NME's Scores

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For 366 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 63% higher than the average critic
  • 6% same as the average critic
  • 31% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 6.4 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 71
Highest review score: 100 Oppenheimer
Lowest review score: 20 Death on the Nile
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 218 out of 366
  2. Mixed: 140 out of 366
  3. Negative: 8 out of 366
366 movie reviews
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  1. Gladiator II
    If you loved Gladiator, it’s odds-on you’ll enjoy this too. It’s got all of the same exciting bits – swordfighting, rousing speeches, nasty poshos getting what they deserve. The problem is that’s all it gives you. You want to feel like you’re watching Maximus lift off his helmet and deliver that iconic monologue for the first time again. You want the thrill of a core memory being unlocked. You want to know you’ll be quoting Mescal’s lines to your mates in the pub for the next 10 years. Gladiator 2, piously respectful as it is, can only offer a faded memory of that experience. There was a dream that was Rome – and this is kind of it.
  2. Maria
    Maria is both winningly camp and a little too po-faced for its own good, apparently unsure if it’s meant to be tongue-in-cheek or deadly serious.
  3. Bird
    With scenes of harrowing violence, the film often feels totally unsafe: no adult’s motives are beyond reproach. In true Andrea Arnold style, though, it’s also a life-enhancing tale that soars with unexpected grace, optimism and faith in humanity.
  4. Piece By Piece
    Neville’s film is so forward-thinking, it’s easy to forgive the more superficial aspects of the production.
  5. Venom: The Last Dance
    Hardy fans keen for a laugh will lap it up and forgive the slightly incomprehensible plotting, while those who just want a break from reality can happily chuckle at a comic book (anti)hero who is uncommonly free from the navel-gazing that afflicts bigger names of the genre.
  6. Heretic
    Among the best horror films of the year.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Emilia Pérez
    Whilst its blend of influences make Emilia Perez unique, they also make it exhausting.
  8. Smile 2
    Is it scary? Rarely, to be honest. But it knows how to twist the knife, at least.
  9. A Different Man
    Different by name and different by nature, A Different Man is one of the most original films of the year. Not since the days of Charlie Kaufman, with his brilliant scripts for meta-movies Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and Synecdoche, New York, has there been anything this bonkers.
  10. Nightbitch
    Nightbitch makes plenty of very valid points about traditional gender roles and the oppressive nature of new parenthood. But it never fully sinks its teeth into a meaty premise; it’s briefly ferocious where it could have been completely feral.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Uprising
    Despite the peaks, Uprising would have benefited from a shorter runtime and a more focused lens – and perhaps less severed noses.
  12. Wolfs
    Despite its superficially dark material, Wolfs isn’t meant to be difficult or challenging, it’s just an enjoyable time hanging out with some chilled, reassuringly handsome gents as they get to the bottom of their not-a-murder mystery.
  13. One Hand Clapping
    Much of One Hand Clapping feels like the knowing performance video it was always intended to be, but it’s these behind-the-curtain glimpses that stop you blinking throughout for fear of what you might miss.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Nowhere Special
    Heart-wrenching, humane and humble, this is something very, very special indeed.
  15. The Substance
    It’s horrifying in the moment and gnawingly haunting when you process it fully: a sickening satire of society’s obsession with youth and beauty.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Officer Black Belt
    After watching Jung-do’s renewed sense of purpose come through, watching the story go down the path of a typical action-thriller is a letdown. However, if you’re only going into Officer Black Belt to watch Kim Woo-bin deliver some killer moves, however, you won’t be disappointed.
  17. Pavements
    Blending fact and fiction in intriguing and unexpected ways, the film is consistently entertaining and can be enjoyed whether you’re a longtime fan of the band or a total newcomer.
  18. Speak No Evil
    All the cast play their parts, but an off-the-leash McAvoy is a joy to behold, channeling the same twisted energy he mined for his addict-cop in Irvine Welsh adaptation Filth. Touching on issues of class and the rich-poor divide, the result is a top-notch British thriller that’ll scare the bejesus out of you.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    blur: Live at Wembley Stadium
    To some degree, blur: Live at Wembley Stadium is more like watching a bunch of teens successfully pulling off their first gig than 50-somethings at an all-time career high. It’s this mischievousness that makes them so endearing to watch.
  20. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
    It’s silly, giddy and a little bit disgusting – just what we want from Beetlejuice.
  21. Joker: Folie à Deux
    Phillips and Silver have delivered the last thing anyone expected: a socially responsible Joker movie that finds an intriguing way to explore the consequences (both on and offscreen) of the first film. Joker fans shouldn’t cry too hard though – Warner Bros. have cleverly found a way to leave the door open a little for the franchise to continue, should the need arise.
