Empire's Scores

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For 6,818 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 54% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 43% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.9 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 66
Highest review score: 100 Oppenheimer
Lowest review score: 20 Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,006 out of 6818
  2. Mixed: 3,654 out of 6818
  3. Negative: 158 out of 6818
6818 movie reviews
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  1. Everly
    Messy and unlikeable.
  2. She's Funny That Way
    Peter Bogdanovich's attempt to update the screwball of the Golden Age lacks the requisite elegance, wit and charm.
  3. The Wrecking Crew
    An entertaining and compelling story about music’s unsung heroes.
  4. Knock Knock
    Roth and Reeves locks us in for an increasingly terrifying thrillride.
  5. Slow West
    Maclean has made a Western of such confident ease that it’s hard to believe this is the director’s first feature film.
  6. Accidental Love
    The bastard offspring of a charmless romcom and a toothless political satire.
    • 33 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Longest Ride
    However contrived this tenth Sparks-to-screen becomes, the emotions and chemistry outweigh the bull.
  8. Entourage
    Neither a Medellin-style disaster nor an Aquaman-sized hit, this pays decent fan service but an Ari-centric spinoff might have been the smarter move.
  9. Jurassic World
    Jurassic World is fresh and thrilling, and while it often tips its hat to the original, it’s not a slavish copy, introducing more than enough new wrinkles into the prehistoric playbook to launch a new wave of sequels.
  10. West
    Triebel is an outstanding presence in this slow-burning thriller, which continues to smoulder long after the credits roll.
  11. Insidious: Chapter 3
    Once again combining a sense of genuine dread with a mischievous vein of humour, Insidious Chapter 3 successfully closes the trilogy with its beginning.
  12. Queen and Country
    Less vibrant than the original, but equally thoughtful and funny.
  13. Listen Up Philip
    Ultimately, this has the feel of a lazy literary adaptation of a half-remembered novel.
  14. Spy
    The supporting cast is a kick. Law gets to send up the Bond role, something he could very well have played in his younger days; Allison Janney fills her boots as the angry head of the agency and Statham, frankly, should only ever play this role for the rest of his life.
  15. Timbuktu
    Exceptional, human filmmaking.
  16. The Connection
    For all the charisma of its hero and villain, it falls down on its failure to resist cliché.
  17. The Dead Lands
    Neatly balances a folkloric coming-of-age tale with violent action thrills.
  18. Danny Collins
    A Hugely, irresistibly enjoyable, with star chemistry to spare, genuine laughs and tears, and the bonus of apt Lennon songs on the soundtrack.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Man Up
    If it could decide whether it was a cute romcom or a dirty one, Man Up would be a real gem, but as charming as it is, it falls between two stools and never manages to, ahem, Man Up.
  20. San Andreas
    If you crave Emmerich-esque disaster-porn with a mega body count, there’s plenty here to OMG at. But when it comes to character depth or plotting, San Andreas is a sadly familiar wasteland.
  21. Spring
    A wholly captivating date movie for eternal romantics who also enjoy slime-and-tentacle transformations.
  22. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
    By turns funny, vaguely creepy and too cool for school, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is certainly unusual — but also seductive and strange enough to stick in the memory like a fever dream.
  23. Poltergeist
    A disappointingly tame and unimaginative effort, which throws away much of what was best-loved about the original and fails to find worthy replacements.
  24. Tomorrowland
    Bird and Lindelof have thrown everything they have at this film and, aside from a pause for breath at the end, they’ve made something funny, surprising and packed full of wonder.
  25. Advanced Style
    A highly enjoyable glance at Gotham's veteran haute couturists.
  26. Lambert & Stamp
    At two hours, things get flabby around the rock-opera era, but the film fizzes and clatters with anecdotes.
  27. Clouds of Sils Maria
    It gives artistic types an easy ride but it’s a feast of rich writing and great acting. And if you’ve only ever seen Kristen Stewart in Twilight movies, she is in a different class here.
  28. A Fuller Life
    Great on his early life, but doesn’t really illuminate his genius as a filmmaker.
  29. Pitch Perfect 2
    The golden-larynxed franchise graduates with a merit.
  30. Mad Max: Fury Road
    Max’s re-enfranchisement is a triumph of barking-mad imagination, jaw-dropping action, crackpot humour, and acting in the face of a hurricane.
  31. Phoenix
    A gripping study of treachery, identity and survival.
  32. Big Game
    Destined to be a big drinking game — take a sip when Broadbent bites his sandwich — but little else, this feels like a major missed opportunity.
  33. Girlhood
    Overall this is a gripping, non-judgmental look at a young girl finding herself in the toughest circumstances.
  34. Rosewater
    Gripping, humane and lighter than it sounds, Stewart’s first foray into directing suggests that he was right to quit the day job. We can’t wait to see what he does next.
