Empire's Scores

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For 6,820 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 0.7 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: 3,008 out of 6820
  2. Mixed: 3,654 out of 6820
  3. Negative: 158 out of 6820
6820 movie reviews
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  1. The Warriors
    Hill, shooting by night and on location together with his OOP Andrew Laszlo, gives the film dazzling style. New York's oil-slicked streets become a labyrinth lit by pools of reflecting light, both scary and strangely beautiful - grimy realism it isn't. It also manages to humanize the gang-bangers to a surprising extent, illustrating the material and emotional poverty that forces them onto the streets in the first place.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Made in Dagenham
    While the political grit behind the saga is somewhat sidelined, this is a fun watch enhanced by its stellar British cast.
  3. Beauty and the Beast
    Those who predicted this wouldn’t hold a talking candle to the animated original will be pleasantly surprised. The tale may be as old as time, but it’s retold with freshness, brio and flair.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Beautiful Girls
    The film really succeeds with its warm treatment of ordinary hang-ups - no life-shattering revelations or pain repressed since childhood, just the genuine, everyday trials of life.
  5. X-Men: First Class
    All you'd expect from an X-Men film (or spin-off, or prequel), but not all you'd hope for. It smacks of rush and compromise, but there's thankfully enough to make you feel optimistic about the series' future once more.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Prince of Tides
    Graced with fine performances and commendably biting off more than it can ever hope to chew, The Prince Of Tides is a rare slice of romantic moviemaking for all those grown-ups feeling ignored since Kramer Vs. Kramer last rattled their value systems. Best to take along your mother, a large box of hankies, and a hefty dose of salt.
  7. Honeymoon
    A tense, two-piece horror with serious kick.
  8. Alien: Covenant
    An upgrade from Prometheus, Alien: Covenant amps up the thrills but doesn't deliver a memorable crew member or the full-on onslaught of the series at its height.
  9. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
    A well told, beautifully acted drama that offers nothing new but a comforting level of familiarity and cosiness.
  10. Metro Manila
    Filmmaker Sean Ellis does terrific work balancing the disparate elements of his crime-laced drama.
  11. Monsters University
    Dazzlingly clever and hugely funny, it succeeds both as a broadening of the Monsters universe and as a film in its own right. Monsters University had a tough task, and it’s passed with honours.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    School Ties
    The boys put in fine performances but sadly the script lacks the depth of what could have been a challenging story.
  13. Deadpool
    The sheer number of dick jokes will soon numb you to their impact, but this is a fun, if patchy, alternative to the glut of ‘the world is about to end unless we do something’ comic-book films.
  14. The Courier
    An anti-Bond, the closest Cooke’s movie comes to an action sequence is when someone breaks into a mild run. But there’s real drama, and even thrills, to be found in this story of a very unlikely friendship that changed the course of history.
  15. Men
    Alex Garland once again shows an unmatched ability to conjure a beautifully uneasy atmosphere, the sense of which lingers on past the closing credits — but the substance underneath doesn’t quite connect.
  16. The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
    The ham-fisted lessons and wacky adventuring are just a skeleton on which to hang the meat of the thing: gorgeous, stunningly realised animation; frequent self-referential shrewdness; and still some of the wildest, most surreal jokes you’ll find in any movie.
  17. The Disappearance of Alice Creed
    A small but perfectly formed crime drama. And, without making a fuss, a proper nail-biter, too.
  18. The Matador
    We've never seen Pierce Brosnan so liberated - he’s a man reborn, and for what The Matador may lack in rounded plotting, it makes up for in funny, spiky, idiosyncratic glee.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Maudie
    The only fireworks here are of the indoor kind, but this sensitive, beautifully acted film lingers long after the final frame. And the Newfoundland locations are breathtaking.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    High-Rise
    Batshit crazy. Don’t expect a thriller in the seat-edge sense, but you will be thrilled — and repulsed — by this bold, faithful adaptation of Ballard’s ever-prescient picture of First World strife.
  21. Young Sherlock Holmes
    The young cast, which resembles a collection of Gerald Scarfe illustrations, acquits itself reasonably well, but is too ordinary to be heroic. And, once action is introduced into the mix, Barry Levinson'’s direction falters.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    The Living End
    By the time the deathwish duo embark into mountainous terrain, you'll want to hand them a copy of Thelma & Louise's road map —with clearly marked directions to the cliff.