  22. Queer
    Craig delivers one of his best performances to date as Lee, investing him with a palpable world-weariness and making you feel every moment of hope, desire, ecstasy and crushing disappointment. Starkey is excellent too, generating strong chemistry with Craig.
  23. Blink Twice
    Kravitz, making her directorial debut, knows exactly how to drip-feed information, until it dawns on you that it’s all about to get very bad indeed.
  24. Alien: Romulus
    Crafting a thriller that is tense and taut, Álvarez truly understands what makes an Alien movie breathe, while also expanding on the mythology of the series.
  25. Jackpot!
    Awkwafina’s deadpan drollery dovetails neatly with Cena’s golden retriever energy and the climactic set-piece is genuinely exciting.
  26. Tuesday
    Unfortunately, its intriguing conceit is also hampered by comatose chemistry, a claustrophobic setting and a slew of dead one-liners.
  27. Borderlands
    But as the film lurches into the final third, there’s little emotional sustenance to keep you going. Just one yawn-worthy twist and some dud CGI. Avoid.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Kneecap
    Just like their insane live shows and debut album ‘Fine Art’, it’s one hell of a laugh. However it’s also full of heart; telling a real working class story as a call for unity without punching down or patronising.
  29. I Saw the TV Glow
    Schoenbrun’s film never feels derivative; instead, there’s something fresh and exciting about it, despite the almost deliberate slow-burn feel to its pacing.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Blackpink World Tour (Born Pink) in Cinemas
    BLACKPINK World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas is a fun reminder of the sparkle and strength displayed in BLACKPINK’s concert and a timely celebration of one of K-pop’s biggest girl groups, bright enough to tide us over until the four-piece are back on stage in front of us again.
  31. Deadpool & Wolverine
    The first two Deadpool films were funny and violent and original, but this one shows Marvel’s most gloriously inappropriate superhero at his very best and worst.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Victory
    The characters and story may feel a little stock, yanked straight out of a canon of teen movies from Bring It On to Bottoms, yet you won’t come away from this crowd-pleaser without a smile on your face to match those of the peppy Millenium Girls. And in that sense, Victory is victorious.
  33. Twisters
    Packed with heart, smarts, jaw-dropping effects and an exquisite ensemble cast (shout out to Harry Hadden-Paton’s nerdy British journalist as comic relief), Twisters will have you singing the praises of the multiplex until the cows come home.
  34. Longlegs
    Perkins ensures everything services a story that comes armed with at least one almighty twist. Measured in pacing and tone, his film also feels extremely moody thanks to the overcast skies captured by cinematographer Andrés Arochi.
  35. Eno
    The core Eno that emerges is one dedicated to the deconstruction of music and its making at a fundamental level, then recreating it in amorphous terms: feeling, landscape, peripheral perception, belonging.
  36. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
    Murphy’s youthful cheekiness has long gone, stripping this sequel of some of its verve. But this is still an enjoyable, affable reunion: the heat is just about back on.
  37. MaXXXine
    Three films into Ti West’s extraordinary trilogy, Goth proves yet again what a force she is to be reckoned with – and West proves that funny, dark, smart schlock horror still has a lot to say.
  38. Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
    All set around the American Civil War, Chapter 1 is a three-hour slow-burn that takes some patience, but rewards with handsome vistas, moments of thrilling action and characters that will likely grow in significance in subsequent instalments.
  39. Kinds of Kindness
    There’s something undeniably impressive about the whole enterprise, in which Lanthimos has found the perfect co-conspirators: Plemons’ ambiguous quality suits his opaque stories, while Stone’s charisma warms the edges of his chilly filmmaking. The result is a singular, freaky challenge that’s definitely worth accepting.
  40. A Quiet Place: Day One
    Sarnoski has crafted a tonally cohesive but low-key drama that happens to be interspersed with moments of white-knuckle terror. Appropriately enough, A Quiet Place: Day One is more of an urgent whisper than a shout.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Ghost: Rite Here Rite Now
    If you’re a casual fan, Rite Here Rite Now makes for a fun, enjoyable experience that should tide you over until their next album or tour. But if you’re a die-hard, this is essential viewing – not just for its exhilarating live moments, but for the next part of the gripping Ghost saga.
  42. The Exorcism
    The Exorcism is absorbing, smart and packed with ruthlessly effective jump-scares.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    blur: To the End
    Whether they return again or not remains to be seen. But even if they don’t, this was one hell of a final fling.
  44. Sasquatch Sunset
    While there are glimmers of drama, there are also extended sections where this deliberately bewildering film gets a bit boring. Despite this, Sasquatch Sunset is worth seeking out if you have a taste for the absurd.
  45. Under Paris
    Under Paris, then is a cheesy yet canny creature feature romp with gritty Gallic bite, taking itself – enjoyably – rather more seriously than it deserves.
