The Ice Road
Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): June 25, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
42
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
13
Negative:
6
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
63
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyJun 25, 2021
A predictable, semi-shameless, yet not-unsatisfying action drama. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperJun 25, 2021
The Ice Road is what we used to call a B-movie, but there’s no shame in a B-movie that carries out its mission with such competence and star power. Read full review
40
CNNBrian LowryJun 25, 2021
Simply put, Neeson has been in a bit of a rut, one that Ice Road exemplifies almost literally, since at several points in the movie the challenge involves extricating big trucks from slushy situations. Read full review
58
IndieWireDavid EhrlichJun 25, 2021
If this mildly refreshing mid-June spectacle is as thin and straightforward as the terrain that it covers — forgettable in a way that makes you feel like it’s melting while you watch it, and never as slick an action vehicle as its premise might suggest — it still manages to offer a few mild twists before the journey is over. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaJun 25, 2021
The film lacks slam-bang, signature action sequences that would make it more memorable. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreJun 25, 2021
Neeson is in solid form, villains do their villainy and the sassy lady driver copes with anti-Native racism with her smart mouth and her fists, to fun effect. But that over-the-top third act, topping even the odd operating-on-ice physics of The Ice Road, tends to take the air right out of the Jonathan Hensleigh film’s tires. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriJun 26, 2021
Ultimately, The Ice Road veers uneasily between immersive tension and a variety of you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me howlers on the level of both plot and dialogue. Read full review
50
Original-CinKim HughesJun 25, 2021
Impossible odds and a furious deadline have propelled many great and not-so-great action films. Those factors are very much at play in The Ice Road, which stars Liam Neeson, several big rigs, and the province of Manitoba in a thriller that, though by-the-numbers in execution, boasts a watchable enough premise. Read full review
25
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliJun 28, 2021
The Ice Road may be the worst direct-to-Netflix movie to feature a major star. It may also offer the worst entry into Liam Neeson’s catalog of strong, resilient action heroes. Read full review
38
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireJun 25, 2021
Despite its many perils, both natural and human, The Ice Road is surprisingly dull. Read full review
20
Rolling StoneDavid FearJun 28, 2021
Neeson has made better pulpy B movies, and he’ll probably make worse ones than this. The good news is that, like buses, a new film from the star tends to come around every few hours, so you can skip this one without regrets. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleBob StraussJun 28, 2021
It’s Ice Road Truckers with a plot and concentrated, well-staged jeopardy. The film’s vibe is different from the History Channel series, but fans of that show will likely welcome the return of familiar thrills and predicaments. Read full review
25
Slant MagazineEd GonzalezJun 24, 2021
The film is a muddle of clichés and unremarkable action sequences that bleed together into a cacophony. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloJun 25, 2021
Even at its dumbest, The Ice Road holds your attention; a climactic fight/chase scene even acknowledges that it’s hard to look badass on a slippery surface. Read full review
50
The Associated PressJocelyn NoveckJun 25, 2021
Luckily, Neeson has a way of lending his rough-hewn dignity to even the most perfunctory of plots — because this one, it must be said, is perfunctory. Read full review
64
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzJun 25, 2021
The thrills here are both cheap and oddly, comfortingly captivating. Of course nothing can ever kill Liam Neeson, but it is a whole lot of no-brain-necessary fun to watch everyone and everything try. Read full review
40
The GuardianBenjamin LeeJun 25, 2021
While The Ice Road might not be quite as cut-and-paste as some of the others (there’s less revenge-taking, skill-listing and name-taking than usual), it’s still familiar enough for it to feel like we’ve seen him do this exact thing before. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckJun 25, 2021
Unfortunately, this effort, clearly inspired by the French classic The Wages of Fear (and its terrific American remake, Sorcerer), isn’t even as entertaining as a typical episode of the History Channel’s Ice Road Truckers. Read full review
30
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisJun 24, 2021
As any Neeson watcher will tell you, you don’t mess with his action characters once their dander is up. Sadly, Neeson’s dander is no match for a hackneyed plot, poorly visualized stunts and characters whose behavior can defy common sense. Read full review
42
The PlaylistChristian GallichioJun 29, 2021
The Ice Road is a serviceable, if incredibly convoluted, addition to a recent run of bland action movies that ask the actor to do the bare minimum— scowling as things explode around him. Read full review
20
TheWrapAlonso DuraldeJun 25, 2021
The Ice Road is so often inept and heavy-handed that not even the reliable presence of Liam Neeson can rescue it. Read full review
70
TimeStephanie ZacharekJun 25, 2021
Even after The Ice Road overcomplicates itself, there’s enough gas here to keep the thing going, including some nicely sustained bridge-crossing suspense and several fine demonstrations of stunt dangling. Read full review
50
VarietyDennis HarveyJun 25, 2021
Just about every possible peril turns up to thwart their mission en route, making for an increasingly implausible action movie that will entertain most viewers, but also perhaps make them feel a bit played for fools. Read full review
80
We Got This CoveredMartin CarrJul 2, 2021
The Ice Road further cements Liam Neeson’s reputation as the only action star in the 60-70 age bracket worth his salt. Read full review
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