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. The Skin I Live In
    Almodovar makes some missteps in his icky mélange of melodrama and mischief, but the end result is playfully devious.
  2. The Pink Panther 2
    Martin starts at the outrageous accent and spins out from there, and that's fine for this. And there are a few snicker-worthy scenes.
  3. Brothers at War
    He does accomplish his main task, to take us into places civilians rarely go, and give witness to the immense challenges soldiers like his brothers face every second they’re required to be at war.
  4. Valentino: The Last Emperor
    Lively and affectionate, Matt Tyrnauer's documentary is made for those who believe, as he does, that the work of fashion designer Valentino is worthy of the most respectful chronicle.
  5. The Grand Seduction
    Gleeson and the collection of good-natured seniors with accents will win your heart.
  6. Love and Other Drugs
    We never really forget we're watching two highly paid professionals create a cinematic placebo, strong enough to entertain without making a long-term impact. Fortunately, everyone works just hard enough to sell us on the whole thing anyway.
  7. Strongman
    To use carnival lingo: Thrilling? Not quite; since Levi's film has no clear goal for Stan to reach. Spectacular? Truth be told, those skeptical of Stan's abilities may still walk out as nonbelievers. Fascinating? Absolutely, because if you take time to listen, everyone's life is a three-ring circus.
  8. Vidal Sassoon: The Movie
    This rather elegant movie, like a bold new 'do, is both not what you'd expect and exactly what you feared.
  9. Red Knot
    It's no surprise that first-time director Scott Cohen is a nature photographer by trade: he's made one of the most gorgeous movies you'll see this year.
  10. Everyday
    Filmed — patiently, beautifully — over that same length of time, the film’s day-to-day aches are quiet and lovingly rendered.
  11. Holy Rollers
    Eisenberg - seemingly in every other movie nowadays - gives his best performance since 2005's "The Squid and the Whale" in a film that dramatizes a fascinating New York story.
  12. Filth
    Director Jon S. Baird lets Welsh’s language fill up the room, even when it’s a wee bit hard to fathom.
  13. Multiple Sarcasms
    The cast is uniformly appealing in out-of-left-field ways, but writer-director Brooks Branch lets the story amble lazily, which -- like Gabriel and almost every character like him you've ever seen -- gets a little tiring.
  14. Programming the Nation?
    This thought-provoking but overlong doc wins points for being all-inclusive.
  15. Big Eyes
    Burton structures the film, right up to the fascinating finale, as both a damning tale of male privilege and a moving story of a woman’s liberation. The actors reflect these themes accordingly. Adams is touchingly restrained and Waltz is monstrously charismatic.
  16. Baghead
    Anybody who missed 2006's excellent indie "The Puffy Chair" has another chance to discover the off-kilter world of the Duplass brothers.
  17. Bhutto
    It's a fascinating story, and too epic to be contained here. But the directors certainly capture our interest, even as they leave us wanting to know more.
  18. Lucky Them
    While Lucky Them may not be a classic, the actors at least find a cool groove.
  19. Men at Lunch
    Best of all, we take a trip back to Depression-era New York and grasp its resonance more than 80 years later. Delicious.
  20. Chi-Raq
    Jackson is terrific, of course, although he's the spice here, not the main meal. As Lysistrata, Teyonah Parris is a fierce, finger-snapping leader while, as her man Chi-Raq, a cast-against-type Nick Cannon, is surprisingly tough and moody.
  21. She's the One
    The comparison to Woody Allen is obvious, not only in the New York setting and the characters' comic approach-avoidance to sex, but in Burns' casting of his real girlfriend to play his screen girlfriend. Uh, Eddie big mistake there. [23 Aug 1996, p.41]
    • New York Daily News
  22. Philomena
    The movie wouldn’t stand for much of anything without such an effective team to represent the equivocating.
  23. Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan
    Every performer is tough and charismatic, especially Honglei Sun, who, as Jamukha, gives so many neck-cracks, guttural howls and conspiratorial smiles he's like a Chinese Marlon Brando.
  24. Making the Boys
    Crowley's biting portrait feels painfully dated, but in a way that's the point: Pioneers fight so those who follow can take their battles for granted.