  46. Bad Boys: Ride or Die
    The cast is given a boost by the star power of Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig and Paolo Núñez all reprising their roles as members of AMMO (Advanced Miami Metro Operations), plus Better Call Saul’s Rhea Seehorn joining as the ballsy US Marshall daughter of the accused Captain Howard. It’s just a shame they’re all woefully underused in a story that feels so same-old-same-old.
  47. The Beach Boys
    The Beach Boys makes up for its narrative familiarity by exploring some of the lesser-known behind-the-scenes tidbits.
  48. Megalopolis
    Whether Megalopolis is a critical or commercial success remains to be seen but it’s strange enough to surely have a long life as a cult film.
  49. Hit Man
    Linklater is a master of pacing and he times this story to perfection; you’ll be aching with laughter by the end.
  50. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
    Brilliant and unmissable.
  51. Sting
    Sting is derivative but fitfully gripping. Crucially, it’s also good fun: with a main protagonist named Charlotte (lolz), there’s definitely a knowingness to proceedings.
  52. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
    The climactic setpiece isn’t quite an action spectacular, but it does feel tense and narratively satisfying.
  53. Tarot
    Unfortunately, Tarot is exactly as derivative as its uninspired synopsis suggests.
  54. The Fall Guy
    The Fall Guy is a delight from start to finish, thanks to a sparkling script, thrilling action sequences and to-die-for comic chemistry between the two leads.
  55. Challengers
    Playful, sexy and compelling, this is one of the best films of the year, with sensational performances from its three leads.
  56. Cyrano
    It’s a well-intentioned film with some good songs which, despite having more than two hours to come together, doesn’t quite do so.
  57. Civil War
    Civil War is something of a staggering achievement of spectacle and sound, with vast swathes of the US convincingly up in smoke. Not once do we get the foul whiff of CGI; not once are we taken out of the engrossing reality of the protagonists.
  58. Back to Black
    This film was always going to face accusations of being exploitative – given the way Winehouse was scrutinised when she was alive – but the naysayers needn’t have worried. Taylor-Johnson’s film (particularly the ending) is impressively deft and delicate.
    • 91 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus
    Opus is yet another priceless gift from a once-in-a-lifetime talent – and a reminder of what we’ve lost. Goodbye maestro – and thank you.
  60. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
    Like Afterlife, Frozen Empire ultimately succeeds because it’s so much fun to watch.
  61. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
    Wingard does try out something different here, creating long dialogue-free sequences where it’s just the monsters going toe-to-toe. With Wingard relying on gestures, grunts and groans from his alpha-beasts, it’s like watching the most expensive silent movie ever made.
  62. Monster
    It’s a beautifully constructed and emotionally engaging tale that’s constantly surprising.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    My Name Is Loh Kiwan
    Both Song Joong-ki and Choi Sung-eun are phenomenal throughout Kim Hee-jin’s feature film debut, transforming My Name is Loh Kiwan into a film that will stay with you for a long time.
    • 97 Metascore
    • 100 Critic Score
    Parasite
    Parasite is nothing short of a masterpiece.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About A Kid Named LAROI
    Ultimately, Kids Are Growing Up serves as a meditation on happiness.
  66. Dune: Part Two
    Epic in scope and astonishing in its world-building, Dune: Part Two combines jaw-dropping visuals with imaginative action and morally complex plotting to thrilling effect.
  67. Small Things Like These
    Its rich tone of regret, guilt and unspoken malice comes across in careful direction from Tim Mielants, Frank van den Eeden’s shadowy cinematography and subtle, measured performances across the board.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Spy x Family Code: White
    A solid, charming, but ultimately inconsequential Spy x Family outing.
  69. The Iron Claw
    Certainly, it’s not for those looking for fist-pumping sporting triumphalism. But in this age of franchise vapidity, it’s still a film worth grappling with.
  70. Argylle
    Because it takes too long to become truly gripping, it ends up overstaying its welcome during the last few big reveals. Still, there’s no denying it contains enough intrigue to launch the franchise that Vaughn is already planning.
  71. All of Us Strangers
    It might be brutally upsetting at times, but Haigh’s film disarms you with its tenderness – leaving you with something much more profound to say about the connections we make and break along the way.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    The Kitchen
    The Kitchen loses some of its potency by balancing too many elements – the world-building, societal context, interpersonal relationships and the paternal bonding that deserves to be the nucleus.
  73. Poor Things
    While its oddball nature won’t be to all tastes, the championing of female guile over insufferable male idiocy will surely leave many with a big smile on their faces.
  74. House of Gucci
    Directed without restraint by Ridley Scott, it’s a bewildering blend of high fashion, high camp and high tragedy that’s chaotic but also wildly entertaining.
