and intensity. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
With power, intensity, remarkable range and an ability to disturb that is both unnerving and electric, it is more than Washington's most impressive part. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
The narrative--a complex structure of flashbacks and shifts in perspective that's part inspirational story, part courtroom drama, part character study, part exposé--never makes it seem that history is being oversimplified. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Washington leans into an otherwise schlocky movie and slams it out of the ballpark. Read full review
70
NewsweekKevin Stuart
The dedication of the Canadian team strains belief at times, and for good reason.
70
Film.comPeter Brunette
An often affecting, if standard-issue, Hollywood biopic. Read full review
60
Village VoiceAmy Taubin
Far too tepid. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
The material is inherently compelling and anchored by Washington's performance. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The story is so important and compelling that you wish Jewison had treated it more as an urgent wake-up call than a by-the-numbers morality play. Read full review
50
San Francisco ExaminerWesley Morris
What remains is Washington's volcanic and contemplative work at the core of a film packed to the rafters with raging bull. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Feels overlong and underscripted. Read full review
40
Dallas ObserverM. V. Moorhead
(Washington's) performance is halfhearted, soft. Read full review
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