New York Daily News' Scores

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For 6,911 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 42% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 55% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 8.2 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 57
Highest review score: 100 Fruitvale Station
Lowest review score: 0 The Fourth Kind
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,885 out of 6911
  2. Mixed: 2,801 out of 6911
  3. Negative: 1,225 out of 6911
6911 movie reviews
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  1. Monkey Kingdom
    If you don’t love monkeys already — and really, we all should — then Monkey Kingdom will swing you in the right direction.
  2. Bellflower
    Like its antiheroes, this slacker tragedy has moments of calm and originality that are sadly obliterated by a tendency toward the extreme. Still, in a kind of reverse apocalypse, the movie's toughest stretch is its first two-thirds, a navel-gazing, semi-romantic nothing-a-thon that falls away in time for the movie to emerge from the ashes.
  3. Every Last Child
    Mostly, though, there’s hopefulness here, and determination to win a fight worth fighting.
  4. 50/50
    50/50 pulls no punches in its depiction of living day-to-day with illness. There's pain and fear, no question. But this dramatic comedy is also warm, honest and, most especially, funny.
  5. Super 8
    This uneven but often charming movie produced by Spielberg gets so many things right, including its practiced naivete. What's missing, however, is a crucial sense of connection to itself.
  6. War Horse
    While the Tony-winning play based on the same book creates unexpected impact through strikingly inventive puppetry, Spielberg is at a disadvantage in employing such a literal approach. Not even animals as beautiful as these can substitute for human ingenuity and imagination.
  7. The Aristocrats
    What keeps the film from becoming obnoxiously redundant is the conviviality of the comedians. These are funny people even when they're not telling the joke.
  8. Easy A
    You'd be hard-pressed to find a misfit loner as confident as Olive, who bears her considerable tortures with remarkable grace. But Stone is so funny, smart and sweet that we relate to her anyway.
  9. The Eagle Huntress
    The Eagle Huntress is all at once an inspiring story for children of all ages to believe that they can do anything, a reflection of the unfairness of gender roles and a rare and unique look at a remote part of the world.
  10. Zheng hun qi shi
    Although rife with comic possibilities, The Personals develops into a somber tale of personal identity.
  11. The Mother
    Turns out to be a thoughtful, beautifully acted story about feeling alive before it's too late to feel anything.
  12. Priceless
    Dirty, kinda-rotten scoundrels Elmaleh and Tautou make an engaging pair.
  13. Transsiberian
    Since Alfred Hitchcock set the standard for strangers-on-a-train thrillers, Anderson has a lot to live up to. He falls short of creating a new classic, but he does manage to keep us on edge for most of the movie.
  14. First Position
    Their devotion to their art is admirable, and the film gets under the skin, if never really in our blood.
  15. The Life of Reilly
    If you think of Reilly as little more than a camp icon, you've got a lot to learn.
  16. I Served the King of England
    A film as unique as this is a gift that shouldn't be ignored.
  17. Gangs of New York
    The movie turns choppy in the final third, but it is a monumental achievement nonetheless.
  18. The Rookie
    Commits the sin of a hundred sports biographies in overselling its inherent drama.
    • New York Daily News
  19. Felicia's Journey
    Seems like a genteel "Psycho."
  20. The Vertical Ray of the Sun
    Here's the downside, and it's not just me: You need a scorecard to keep track of the sisters, their brother, two husbands, a boyfriend, two (or three?) extramarital lovers.
  21. Nowhere in Africa
    Though the story itself is undeniably fascinating, this somewhat prosaic account simply doesn't do it justice.
  22. A Beautiful Mind
    This is another brilliant performance by Crowe, who is to body language what Meryl Streep is to accents.
  23. Slow West
    Slow West isn’t a grand epic of that genre. It’s more like “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” “Dead Man” or the recent “The Homesman,” using familiar signposts to tell a simple, compelling, terrific story.