  23. Miss Americana
    Although certainly an insightful study of the pop star’s populated psyche, Miss Americana is more of a mid-album track than an anthem. What could be raw and rowdy instead feels like an entertaining but tapered means of rebranding.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Mortal Thoughts
    After the global success of Ghost, Demi Moore consolidates here with a diametrically-opposed follow-up, not only proving her willingness to eschew the many Ghost-alikes that have inevitably come her way, but also allowing her to show genuine versatility in the thespian-prowess department.
  25. Wild Grass
    A typically poignant lifestory illuminated by strong turns from Dussollier and Azéma, Alain Resnais' latest is one to stir the brain as well as the heart.
  26. Twisters
    With Edgar-Jones and Powell’s fizzing appeal at its epicentre, Twisters at once feels like a testament to a new generation of stars and a gripping old-school movie event. Fear it. Watch it.
  27. Strange World
    Fast, fun, and full of freaky creatures, Strange World shows that Disney can do all-out action-adventure just as well as fairytale fare – while, hopefully, nudging the studio further towards the future.
  28. Dan in Real Life
    A small but sweetly formed comedy of romantic misfortune that can’t quite keep Hollywood at bay.
  29. Get Him to the Greek
    Like most of the recent exports from Apatown, Get Him To The Greek -- aka Russell Brand’s My Filmy Wilm -- is patchy, but home-run hilarious from time to time. If only it didn’t detour into darkness so often, this could have been a genuine treat.
  30. Cadillac Records
    Beyoncé proves her Dreamgirls turn was no fluke in this so-so Blues melodrama.
  31. Ali
    It may not scale the heights of Heat or The Insider, but this is riveting stuff and reconfirms Mann's status as a master of the medium.
  32. Knuckle
    Chock full of larger-than-life characters, it's an enthralling insight into a raw, bloodied world.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Samsara
    A semi-sequel to the acclaimed "Baraka," Fricke delivers another stunning spectacle in 70mm, interspersed with some tiresome sermonising.
  34. The Transfiguration
    More "Moonlight" than "Twilight," The Transfiguration is a defining vampire film of the mid-2010s. An acutely observed study of social/emotional deprivation, but also a gripping, disturbing horror movie. And, yes, it’s ‘realistic’.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    A Fistful of Dollars
    Leone makes the borders of the frame feel limitless, his camera moves striking out unpredictably as if he could barely tame his vision. Ennio Moriconne’s indelible score added a wild swagger to this oddball tale of a lone guman conniving plan to set two gangs of killers against one another.
  36. The Jungle Book
    It's a slight tale, of course, and incredibly short, but the characters and songs are pretty much perfect viewing time and again.
  37. El Topo
    Violent, visionary, vital.
  38. Alice, Darling
    An understated but compelling look at coercive control, toxic relationships and healing friendships, with perhaps a career-best performance from Kendrick.
  39. Drop
    Bolstered by a grounded performance from Meghann Fahy, Drop deftly weaponises its titular tech to update the paranoid thriller for the iPhone age. Better check those security settings.
  40. The Good Nurse
    A tense true crime thriller that avoids schlock horror tropes in favour of a welcome focus on the environment that allowed one of America’s worst serial killers to operate freely for years.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Clerks II
    Kevin Smith's most enjoyable film since, well, Clerks lacks much of its predecessor's outsider edge, but you'll probably be laughing too hard to care.
  42. Unknown White Male
    Even if Rupert Murray's film does turn out to be a hoax, there's no denying the ingenuity involved in its making.
  43. Transformers One
    There’s slightly more than meets the eye with Transformers One. While the art style is sometimes off-putting, its ideas are interesting enough to make it a decent addition to the franchise.
  44. The Black Phone
    Despite its darker-than-dark premise — Abduction! Dead kids! Imprisonment! — The Black Phone finds hope in the midst of the horror. Looking for soulful scares this summer? Answer the call.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Coco Before Chanel
    More a snapshot of a moment than conventional biography, and while less complex than it might want to be, still a quietly thoughtful look at one of the 20th century’s most influential characters.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Telling Lies in America
    A carefully evoked and unhurried number that won't bring the house down, this nonetheless ends up being more absorbing than you'd think.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Parallax View
    Well-shot thriller but with a weak performance from Beatty.