  35. Top Five
    A merrily ferocious pop at the Hollywood bubble that balances sharp, acid laughs with a sweet, believable meet-cute. Top of the pack and Chris Rock’s best movie.
  36. I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
    An affectionate portrait of a big-hearted man and a fitting testament to the enduring appeal of Sesame Street.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Unfriended
    Clever cybernatural thriller.
  38. Far from the Madding Crowd
    Extremely well done and well acted, it’s an attractive, appealing, involving adaptation, just not as iconic as the ’60s film.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Great Museum
    In avoiding narration, interviews, music or any traditional method to draw the audience in, the film has a cold, unengaging feel, leaving it mostly for art buffs who like seeing taxidermied bears having their hair fastidiously cleaned with a tiny toothbrush.
  40. Avengers: Age of Ultron
    Bigger and, yes, darker than the first, this is less air-punchingly gleeful but probably more consistent. Thanks to Whedon and the most charismatic, compelling cast you’ll find anywhere, Age of Ultron redefines the scale we can expect from our superhero epics but still fits human-sized emotion amid the bombast.
  41. Stonehearst Asylum
    A spirited gothic tale, played with welcome black humour.
  42. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
    If Chris Morris had grown up in Sweden watching Jacques Tati and Ingmar Bergman films, he might be making films like this. Based on Andersson’s mordantly funny observations about the human condition, the pigeon has it pretty good.
  43. Monsters: Dark Continent
    An unconventional sequel to an unconventional film, this works as a standalone picture with its own distinctive take on alien invasion but also expands what now seem like a franchise with potential to deliver more and varied snapshots of human behaviour in extreme circumstances.
  44. Welcome to New York
    Recalling Harvey Keitel’s tortured cop in Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant, Devereaux is an unreconstructed, unrepentant monster with no hope of, or interest in, redemption. It’s a fearless, heroic performance in a provocative, important film. [Unrated Version]
    • 41 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Child 44
    This overwrought thriller is a pedestrian period piece that squanders its potential.
  46. The Last Five Years
    A musical with almost 100% sung verse is not for everyone but Kendrick is as bewitching as ever.
  47. A Little Chaos
    Lovely, engaging performances keep the film’s heart beating in a sweet if sometimes listless search for Eden.
  48. The Town That Dreaded Sundown
    Smart, fun, mid-list horror with Scream overtones
  49. The Salvation
    The dirty compañeros of the old Spaghetti West ride again in this stirring tale of hate, murder and revenge.
  50. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
    Slightly overlong and glosses over certain aspects but a profound examination of a tortured artist.
  51. Jauja
    Challengingly spellbinding.
    • 29 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Hot Tub Time Machine 2
    Despite some choice improvisations, we're given no running gag as endearing as the first film.
  53. Force Majeure
    A brittle black comedy that has plenty to say about modern manhood and the human survival instinct.
  54. Good Kill
    It’s "Top Gun" with gamer’s thumb. Ethan Hawke shines in a complex, satisfying character study turned combat thriller.
  55. Woman in Gold
    Even with a starry cast, the stirring true story is this drama’s standout feature.
  56. John Wick
    A giddy helping of artful violence delivered with a wink and a cheeky grin. Unsurprisingly, John Wick 2 is already in the works.
  57. Robot Overlords
    Less of a riot than Wright’s previous Grabbers, Robot Overlords displays the same knowing intelligence, sense of fun and deep-rooted love for post-’70s genre film. Unlike its titular villains, it’s sleek and it never malfunctions.
  58. Dior and I
    More compelling when focusing on long-serving staff and their skills and opinions
  59. The Water Diviner
    It’s an odd mix of "Saving Private Ryan" odyssey and romantic melodrama. It has sincerity, sensitivity and is often ravishing to look at but is let down by a chocolate box love story. Still, Crowe still might have a "Braveheart"/"Dances With Wolves" in him yet.
  60. While We're Young
    Noah Bamubach’s While We’re Young is the best Woody Allen film of 2015. A fast, funny, smart take on generational jealousy, with Ben Stiller and Adam Driver on great form.
  61. Furious 7
    A group more bulletproof than The Avengers, causing more mayhem than General Zod. Think Universal doesn’t have a superhero franchise? Think again.
  62. Blind
    This reflection on isolation, technology, creativity and desire brilliantly blurs the lines between perception and voyeurism, the objective and the subjective.
  63. Get Hard
    Belying its title, this is a pretty flaccid offering which fails to gel the comedy stylings of Hart and Ferrell.
  64. The Face of an Angel
    On one level a fascinating refraction of the Amanda Knox trial into an examination of perception, on another an increasingly trying hall of mirrors.
  65. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
    Over-familiar and the first half's pace is sea-sluggish but with inspired touches.
    • 30 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Seventh Son
    This swords-and-sorcery throwback has little imagination on display, instead doubling down on computer-generated flair to pass the time.
