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. Tropical Malady
    This challenging, inventive movie from Thailand is not for everyone.
  2. The Dish
    For all its folksy jocularity, the movie inspires a sense of global patriotism. In the big picture, every little dish counts.
  3. Nine Lives
    A couple of the stories don't quite accomplish what Rodrigo intends, but most are poignant, disturbing, and superbly acted.
  4. Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple
    Meticulously researched documentary.
  5. The Price of Sugar
    The film is unabashedly supportive of Father Hartley, presenting him as a stubborn saint, and depicts the wealthy owners as soulless villains. Presumably they have a different story to tell, but we wouldn't know: When the camera's on, none can be found.
    • New York Daily News
  6. Gone Baby Gone
    The film's standout performance belongs to Ed Harris, who plays a Boston detective with decades of experience and an equal amount of built-up resentment toward people who would harm children.
  7. Hellboy
    Hellboy may be a big, noisy goof of a comic-book action film, but love is in the dank, dark, subterranean air as the bulky red-hued palooka tries to win the heart of the pyrokinetic beauty Liz Sherman.
  8. Lightning in a Bottle
    Fuqua's passion for the music comes through in the clear, unobtrusive style of the film, which mixes generous footage of the event's performances with interviews and archival footage, all adding up to a luscious historical snapshot of one America's original art forms.
  9. Travelers and Magicians
    Shangri-La is in your own backyard.
  10. Three Times
    A lyrical, subtle, chaste and nearly wordless romance.
  11. The English Patient
    A smashing success on its own terms, though as a transcendent love story it lacks the firm foundation in human reality that characterizes Lars Von Trier's superior "Breaking the Waves."
  12. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
    Take us on an indelible tour through the highest and lowest points of the human experience.
  13. Men of Honor
    One of the more uplifting films of the season.
  14. Paradise Now
    At the stunning conclusion, you feel as if the weight of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has come down on your head.
  15. I Dreamed of Africa
    Despite the movie's dramatic weaknesses, I was spellbound by the images.
  16. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
    A perversely enjoyable entry in that new genre, the biopic of the tawdry TV personality.
  17. Nina's Tragedies
    Israeli director Savi Gabizon has created a nuanced coming-of-age portrait that ought to strike a chord with ­audiences ­everywhere.
  18. Enigma
    A smart, old-fashioned spy thriller in which the weapon of choice is brainpower.
    • New York Daily News
  19. 2 Days in Paris
    Delpy wrote the dialogue that gives the film its forward thrust, and "2 Days" is a wonderful first feature.
  20. Superstar in a Housedress
    It's hard to believe Andy Warhol's Factory created enough characters to keep us interested 40 years later, but as it turns out, drag diva Jackie Curtis still has a few more minutes of fame left.
  21. Collateral
    The whole movie is something of a joke, a feature-length prank that mixes stark violence and shock humor in the mold of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." Though it is a far less ambitious entertainment than Tarantino's masterpiece, it has its moments.
  22. Almost Peaceful
    These are people who are just waking up to life again. It may appear to be the ultimate non-action ­movie, but in the context of these lives, it is the highest kind of ­drama.
  23. Raise Your Voice
    What is unusual and exciting about the movie is the assemblage of raw talent in the cast.
  24. 16 Years of Alcohol
    But the film has a poetic pulse, its ups and downs accompanied by some smartly chosen pop songs, a seductive original score and McKidd's husky voice-over narration.
  25. The Road to Guantanamo
    The movie, shot digitally, begins as a not very compelling or particularly convincing road movie, and turns into a riveting prison drama.
  26. The Widow of Saint-Pierre
    It doesn't get much more romantic than this.
  27. Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams
    Jasmila Zbanic's poignant drama reminds us that the aftershocks of war linger for generations.
  28. The Great Debaters
    The three young actors are good, but the movie is held together from beginning to end by another riveting performance from Washington. Few actors can dominate a film with their diction as well as Washington, and the role of the erudite, passionate Mel Tolson gives him plenty of opportunity.
  29. This So-Called Disaster: Sam Shepard Directs the Late Henry Moss
    Among the many skills required by a documentary maker is the ability to make reticent people blossom. Michael Almereyda has done that in This So-Called Disaster with several of the film industry's most notorious iconoclasts.
  30. Unlikely Heroes
    Some stories are more compellingly told than others, but all, like Trank's film, are deserving of attention.
  31. Save the Green Planet!
    Will thrill those who prefer their violence graphic and their comedy surreal.
  32. Joe Gould's Secret
    Holm is dazzling as the grubby little misfit, just a little brilliant and a little insane.
  33. Poseidon
    The new cast is no match for the star-clustered original, but Lucas, who looks much like a young Paul Newman (you may think you're watching "The Towering Inferno"), has a strong, matinee-idol presence, and Russell is a reliable old hand at this sort of thing.
  34. Open Season
    Given that so many people have dismissed Ashton Kutcher as a superficial pretty boy, it seems a little ironic that his best work this week is two-dimensional: He makes a passable action hero in "The Guardian," but he's downright adorable in Open Season, a cheerful animated comedy built on his winningly loose voice performance.