  48. In the Fade
    In The Fade manages to be absorbing character study, courtroom nailbiter and vengeful woman flick, all the while taking the temperature of neo-Nazism in Germany. It’s flawed but powerful, mostly down to a revelatory performance from Diane Kruger.
  49. Animals
    Grainger is a revelation and Shawkat a rebel in this delightfully defiant celebration of women’s imperfections. 
Stick with them through the chaos and you’ll be rewarded with an utterly electric tale of female friendship.
  50. Eddington
    An audacious, farcically funny digest of where we are now, and how we got here: the cinematic equivalent of pandemic primal therapy, a mad scream into the void.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Walk on Water
    The uniformly excellent performances feel real and familiar.
  52. The End
    Joshua Oppenheimer’s uncompromising, apocalyptic odyssey thoughtfully unpacks the stories people tell themselves to survive — but don’t expect to be tapping your feet to its collection of lacklustre songs.
  53. A Brilliant Young Mind
    Familiar formula yet Morgan Matthews’ feature debut adds up to a satisfying whole.
  54. Darkman
    Certainly not Raimi at his best, but some knowing genre nods and an array of great effects make up much of the deficit.
  55. Vincent & Theo
    Beautifully presented but over-long and best appreciated if you already have an idea of van Gogh's life and work.
  56. Hostiles
    A finely crafted Western which doesn’t flinch from portraying the horrors inflicted during that violent era, and which boasts an astounding performance from Christian Bale.
  57. Coherence
    An ambitious physics and time-bending, relationship drama with solid performances from the two main characters.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Sharper
    As a dramatic thriller, Sharper isn’t quite as dramatic or thrilling as it could be — but it’s got more than enough Big Bastard Energy to give you a good time.
  59. The First Omen
    For veteran viewers who’ve seen it all before, it’s not exactly the Second Coming. But novice nunsploitation audiences might find this habit-forming: a stylish enough entry-level initiation.
  60. Soapdish
    The trouble with spoofing soap opera is that its dramatically deranged conventions - dead characters resurrected, hitherto unknown progeny claiming birthrights and bedrooms, characters metamorphosed into new actors - are already so absurd they are hard to send up any further.
  61. The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil
    What it lacks in depth, it makes up for with style, well-handled action, and an entertaining central duo. More proof, if needed, that Ma Dong-seok is a star.
  62. The Phantom of the Open
    What The Phantom Of The Open lacks in ambition or dramatic oomph, it makes up for in easy-going appeal. Anchored by an impish Mark Rylance, it takes its cue from the story’s hero: a bit ramshackle, very amiable, always watchable.
  63. The Overnight
    Excruciatingly hilarious and hilariously excruciating. The merkin scene will live with you forever.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.
    It's a low-budget winner combining a sharp, protean visual style - one minute music video, the next cinema verite - with impudent humour, raw emotion, a thumping good rap soundtrack and some pertinent lessons in choice and responsibility.
  65. Hanna
    An absurd-sounding concept rendered wholly believable and thrilling by a fearless young actress and a director at the top of his game.
  66. Pacific Rim
    Del Toro is giving scope to a boyhood lust for mayhem, the multi-million-dollar equivalent of kicking over sandcastles and torturing insects. There is something infectiously juvenile in that.
  67. The Smashing Machine
    As a newly solo director, Safdie summons a thoughtful and moving mood for this unconventional sports film; as a newly serious dramatic actor, Johnson is about to win some awards.
  68. The Autopsy of Jane Doe
    Featuring excellent work from grandstanding Cox and just-lying-there Kelly, The Autopsy Of Jane Doe creates a successful feeling of mounting dread punctuated by crashing thunder and surgical viscera.
  69. Cocoon
    The sugar level is positively diabetic, but the whole aura of warmth and cuddliness is hard to resist.
  70. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I
    The first and third acts are over-busy; the middle one moves like an arthritic house-elf. Still, a decent smattering of magic moments and tension's pumped up sky-high. Bring on Part 2.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    GoldenEye
    This is the best bond movie since "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".
  72. The Fantastic Four: First Steps
    With an exemplary cast and shiny new alt-universe to enjoy, this is the best Fantastic Four yet. And if that bar’s too low for you, then it’s also the best Marvel movie in years.