  75. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
    Dawn Of The Nugget might have a bit too much Netflix polish in places, and the spark of the original film doesn’t ever burn as brightly here, but there’s still a lot to love about a family film pitched for the post-Christmas dinner funk that’s all about the horrors of the poultry industry.
  76. Wonka
    Wonka isn’t quite an immaculate confection, but it’s moreish enough to become a future festive favourite. You’ll want to tuck right in.
  77. Napoleon
    Lovers of the currently unfashionable historical epic, however, mostly aren’t eager to see Napoleon for the love story at its core. What they want is a battle – blood and thunder writ large. On this front, there’s little in modern cinema to equal what Scott and his team manage.
  78. Saltburn
    Saltburn isn’t the most talked-about party of the year, but you shouldn’t miss it all the same.
  79. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
    What makes this fifth film the best of the franchise is its tense, paranoid latter half.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    A Normal Family
    With polished visuals and an experienced cast, director Hur Jin-ho concocts a morally complex work that will both challenge and reward viewers.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Ballerina
    Simplicity can be elegant, one must be careful not veer into simplistic, which can be monotonous. Ballerina teeters on the edge both.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Peter Doherty: Stranger In My Own Skin
    DeVidas’ film might be a difficult watch but, as well as serving up a reminder of the horrors of addiction, at least it gives us plenty to be grateful for too.
  83. The Marvels
    But while DaCosta’s Candyman reboot was thrilling, this never musters the same level of engagement, despite a script that is chock full of good lines and a cast of willing participants. More meh than marvel, you might say.
  84. How to Have Sex
    Hope, then, is the film’s lasting message. Hope that it’ll spark much-needed conversations. But also hope that they won’t be so needed in the future.
  85. A Haunting in Venice
    Saving the day this time isn’t Poirot, but the city itself which Branagh captures in all its decadently crumbling glory.
  86. Saw X
    Bell is as low-key brilliant as he always is – that ominous, gravelly voice gets a great workout, while his withered, grey-haired appearance lends the film real gravitas. And yes, there is enough Saw iconography here to keep the bloodthirsty on-side.
  87. The Bikeriders
    Eschewing melodrama for a more low-key register, it may not satisfy those looking for quick thrills. But this slow-burner is a stylish look at a bygone era, when all that mattered was having enough money to put petrol in your tank.
  88. The Killer
    The Killer is an entertaining, crowd-pleasing banger that stands up to multiple views. It’s a superior hit-man romp that doesn’t outstay its welcome from a director who misses the target less than his protagonist.
  89. Uncut Gems
    Uncut Gems is an anxiety-inducing heart-attack of a movie that grabs its audience by the throat and shakes until there’s no breath left.
  90. Five Nights at Freddy's
    At least Scream star Matthew Lillard brings some creepiness into his little screen time. Otherwise, Five Nights At Freddy’s is moribund.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
    It’s a staggering feat. In the space of one seamless performance, Swift is at turns a playfully eccentric artist, a country star and a genuine pop icon. Yet for all the spectacle, it might be those acoustic songs that linger longest in the memory.
  92. The Exorcist: Believer
    This might not be what fans expect from an Exorcist movie, but they’ll be even more surprised that it’s actually watchable.
  93. The Creator
    Combining spectacular effects work with a surprisingly provocative script, it’s a superbly made sci-fi adventure that delivers plenty of robo-thrills.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Maestro
    Like A Star Is Born, Maestro peters out after an astonishing first act that frontloads all of Cooper’s directing tricks.
  95. Past Lives
    It’s not all wide-eyed insight and romantic misery though. Past Lives is also very, very funny.
  96. Priscilla
    Spaeny is superb as Priscilla, making you feel every painful aspect of her emotional journey, from infatuation and initial confusion through to heartbreak and finally self-discovery. Similarly, Elordi makes a terrific Elvis.
  97. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
    As ever with Anderson, the design is meticulous. Some can find this style cloying, but it suits this glorified short perfectly, never outstaying its welcome.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    The Blackening
    At its best, The Blackening is a fun, laugh-out-loud blockbuster that sends up the many genre clichés surrounding Black people in horror (mostly the notion that they always die first in horror films). At its worst, though, it’s a reductive slasher-comedy where most jokes earn a measly huff.
  99. Blue Beetle
    As summer blockbusters go, it’s only ever really mildly diverting. But bringing us a first Latino superhero in a DC movie, ably played by the charming Maridueña, is still to be applauded.
  100. Heart of Stone
    Thankfully, if you can suspend your disbelief, Heart Of Stone is plenty of fun and far slicker than a lot of recent Netflix content. It almost goes without saying that the ending leaves room for a potential franchise. And after two hours of near-constant japes and scrapes, you’d need a heart of stone – or at least a high entertainment threshold – not to think “Oh go on then, why the hell not?”
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