  35. The Rape of Europa
    A veteran who was in the Allied force trying to drive Germans out of a landmark Italian monastery asks, "What is more important, a great piece of art or a human life?" That it has taken more than 60 years to get this incredible story told answers the question.
  36. Shaolin Soccer
    Proving there's always a new way to tell an old story, Stephen Chow pulls out all the stops for one of the silliest, sweetest and most fun family films in recent memory.
  37. Into the Blue
    An enjoyable, gorgeously photographed aquatic adventure whose stars are blissfully bodacious.
  38. Chasing Amy
    An ingratiatingly sincere attempt to deal with the complications and contradictions of modern romance.
  39. 42: Forty Two Up
    I love this series; it's possibly the most exciting use of the documentary medium ever.
  40. The Pursuit of Happyness
    You may have to go back to 1973's "Paper Moon" and the father/daughter work of Ryan O'Neal and 10-year-old Tatum for equal excellence in nepotism.
  41. Ocean's Eleven
    The movie tells you right up front you're going to get what you came for: big stars, winking inside jokes and a spin on something so familiar it doesn't matter that you don't buy it for one minute. You're not meant to.
  42. Shakespeare Behind Bars
    The mere fact that Shakespeare can teach hardened criminals to search their souls gives hope that forgiveness and redemption are possible.
  43. Real Women Have Curves
    Any woman who wears more than a size 12 -- and that would be the majority of adult females in the United States -- will get buckets of self-esteem from Real Women Have Curves.
  44. The Island
    It's got a hot premise, some cool sets, attractive stars and action that lets up only when it thinks you're about to surrender.
  45. The Future of Food
    Garcia's somber narration is a turnoff, but this plucky little diatribe gets you thinking about the larger implications facing future generations.
  46. Bugs!
    Here's one movie you'll want to see with an audience of squealing, excited, terrified kids, their arms extended greedily to grab, squish or ward off all things exoskeletal and beady-eyed. It's gross, but in the nicest way (meaning no roaches).
  47. Adam's Apples
    Jensen tarnishes the lining of every cloud in one wickedly funny scene after another.
  48. Civic Duty
    Though Civic Duty seems to be a study in paranoid psychosis, it has just enough ambiguity to make you wonder if it isn't something else. You'll still be wondering when it's all over.
  49. Winter Sleepers
    Kinetic, sexy and full of meaningful coincidences and intertwined fates.
  50. Beowulf & Grendel
    Credit Icelandic director Sturla Gunnarsson for having an ambitious vision: He took a look at the eighth-century epic poem "Beowulf" and decided he could cut it down to size. And he has, for better and worse.
  51. Children of Men
    Cuarón relies on his ample visual style, and he has indeed created a film you cannot tear your eyes away from.
  52. God Grew Tired of Us
    Narrated by Nicole Kidman, this poignant documentary tells only half the story of three Sudanese "lost boys" who emigrate to America. Though it doesn't delve as deep as it should, this movie will still break your heart.
  53. Marty
    It is a sentimental, heart-warming, simple story of a couple of ugly ducklings who find compensation for their lack of good looks in each other's love.
  54. The Beauty Academy of Kabul
    As they talk between classes about oppressive husbands, abusive brothers and arranged marriages, it becomes clear that the frivolities Americans take for granted can be their lifeline. In this tentatively hopeful setting, a single lipstick becomes leverage.
  55. The Green Mile
    Has a simple but exceptionally powerful and uplifting emotional lure.
  56. Priceless
    Dirty, kinda-rotten scoundrels Elmaleh and Tautou make an engaging pair.
  57. Rhythm 'n' Bayous: A Road Map to Louisiana Music
    Unpolished and clearly made on a low budget, the results seem a little like a home video by someone who spent an especially cool summer vacation.
  58. Identity
    A fascinating movie that, if you are able to make the leap it asks of you at about the three-quarter mark, will give you something to think and talk about for days. One thing is certain: It isn't predictable.
  59. Shine a Light
    Jagger is often shot straight-on, veiny arms outstretched, white-hot lights illuminating his skinny form (and, um, bared belly). Suddenly, Scorsese turns what seemed familiar into genuinely iconic. From then on, the movie is on fire.
  60. Gangs of New York
    The movie turns choppy in the final third, but it is a monumental achievement nonetheless.
  61. Robot Stories
    The stories are sharply written and well composed. Some are high tech on a low-tech budget, but where they find their strength -- in the emotions of their characters -- money is no object.
  62. Batman Begins
    What you get out of Batman Begins depends on what you bring to it. It is the most faithful to the origins of the comic strip and it sets up a series very different from the four made by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher between 1989 and 1997.
  63. Two Family House
    A gentle, soulful comedy about everyday dreams and what it takes to make them come true.
  64. Sketches of Frank Gehry
    Providing a tart balance to such enthusiastic admiration, Gehry's own blunt musings on his motivations, revelations and desires prove especially interesting.