  25. Macbeth
    Something sexy this way comes. With an electrifying Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard headlining Macbeth, there’s going to be heat. Even more so since they’re both magnetic and silver-tongued in this jaggedly beautiful but sometimes jarring film.
  26. Rampart
    Harrelson though, is in every scene, and seeing him burn up Rampart is positively arresting.
  27. Wild
    You may admire Witherspoon’s solid performance, but you won’t forget you’re watching a star.
  28. District 13: Ultimatum
    There's little difference between the first and second movies -- both written by Besson -- so the perfunctory story line will feel familiar to fans. But the action, and the head-spinning stunts of those agile lead actors, will never get old.
  29. Wrecked
    It's a tribute to Adrien Brody that Wrecked works as a modestly compelling thriller, since there's almost nothing to see but Brody himself.
  30. The BFG
    Fun and likable, occasionally even delightful.
  31. Nadja
    The film is a celebration of youthful romanticism and youthful nihilism, two philosophies that are often indistinguishable from each other where Nadja is set: Manhattan's East Village, with its tiny, secretive bars and tumultuous street life.
    • New York Daily News
  32. The Visitor
    Both director and cast exhibit the dedication of those who truly believe in the message at hand. But with so much earnestness onscreen, the message occasionally gets in the way of the movie itself.
  33. Somewhere
    Dorff and Fanning are perfect in their roles, and Coppola captures the draining narcissism of celebrity culture with the understanding of someone who"s witnessed it all her life.
  34. Cat Run
    Though John Stockwell's action comedy is shamelessly derivative, his enthusiastic cast propels it much further than it should go.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Dior and I
    Made in the spirit of similar docs, such as “Valentino: The Last Emperor” and “The September Issue,” this film contains intimate moments and scenes of high pressure. The emotional highs and lows make the designer’s success seem satisfyingly hard-won.
  36. A Walk in the Woods
    “Natural” perfectly describes Nolte’s performance, too. With his growly voice and bear-like aura, he might be dismissed as a walking sight gag, but don’t let that fool you. Nolte’s way with a joke is nimble, and his delivery is spot-on.
  37. Monte Carlo
    If you are a 12-year-old girl, you are the perfect audience for Monte Carlo.
  38. Ruby Sparks
    It often feels as if the filmmakers expect us to be equally seduced by Ruby's wide-eyed winsomeness. That's a shame, as we can sense the deeper film beneath the surface. Because Ruby remains conceptual, this ambitious project lacks the dimension of the similarly meta-minded Charlie Kaufman projects that apparently inspired it.
  39. Bad 25
    Michael Jackson fans will love Spike Lee's look back at the making of a classic, even if the extensive collection of clips and contemporary interviews - which could have used a firm edit - feels more suited to DVD.
  40. The Cake Eaters
    This is not, frankly, a movie you'll remember long after you see it. But it has just enough moments of genuine intimacy to indicate that Masterson ought to give directing another try.
  41. Monogamy
    Despite the ominous feel, this is a mystery about losing or gaining lives and unknown detours.
  42. Immortals
    A popcorn movie has one goal, and that's to entertain. Immortals meets this criteria handily, and serves as a splendid spectacle besides.
  43. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
    Hey, Michael: It's the robots, stupid. Despite all the mechanical mayhem, none of the Transformers stand out.
  44. Queen to Play
    Kline, who has done a lot of chewy character roles after several stage ­triumphs, is as sly and leonine as ever. His performance here obliterates that phony accent he used in "French Kiss."
  45. The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom
    Just as you need two hands to clap, explain frustrated young activists, the ­Dalai Lama requires a reasonable partner with whom to negotiate. And right now, it seems, the Tibetans may as well have their arms tied behind their backs.
  46. Ex Machina
    This exquisitely acted, genuinely creepy minimalist drama does spin its wheels a bit before a cool conclusion. But the movie has a spark of creativity not seen in “Chappie” or “Eva,” two of the recent robots-among-us flicks.
  47. Rough Night
    At its best, the movie turns gender roles on their heads. While the girls party very hard, bride-to-be Jess’s fiance Peter (Paul W. Downs) spends his stag party tasting wine with his buds. Moreover, people can surprise themselves — and do things they don’t expect.
  48. 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.