  24. Your Sister's Sister
    This film's only real stumble is its ending, which is so predictable it seems like a bit of a copout.
  25. The Woodsman
    Kassell has serious talent. The movie is beautifully shot, and the performances are all spot-on. But like many young screenwriters today, she has overwritten her script to the point where everything is simply too tidy for the messy psychological material.
  26. Shame
    These characters are stripped bare in every sense, reflecting an extreme degree of inner confusion, vulnerability and fear. Betrayed and broken as children, they now have to define and rebuild themselves as adults...Sissy turns a nightclub rendition of "New York, New York" into a heartbreaking plea.
  27. Akeelah and the Bee
    I'm not sure how tolerable this would be without Palmer's charm, because this is a formulated script where everything is tied up in perfect bows, just like life isn't.
  28. Crazy Horse
    It's undeniably interesting to watch each element come into place, from choreography to costumes. But the truth is, most viewers will best appreciate the retro-sexy dance numbers themselves.
  29. Brick
    Johnson combines the elements of classic 1940s film noir and "Rebel Without a Cause"-style teen angst in a movie that is as phony as it is ambitious. It's an A+ film school exercise with zero emotional or social impact.
  30. Doctor Strange
    It's fun to have new version of an old Marvel favorite, and a storyline which adds some genuine mysticism to this ever-expanding franchise. But "Strange" is too often only odd when it needs to be truly magical, and Hollywood-safe when it needs to be brave.
  31. Ghost Town
    Leoni and Kinnear are charming, and Koepp keeps the mood appropriately light. But really, this would be just another disposable comedy if it weren't for our unassuming star.
  32. The Lottery
    Every parent in New York should see this movie and then ask why, when solutions exist, our woefully broken school system has yet to be fixed.
  33. Bringing Out the Dead
    It's a slice of life, with all the trimmings, and one of the strongest films of the year.
    • New York Daily News
  34. Journey to the Sun
    A remarkable second feature from writer-director Yesim Ustaoglu.
  35. The Closet
    A farce nearly as cracked as his previous "The Dinner Game."
  36. Mostly Martha
    The course of Martha's relationships with Lina and Mario holds no surprises, but the performances of Gedeck and Castellitto, like the work of a great chef, make something special out of something very ordinary.
  37. Walk the Line
    What Walk the Line does well, it does really well. Mangold was ­wisely gen­erous with the amount of musical performance he included in the film, and the later scenes - showing Cash and Carter as partners - are so well shot and edited, they defy you to sit still.
  38. When Marnie Was There
    Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi did a wonderful job adapting “The Borrowers” into “The Secret World of Arriety.” But this slow-moving film, also from a book, tends to plod rather than float.
  39. Control
    Smart, imaginative - and nearly ­impossible to watch.
  40. Terri
    If one performance could tilt a movie the direction it needs to go, John C. Reilly's expertly left-of-center turn in Terri is it.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Nas: Time Is Illmatic
    The album lives as a touchstone, and a turning point, in New York hip hop. The film may be far less significant, but it does bear witness to the music’s greatness.
  42. Match Point
    What fans want are good movies. This one isn't particularly funny or romantic, but it's gripping and tragic. It asks some nasty, yet profound, questions about human desire and behavior.
  43. Still Alice
    Hampered by both an unimaginative script and ordinary direction, but it’s a serious Oscar contender. Why? Because Julianne Moore is in the lead.
  44. The Talent Given Us
    It's weird and wonderful.
  45. Surfwise
    Pray unfolds the family's story with patience and skill, making it both a compliment and a complaint to say that he leaves us wanting to know much more.
  46. Step Into Liquid
    What has changed most dramatically over the years is the camera's ability to shoot as if it were stationed on the wall of those rolling pipelines. For some, this is the next best thing to being there.
  47. The Back of the World
    Corcuera is a deft and determined storyteller, and it's a testament to his passion that we're left wanting to know a great deal more about each of his subjects.
