Wonka
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: December 15, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 64 Critic Reviews
Positive:
46
Mixed:
15
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
Rolling StoneDavid FearDec 14, 2023
It’s all very exciting when it’s not completely exhausting. At least you can’t say Wonka is a generic legacy-property cash grab. Read full review
60
Arizona RepublicMeredith G. WhiteDec 13, 2023
It's a chocolate whimsy-filled film that gives Chalamet a chance to show off and that makes it worth sitting through at least once, maybe even twice. Read full review
60
The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeDec 7, 2023
Wonka is not any sort of disaster. It is made with enormous professionalism. It abounds with good nature. And it does offer at least one fascinating titbit about the protagonist’s background. Read full review
60
UproxxMike RyanDec 4, 2023
I’ll admit, the sequel to Wonka looks pretty good! The plot of this movie leaves off exactly where you probably assumed this movie would start, but for some reason didn’t. And like I said earlier, Timothée Chalamet plays Willy Wonka with a lot of charm and I bet it’s not easy to play someone who is all-knowing, possibly supernatural, but is also not very smart at times. Read full review
60
BBCNicholas BarberDec 4, 2023
Overall, then, Wonka seems to be straining every sinew to be the best possible family entertainment at cinemas this Christmas. Read full review
50
TimeStephanie ZacharekDec 18, 2023
The charm offensive that is Wonka toils way too hard for its meager pleasures. It may leave you feeling more worked over than invigorated. Read full review
50
Original-CinChris KnightDec 15, 2023
This newest concoction gets a lift from its cast but falls to Earth thanks to a leaden script. It’s more exploding chocolate than everlasting gobstopper and, I’m sorry to say, more bitter than sweet. Read full review
50
The New York TimesManohla DargisDec 14, 2023
The movie is overly busy, as these kinds of eager-to-please diversions tend to be, and at two hours it overstays its welcome. Read full review
50
TheWrapWilliam BibbianiDec 4, 2023
Admittedly, it’s pretty easy to consume Wonka. After all, it’s just a piece of candy. But it’s the kind of candy that would make Willy Wonka sick to his stomach. Wonka is the sort of safe and corporate product that the hero of Wonka says we shouldn’t settle for. Read full review
50
The Film StageAlistair RyderDec 4, 2023
The end result is one of the best-looking blockbusters of recent memory, easy to hold attention while straining and failing to emotionally engage. It’s a forced attempt to recreate Paddington‘s magic without properly grappling with what makes the best Roald Dahl stories work––a film too immaculately crafted to be considered a true disaster, even if the end result is disappointment all the same. Read full review
50
Screen RantMae AbdulbakiDec 4, 2023
Though it has its merits, an excellent supporting cast & fun musical numbers, Wonka wobbles in its journey & storylines while remaining heartfelt. Read full review
49
Paste MagazineJacob OllerDec 4, 2023
The wreck of Wonka stings because of the clarity with which we see King’s eye for visual comedy and lavish setpiece staging, squandered on a movie where branding was always going to eclipse beauty. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesDec 13, 2023
It takes only moments into the film, when star Timothée Chalamet first opens his mouth to sing, to discover Wonka’s two fatal errors: The songs are not good, and the guy singing them is even worse. Read full review
40
The New YorkerRichard BrodyDec 11, 2023
Unfortunately, the filmmakers’ incuriosity about Willy is matched by their incuriosity about the star’s range and depth. Read full review
40
The Daily BeastNick SchagerDec 4, 2023
Unoriginal and ungainly at every turn, it’s a debacle devoid of any genuine magic. Read full review
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