  49. RED 2
    It’s never laugh-out-loud funny or inside-track smart, but in a summer full of bombastic failures, a lack of pretense is enough.
  50. A Christmas Carol
    Like a dime-store holiday card, this Christmas Carol is well-crafted but artless, detailed but lacking soul.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Desert Dancer
    Desert Dancer is a conventional protest drama, but it offers many magic moments — especially when co-stars Freida Pinto and Reece Ritchie perform sinuous routines. Or simply gaze into each other’s eyes.
  52. Sound of My Voice
    Despite some tough-to-take moments, this challenging, smart movie is worth the trip.
  53. I Will Follow
    DuVernay's feature debut is simple and almost proudly plain. But such a stripped-down approach allows its authenticity to shine.
  54. 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.
  55. A Secret
    Beautifully acted and exquisitely photographed, director Claude Miller's superb drama, from Philippe Grimbert's autobiographical novel, is awash with the ripples created by unlived lives.
  56. Splinter
    If "Saw V" offers an example of how little filmmakers can get away with, Splinter proves how much a director can do with next to nothing.
  57. The Giant Mechanical Man
    Grace, especially, gives a turn that could be a twerpy cousin to Tom Cruise's character in "Magnolia"; Fischer's dead-eyed responses to this Mensa-member/player who think he's book jacket-hot are priceless.
  58. The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
    Not a particularly exceptional movie in form, but as a thorough record it is extraordinary.
  59. Robot and Frank
    No one conveys late-life elegy and cool intellectual cunning like Langella.
  60. The Watermelon Woman
    Dunye's salvation is her sense of humor. She's good at creating light, bantering dialogue, and there are a couple of sharp, satirical scenes.
  61. Black or White
    A racial melodrama that, until it stumbles into obvious and maudlin territory, is a thoughtful work thanks to Octavia Spencer, Anthony Mackie and especially Kevin Costner.
  62. Everybody Has a Plan
    It’s not easy to play twins (in another language, no less), without relying on showy mannerisms to define them. But Mortensen pulls it off. Your move, Franco.
  63. Computer Chess
    Better to stick with his slightly weird, ultra-focused nerds, who toil away on something strange and special, simply for the beauty of it.
  64. A Sinner in Mecca
    People often use the term “dangerous filmmaking.” Here is someone willing to put his life on the line for his art.
  65. Louder Than Bombs
    A quiet, restrained drama, Louder Than Bombs works a little like a photographer itself, changing its focus, showcasing scenes from different points of view, rearranging the order of the images.
  66. More Than a Game
    The result would make an excellent inspirational video for aspiring players, but it's not quite ready for the pros.
  67. X-Men: First Class
    It's big, bright, savvy, and so expansive you'll undoubtedly leave feeling you got your money's worth.
  68. 360
    The reason director Fernando Meirelles' intimate drama 360 succeeds where other adaptations of Arthur Schnitzler's 1897 sexual circle-back play "La Ronde" haven't is, ironically, because it puts less emphasis on body heat and more on intellectual coolness.
  69. Compliance
    Director Craig Zobel's indie, based on real cases, has a sharp psychological point and a can't-look-away quality even as it turns horrifically dark.
  70. Kill Your Darlings
    As for Ginsberg himself: Should we be more impressed that Radcliffe so confidently portrays an actual icon, or that he banishes all memories of the fictional one he’s portrayed before? Both accomplishments suggest that he’s got real talent, and a future that’s already taking him well past Harry Potter.
  71. The Duchess
    A rousing period drama with all the familiar trimmings: gorgeous costumes, palatial settings and romantic intrigue.
  72. Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
    While "Twilight" will make more money and get more attention, the darkly comic Cirque du Freak boasts the shaggy charm of the natural underdog.
  73. Hunky Dory
    Enthusiasm carries the day in this paint-by-numbers period tale, which is just charming enough to coast on its own clichés.
  74. Griff the Invisible
    There have been so many movies about aspiring superheroes in recent years, they practically constitute their own genre. Though hardly ground-breaking, this whimsical Australian entry is just endearing enough to stand out from the pack.