  73. The Curse of Frankenstein
    In its best scenes, it adds dynamism and British grit to a genre that had previously tried to get by on atmospherics and mood alone. It manages to be shocking without being especially frightening, and its virtues of performance and style remain striking.
  74. Black '47
    Black 47 lacks the seriousness and rigour of other displaced Westerns like The Proposition and Sweet Country. But Lance Daly’s film is gripping enough to suggest Ireland’s tragic backstory is a frontier full of resonant riches.
  75. Leo
    Fun, warm, but meandering and too-long, Leo is an animated adventure with kindness and celebrating individuality on its mind – and is a great showcase for Sandler’s voice talents.
  76. Ondine
    Funny, whimsical and as warming as a big bowl of Irish stew.
  77. Down in the Valley
    Never has the term 'American Independent' so obviously been code for 'wholly miserable experience'.
  78. The Year of Living Dangerously
    With its echoes of Graham Greene’s "The Quiet American," the script is inevitably preachy and Weir’s camera glowers over the injustices of President Sukarno’s failing regime in late 1965, but the performances are strong and the drama gripping.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Mississippi Burning
    With remarkable performances, aggressive direction and a cracking pace, this is superb cinema, even if the historical accuracy leaves much to be desired.
  80. We Are What We Are
    Surely cinema's first Mexican social-realist cannibal horror drama, it's grimly funny and at times horribly effective stuff. Ickily excellent.
  81. Point and Shoot
    A strange story that's no less disturbing for its unbalanced telling.
  82. Photograph
    Photograph is decidedly old-fashioned and the outcome is never in doubt but the craft is impeccable, the performances low-key and likeable plus there is something persuasive about Batra’s gentle worldview, his faith in people and love restorative.
  83. Last Breath
    A curiously bloodless account of a real-life disaster that has moments of gripping tension punctuating long stretches of fatally understated business as usual.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    James' Journey to Jerusalem
    The muddled mix of documentary rawness and fable-like naiveté prevents it from fulfilling its parable pretensions.
  85. Close to Home
    A slyly subversive insight into the role of women in the Israeli military, this is a surprisingly compassionate satire that makes its political points without resorting to caricature.
  86. 100 Nights of Hero
    It’s beautifully designed and pleasantly quirky, with fun performances from the cast, yet the arch narrative style and structure can make the whole feel thin and unsatisfying.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    The Pillow Book
    Here both Greenaway's strengths and weaknesses are on show as he toys with the viewers' capacity to ingest blurring metaphors and convoluted content.
  88. The Way
    Gentle, likable and profoundly touching, it makes you want to dig out the hiking boots and make the same journey.
  89. The Rover
    This would have been a striking calling card, and it’s still an impressively solid piece of genre filmmaking with great cinematography and score. But there’s not much here of the ambition of Animal Kingdom, leaving Michôd in ‘difficult third movie’ territory. Let’s hope he gets a move on this time.
  90. Napoleon Dynamite
    As long as you don't mind making fun of the afflicted, there are some killer comic moments.
  91. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
    For its writer-director, Sky Captain was a labour of love. For almost everyone else - including the wooden cast - it’s just a labour.
  92. Marie Antoinette
    Marie Antoinette is gorgeous, giddy, gilded filmmaking.
  93. Guilty by Suspicion
    The pace drags terribly, however, and the period detail is distractingly off in small ways that become annoying. Thankfully, though, things perk up with a bravura finale, when Merrill finally takes the witness stand before the dreaded inquisitors.
  94. Interview
    Stagey filming aside, this is a sharp and controlled study of celebrity obsession.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Zarafa
    The film veers from quasi-real to cartoonily silly and scenes either drag or whirl by too fast.
  96. Unbranded
    Has its moments of spectacle and danger, but offers too few genuine insights or rite-of-passage epiphanies.
  97. I Am Bolt
    Bolt’s golden era may be too recent and the sponsors too dominant for any real warts to be included, but his charm and sheer physical wonder make this a compelling watch regardless.
  98. Trancers
    One of the liveliest, wittiest, cleverest cheapies ever made.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    George Michael Freedom Uncut
    Absorbing if not quite insightful, due to a fair degree of self-editing, this remains a moving, often melancholic document of a fabulous songwriter and singer whose legacy becomes ever more obvious as the years pass. A must for fans.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    South Central
    Largely, real emotions are substituted here by people swearing and trying to kill each other, which adds up to a shamefully dehumanising piece of work.
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