  48. Isn't This a Time! A Tribute Concert for Harold Leventhal
    Any opportunity to see Pete Seeger perform, even at age 85, is worth taking - and Seeger is front, center and full-throated in Jim Brown's concert film.
  49. Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story
    Spellbinding.
  50. Despicable Me
    Granted, it's a far cry from the Pixar classics. But Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud's nicely quirky, animated comedy has just enough edge to entertain every member of the family.
  51. Great World of Sound
    The joke is that the salesmen believe they're actually trying to discover talent and - like the people they're encouraging - are victims.
  52. The Double Hour
    A twisty Italian thriller that takes some liberties with its now-you-see-'em/now-you-don't plot points, but no matter; the way director Giuseppe Capotondi keeps us guessing is deliciously, maliciously deft.
  53. Undefeated
    There are plenty of unexpected moments within this stirring film, but it's no surprise at all that it's been tapped to compete for a Best Documentary Oscar next Sunday.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
    It's action-packed, darker, more epic and thankfully schmaltz-free. And it's the best "Harry Potter" film yet.
  55. Fed Up
    Despite the film’s worthy goals, there are some empty calories. Katie Couric’s narration and Soechtig’s uninspired style make it feel more like a TV special than a feature documentary.
  56. Smashed
    Winstead and director James Ponsoldt add something gripping and modern to the cinema of recovery, a well-mined genre that can still, it seems, yield thoughtful surprises.
  57. Paradise Now
    At the stunning conclusion, you feel as if the weight of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has come down on your head.
  58. Marion Bridge
    This Canadian film is extraordinarily low-key, considering the explosive secrets the sisters unearth, but that is part of its strength.
  59. Swimming
    Its leisurely pace and reliance on Ambrose's pale-lashed gaze make it more of an interior monologue. That may not please viewers who crave action, but those with patience will be rewarded.
  60. Secret Lives: Hidden Children and Their Rescuers During WWII
    Sometimes painful, often joyous, and altogether illuminating.
  61. Manito
    Toward the finish, the movie takes a regrettable curve into melodrama, but the excellent performances never waver.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Land of the Dead
    Land is pure entertainment and superbly well done. It is not as scary as it is gross, and its grossness is so outrageously graphic (hint: don't seat yourself next to a zombie at your next barbecue) that it is laugh-out-loud funny.
  63. The Boss of It All
    With echoes of "Dave," in which Kevin Kline takes over for the comatose U.S. President he resembles, Kristoffer begins to feel the power given to him and to make his own decisions, leading to some hilarious situations and an unpredictable ending.
  64. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
    For any adult feeling overwhelmed by bad news and dark times, your antidote is right here.
  65. The Imitation Game
    Ultimately, though, director Morten Tyldum’s conventional approach doesn’t do full justice to his tragically unconventional hero.
  66. Smiley Face
    This is a midnight stoner movie if there ever was one.
  67. Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
    Left-wing flame-thrower Robert Greenwald (Uncovered: The War on Iraq) gets after the global giant anyway, and he may have you thinking twice before entering another Wal-Mart parking lot.
  68. Leap Year
    A far cry from 2010's shallow rom-com of the same name, this Leap Year is a haunting portrait of loneliness in its starkest state.
  69. Chasing Amy
    An ingratiatingly sincere attempt to deal with the complications and contradictions of modern romance.
  70. The Water Horse
    It's a little corny and somewhat overlong, but a sweet sensibility and stirring adventure scenes make The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep a welcome gift for anyone looking to keep kids entertained over the holidays.
  71. Sisters in Law
    Because the film focuses entirely on the women's work, we learn too little about their personal histories. How did they even rise to such prominence in what appears to be an extremely patriarchal society?
  72. Wonderland
    That (cinéma-vérité) feel is absolutely convincing, as are the performances.
  73. All the Real Girls
    The central relationship here is curious but not engaging, except for the pleasure of watching Deschanel, making All the Real Girls just a filmmaker's exercise in impressionistic style and mood.