  67. The Signal
    William Eubank continues to work his particular mind-stretching mix of acute character interplay and cosmic conceptual breakthrough.
  68. Cinderella
    A retrograde fantasy with the depth of a dressing-up box, but it’s spirited, genuinely funny and played to the hilt by an excellent cast.
  69. Dreamcatcher
    A sensitive, sincere and humbling profile which is truly inspirational.
  70. A Second Chance
    A decent cast gives it more credibility than it deserves.
  71. Mommy
    Dolan has previously been accused of style over substance but here he draws both magnificently together. It’s perhaps a little too long, but Mommy is a movie to make you feel alive.
  72. The Gunman
    Sub-Ludlum plotting but stylishly executed, this offers a fun night out but is far from a nailed-on franchise-starter.
  73. The Voices
    Full-force performance form Ryan Reynolds but not as funny as it hopes it is.
  74. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
    Unique, beautiful and endlessly fascinating. It really is a work of art.
  75. The Divergent Series: Insurgent
    Once you swallow the giant pill that is the premise, it just about makes sense, and Woodley sells it with all her conviction.
  76. Run All Night
    With Neeson on fine form and an encouraging start, it’s a shame that this gritty crime drama feels the need to erupt into a full-blown action movie by the end.
  77. Suite Française
    Sterling performances lift the occasionally soapy storyline in this semi-successful adaptation.
  78. Hyena
    Writer-director Gerard Johnson and chameleon-like star Ferdinando continue to impress with their strong collaboration here.
  79. Chappie
    Blomkamp’s third movie has just about enough spectacle and quirk to overcome some fairly major flaws, not least of which is an unappealing central trio.
  80. Life of Riley
    A final opportunity to see a master at work in this mischievously melancholic delight.
  81. Difret
    Quietly compelling, but lacks finesse in its characterisation and dogged denunciation of the Ethiopian justice system
  82. White Bird in a Blizzard
    A more restrained effort from Araki than the headrush of Kaboom, there’s plenty of fun to be had in Eva Green’s Joan Crawford-esque turn as the vanished lady
  83. Appropriate Behavior
    Not all of it works but it does breeze along, thanks to its likable characters and dry wit.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Kill the Messenger
    Renner’s solid performance anchors a formidable ensemble in the type of well-intentioned docudrama more likely to leave your head shaking than your pulse pounding.
  85. Still Alice
    Julianne Moore gives the performance of her career (no mean feat, given the strength of her previous work) in this heartbreaking yet life-affirming tale of a woman determined to hold onto her identity while under attack from a debilitating mental disease.
  86. Focus
    This is maximum-gloss entertainment with its fair share of tricksy rug-pulls. But, like one of the neon-coloured cocktails Smith drinks in it, it’s more of an immediate rush than something you’ll remember in a year.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Catch Me Daddy
    A bold and uncompromising debut feature from a bright new directing team. There’s a question over whether it justifies its own misery, but if you care about homegrown cinema then you have to see it.
  88. White God
    Superbly acted allegorical drama with a climax that is not only breathtakingly exciting but flawlessly handled.
  89. It Follows
    A first-rate horror movie, It Follows adds a new monster to the pantheon expect pranksters to imitate the Follower for cheap shocks soon — and has a refreshing, unpretentious sense that a meaningful subtext doesn’t undercut spookiness.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
    An entirely charming extension of the most unlikely franchise, gently handling big themes and dissolving cynicism with laughter. Maggie Smith is superb.
  91. Maidan
    Courageous and indelible account and an invaluable perspective of the protests.
  92. Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
    Rinko Kikuchi's superb core performance and some striking photography stand out in the latest feature from the Zellner Brothers.
  93. Predestination
    A funny, affecting, twisted tale, which demands you pay close attention to every throwaway detail.
  94. Cake
    Jennifer Aniston lifts an addiction drama with a committed but never showy performance. It’s a pity the rest of the film can’t cut as deep.
  95. Blackhat
    A competent procedural rather than the ground-breaking cybersaga we’d hoped for. But as with Miami Vice, Mann’s boundless style does a remarkable job of disguising the lack of substance.
  96. The Duke of Burgundy
    Of course, this is a film you have to meet half-way. If you’re willing to enter its world, it’s an immensely rewarding, amusing, wise, melancholy and involving experience.
  97. Two Night Stand
    Charming performances from both leads and insightful vignettes makes up for occasional clumsy writing and plot developments.
  98. Dancing in Jaffa
    Exasperatingly trite, but also rather sweet.
  99. Coherence
    An ambitious physics and time-bending, relationship drama with solid performances from the two main characters.
  100. Jupiter Ascending
    Like too much filmed space opera, this is wonderfully imaginative when it comes to costume, art direction, special effects, spaceships and incidental alien creatures but stuck with old-hat character types and a resolutely unspecial storyline. It’s frequently entertaining, but as much for its terrible moments as its inspired touches.
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