  65. You Kill Me
    Dahl found the right actors for every part - Bill Pullman as the cynical Realtor hired to look after Frank, Luke Wilson as the gay AA member assigned as Frank's sponsor, and the always amusing Dennis Farina as Irish mobster Edward O'Leary.
  66. X-Men
    A solid action story with inventive battles (one on the Statue of Liberty) and satisfyingly gooey special effects.
  67. Lights in the Dusk
    Kaurismaki's characteristically minimalist humor and wry empathy make brief appearances, but be warned: His Helsinki is a cold, dark place unfit for all but the hardiest visitors.
  68. 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.
  69. Fifty-Fifty
    With a cast of mostly non-actors, the film seems rough-hewn, like something you'd find rusted along a road. But it's actually a sophisticated blend of crime thriller, coming-of-age story and social realism.
  70. The Century of the Self
    It will make you laugh, and feel like crying.
  71. Shadow Boxers
    Savvy, unflinching, often bloody documentary.
  72. Divorce Iranian Style
    The tone is attentive and responsible.
  73. Ella Enchanted
    As an alternative to the slick, instantly forgettable fare usually made for kids and preteens, Ella Enchanted brings a little bit of magic to the multiplex.
  74. Up for Grabs
    Michael Wranovics' documentary replays this sorry chapter in all-American greed in glorious detail.
  75. Kings & Queen
    Arnaud Desplechin's sprawling drama exudes a go-for-broke determination that is frustrating and exhilarating.
  76. Rock School
    Rock School celebrates music, family, hard work and, yes, Paul Green. Best of all, it shows the flexibility of children to learn and adapt -- even when their teacher is nuts.
  77. Seabiscuit
    This rousing story of the comeback colt comes close to a modern-day Frank Capra film without the pandering or mawkishness. Yes, it's a bit hokey, but if you fight the movie's gait you'll miss the excitement of the race.
  78. Our Father
    Haroun is deft at handling the joys and pain of childhood. He neither condescends nor ­­over-sentimentalizes. It is a story of separation anxiety (for Amine) and coming of age (for Tahir) and it's universal.
  79. Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself
    A story about people learning to know themselves through relationships to others -- delivered with gentle, offbeat humor.
  80. Danny Deckchair
    Danny Deckchair may be a trifle, but it offers a breezy lift for the dog days of summer.
  81. After the Wedding
    The characters may suffer once the bride walks down the aisle, but Bier, Jensen and their first-rate cast work together like a match made in heaven.
  82. Catch Me If You Can
    A pleasant romp through the land of Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction.
  83. Afterglow
    At his best, as he is here, Rudolph is always able to locate the emotional reality inside the dream. [26Dec1997 Pg53]
    • New York Daily News
  84. The Man Who Wasn't There
    Has all the tense crackle of film noir and the molasses drip of irony that is the trademark of movie-making brothers Joel and Ethan Coen.
  85. Spider
    A cat's cradle of creepy childhood memory oozing unreliably from the mind of an aging, desiccated, paranoid schizophrenic, played quite amazingly by a mumbling, stooped, shifty-eyed Ralph Fiennes.
  86. The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy
    It's the first mainstream gay movie that feels totally comfortable in its shoes.
  87. X-Men: The Last Stand
    Ratner is unable to maintain the emotional intensity that has made this series so deeply epic. But he sure knows how to put on a show.
  88. The Namesake
    The Namesake is suffused with radiant grace, and manages to be old-fashioned yet immediate, epic and intimate.
  89. The Bourne Identity
    Thrillers have become so gnawingly generic that The Bourne Identity wakes the senses without leaning on cliché and soundtrack.
    • New York Daily News
  90. Out of the Blue
    As sensitive to its subject as it is stark in its rendering.
  91. Runaway Jury
    Brisk pacing and a remarkable cast achieve the sleight-of-hand effect of making you forgive some implausible twists and a sanitized ending.
  92. Girl with a Pearl Earring
    Does an uncommonly good job of summoning all that goes into a masterpiece - erotic tension, financial considerations, even the sensual, elaborate grinding and mixing of paint colors as per 17th-century requirements.
  93. On the Run
    Belvaux says his tryptich...are stand-alone movies that can be enjoyed in any order. I disagree. None is a complete experience and "An Amazing Couple" can be easily skipped. But the first and third add up to something very poignant and satisfying.
  94. 7 Days in September
    There's nothing here for commercial reality-TV shows, just history caught on the run, offering a raw and timeless reminder of the day we had our eyes opened to the power of blind hatred.
  95. Panic
    A small gem in the postholiday depression.
  96. The Girl Next Door
    A fascinating fly-on-the-wall documentary.
  97. Monsters, Inc.
    Rarely does an animated character merge as perfectly with the persona of the actor providing his voice as the star of Monsters, Inc. does with John Goodman.
    • New York Daily News
  98. Nobody Knows
    Excellent, troubling social commentary based on a true story.
  99. The Best Man
    Makes a fine date movie...thanks to its life-affirming view of friendship, love and honor.
  100. Won't Anybody Listen
    Equally compelling and depressing.
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