  74. Spy Kids
    An adorable family movie.
  75. Tadpole
    Armed with a witty script, Winick and the actors so confidently ply the Oedipal waters that the comedy seems sweetly chaste.
  76. Time of the Wolf
    Time of the Wolf is grounded so deeply in the reality of society gone awry that the anxiety faced by Isabelle Huppert's character as she struggles to keep her family together transfers onto the audience and never leaves.
  77. The Raid 2
    For better or worse, the blood and bone-crunching remains most prominent.
  78. Lenny Cooke
    This melancholy documentary shows how championship dreams can turn into a nightmare.
  79. La Moustache
    Have Marc's friends tricked him with a conspiracy of silence, or was that mustache a growth only in his mind? The filmmaker has said there is no intended meaning to any of this, so search for it for your own amusement.
  80. Holes
    A great family movie, with a terrifically empathetic young hero, strong messages about the powers of familial love and friendship, buried treasure and enough action to keep the little ones from getting bored.
  81. The Big Lebowski
    It's a tired idea, and it produces an episodic, unstrung film. [6 March 1998, p.49]
    • New York Daily News
  82. King Leopold's Ghost
    This brilliant documentary, which shows not only how Belgian King Leopold II made the huge and resource-rich central African Congo his own private reserve, but how his legacy of exploiting the land and brutalizing its people continues in modern times.
  83. Thank You for Smoking
    It's more fun than a turkey shoot. It's also one of the most entertaining riffs on American culture in years.
  84. Pete's Dragon
    What Pete's Dragon lacks in original plot, it makes up for in heart
  85. Trashed
    Crucial viewing for realists and alarmists both.
  86. The Good Girl
    In Aniston's previous film roles, the "Friends" star has made little impression, but under the direction of the gifted young Arteta, she's certainly grown to fill the big screen here, and looks ready to leap from TV to film.
  87. Intolerable Cruelty
    If Intolerable Cruelty isn't a convincing love story, it's a hugely entertaining one, with comic relief -- in the form of Cedric the Entertainer as a voyeuristic private eye and Tom Aldredge as a decaying law-firm boss issuing directives while hooked up to life-support -- piled on top of the comedy.
  88. Intimate Strangers
    This has all the ingredients for a top-notch thriller except one - a thrill.
  89. Factotum
    Bukowski fans - and they are legion - may fill in the blanks from their own knowledge of the writer and find Factotum a more complete character study than it really is. For the rest of us, there are a few laughs - and a corking hangover.
    • New York Daily News
  90. Tropic Thunder
    Although this ­satire of Hollywood inanity isn't the comic ­classic it could have been, Downey's gonzo performance is a must-see.
  91. The Tracker
    An underwritten drama.
  92. Disgrace
    The film, unfortunately, hasn't the depth Malkovich brings to his performance.
  93. Koch
    The politician who almost pathologically asked the question "How'm I doin'?" clearly never needed a view outside his own. Which is as New York as it gets.
  94. Good Will Hunting
    You'd never guess this just-off-center movie was directed by indie hero Gus Van Sant. Maybe, like Will, he's casual about his gifts and feels no need to trot them out.
  95. This Is Martin Bonner
    This contemplative drama draws strength from day-to-day ordinariness and a terrific lead performance from Paul Eenhoorn, yet sadly falls short.
  96. Battle for Brooklyn
    A gripping documentary about how unnecesary real estate development can change the soul of New York, brings us inside the lives it touches.
  97. Mozart's Sister
    Marie Féret struggles to hold the film's center throughout, but there's more than enough to distract us, from transcendent music to sumptuous costumes and sets.
  98. Red Eye
    The movie is fun, fun, fun.
  99. Trumbo
    Donald Sutherland's passionate rendition of a speech from Trumbo's 1971 film "Johnny Got His Gun" (based on his novel) is worth the price of admission.
  100. Travelers and Magicians
    Shangri-La is in your own backyard.
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