  75. Polisse
    If you're the type who unwinds by watching "The Wire" or "Law & Order: SVU," you might appreciate this grim procedural drama from French actress Maïwenn. There's no denying its power: It took home the Jury Prize at Cannes last year. But for most, Polisse will be tough going.
  76. The Perfect Host
    Some of the shocks are way too broad, and the enclosed perspective suggests the material would better suit a play. But Crawford radiates charisma, and Pierce sells even the nuttiest moments.
  77. Coco Before Chanel
    There are a select few artists who can take the same materials used by everyone else and create a masterpiece. Coco Chanel was one of them. Director Anne Fontaine is not.
  78. Bad Words
    For his directorial debut, Bateman returns to his bad-boy beginnings. And the results are predictably amusing.
  79. When You're Strange
    The real reason to see the movie -- and it's reason enough -- is the trove of archival footage, which shows a star of almost impossible magnetism.
  80. Pain & Gain
    Wahlberg and Johnson are the saving graces of an in-your-face movie.
  81. Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog
    Yoichi Sai's movie may be a bit tough for young viewers, but it is gentle and illuminating.
  82. Tomorrow Never Dies
    Tomorrow Never Dies delivers the goods with tongue in cheek, if not Bond's tongue in someone else's cheek.
  83. Wild Target
    The script does boast a fair share of zingers, delivered with arch wit by a crack team of professionals.
  84. Midnight's Children
    To be sure, there are many reasons to see the film. The cinematography is memorably vibrant, and the performances are solid, even if they pass by too swiftly. Most of all, of course, the subject matter remains fascinating.
  85. Killing Them Softly
    While McNairy and Mendelsohn are solid but almost too showy, Liotta, Jenkins, Sam Shepard and a chewy supporting cast beautifully fill in the blanks. Killing Them Softly adds each of its characters to a punchy, prosaic tale that believes in America, one way or another.
  86. Goodbye to All That
    A heartfelt, bittersweet and often amusing portrait of early middle-age.
  87. Red Cliff
    Overlong but ambitious, Woo proves he's as good at tactical maneuvers as he is at close-quarters combat.
  88. Breaking Upwards
    Best of all is the well-used West Village setting, which feels like the perfect backdrop for a slightly offbeat love story.
  89. Rio
    The main reason this gorgeous-looking, sweet-hearted but so-so movie remains grounded is a herky-jerky, cobbled-together story that squawks when it should sing.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Split
    Split smacks of the director’s past fare, and its suspenseful, scary tone recalls "The Sixth Sense." When Shyamalan embraces his identity as a horror director with a knack for surprises, more fun is had by all.
  91. Beware of Mr. Baker
    Miserable individuals do tend to make for interesting subject matter, and this would be far more of a dry biography without its willfully eccentric lead. Plus, if the crankiness gets to you, tune it out and focus on the music. That's what Clapton did.
  92. Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
    The heart of the film is the touching relationship between two lonely souls. The lovely, feisty chemistry between Rowlands and Jackson will keep even the most cynical viewers on their toes.
  93. Hysteria
    While a delicate topic would seem to require a delicate touch, Wexler goes more for cheeky entertainment. To some degree, it works.
  94. Nicky's Family
    Hokey reenactments of the war years do the film no favors, but it’s worth sticking them out to witness a humanity that never could be faked.
  95. Hello I Must Be Going
    Writer Sarah Koskoff's nuanced script and director Todd Louiso's ("Love, Liza") delicate tone follow indie terrain, but go the right way.
  96. California Solo
    Fans can be forgiven for offering this predictable indie some excess generosity, simply because writer-director Marshall Lewy had the good sense to build a movie around such a versatile lead.
  97. Earth
    As a virtual tour of what Earth Day is about, kids ought to be entranced. If it helps them get greener, even better.
  98. Mr. Nice
    So what we're left with is a sort of contact high, drifting gently over to our seats in the back row.
  99. Broken
    There’s little doubt that the obvious parallels between this dark coming-of-age drama and “To Kill a Mockingbird” are deliberate. But while they are undeniably overreaching, director Rufus Norris has adapted Daniel Clay’s young adult novel with a sensitivity that will appeal to teens and adults alike.
  100. The Longshots
    It also has another watchable turn from Ice Cube, and, as with his previous films, the rap artist-actor leads by example.
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