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For 4,652 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 62% higher than the average critic
  • 2% same as the average critic
  • 36% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.9 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 66
Highest review score: 100 Arrival
Lowest review score: 0 A Hole in My Heart
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,348 out of 4652
  2. Mixed: 845 out of 4652
  3. Negative: 459 out of 4652
4652 movie reviews
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  1. Dazed and Confused
    What Linklater does exceptionally well is open the door on an era seventeen years in the past. This is 1976, from the music and cars...to the people and their attitudes. You'd have to climb into a time machine to get a better view...However, this is light entertainment -- nothing groundbreaking or even especially noteworthy.
  2. Captain Phillips
    Captain Phillips works precisely because Hanks isn't a muscle-bound, gun-toting figure (nor does he turn into one during the course of the movie). Placed in an untenable position, he uses guile and intelligence instead of brawn and weapons to enhance his survival chances.
  3. The Northman
    The Northman is gripping cinema of the sort that we get too little of today, when too often a director’s vision is diluted by box office imperatives and the lure of four-quadrant appeal.
  4. Sicario
    Those who go to a Villeneuve production, Sicario included, must be prepared for intense suspense, moral ambiguity, and an ending that doesn't conform to Hollywood norms.
  5. Hamlet
    Considering that 90% of those seeing any production of Hamlet will know the story at the outset, the key to an adaptation's success is what the director does beyond the dialogue. That's one area in which Olivier's 1948 version excels.
  6. Blade Runner 2049
    The pressure on filmmakers to equal or exceed the impact of a beloved original is intense. In a case like this, when the reputation of a movie has built over decades, expectations are elevated to an almost impossible level. With Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve has met those expectations by crafting a film that rivets the attention, excites the imagination, and engages the mind.
  7. Short Cuts
    It's a genuine pleasure to find a movie with such a deep and intelligent portrayal of simple human lives, with all their minor triumphs and tragedies.
  8. A Mighty Wind
    When it comes to mockumentary parodies, no one does it better than Christopher Guest.
  9. Georgia
    Georgia is a tour de force for Leigh, and her portrayal of the troubled, passionate Sadie lingers in the mind long after many of the movie's plot details have faded.
  10. Fresh
    Fresh takes the setting and tone of Boyz 'N the Hood and Menace II Society and applies it to a thriller. Gone is the documentary-like quality of filmmaking as well as the gritty sense of immediacy. Fresh uses higher-quality film stock and a more traditional cinematographic style to distance the audience ever-so-slightly from the characters. This way, it's easier to appreciate the complexity of Michael's plan and the manner in which he arranges his masterful scheme of manipulation.
  11. Arrival
    Although Arrival is about first contact with extraterrestrials, it says more about the human experience than the creatures from another world. This is a singularly powerful movie, without question one of 2016’s best.
  12. Juno
    Juno has a great heroine and is blessed by a screenplay that doesn't try to do too much and finds the perfect ending.
  13. Get Shorty
    With Get Shorty, Sonnenfeld has shown that broad appeal doesn't necessarily equate with stupidity. That's a lesson Hollywood should learn.
  14. Weapons
    Weapons is a step up for writer/director Zach Cregger from his promising horror debut, Barbarian – funnier, more unsettling, and ultimately more satisfying when taken as a whole.
  15. Everything Everywhere All at Once
    Although it runs too long, it’s nevertheless an enjoyable and satisfying romp through the lives of one woman who makes “being the worst of her selves” an asset.
  16. Blue Valentine
    The cumulative experience leaves an aftertaste that, although not bitter, is too strong to be easily washed away. That's the mark of a worthwhile motion picture.
  17. The Dissident
    The Dissident is a solid recap of Jamal Khashoggi’s demise, but it left me wanting more than Fogel is able to provide, even though he hints at an issue of vastly greater importance than the death of one dissident.
  18. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
    For those with any interest in 18th and 19th century seafaring or naval warfare, this is a must-see motion picture. For others, it's an enlightening and entertaining experience.
  19. Godzilla Minus One
    Godzilla Minus One isn’t just a good Godzilla movie. It’s an excellent Godzilla movie – arguably among the best ever to grace the screen.
  20. A Simple Plan
    The characters are at the heart of A Simple Plan, and the gruesome complexity of their interaction elevates this film to the level of a midwinter treat.
  21. Living in Oblivion
    This movie is keen, clever, and -- most important of all -- a nonstop exercise in hilarity.
  22. Coco
    Coco may not be a blockbuster but, regardless of how it performs at the box office, it’s a welcome return to a variety of animated fare that prizes inspiration over safety.
  23. Bridge of Spies
    With names like Spielberg, Hanks, and the Coen Brothers, it's hard not to be excited about a project like Bridge of Spies. Yet, although the workmanlike production is solidly engaging, it falls short of the loftiest expectations. It's worth seeing but not one of the best films of 2015.
  24. Foxcatcher
    Like "Raging Bull", Foxcatcher is a dark drama masquerading as a sports movie.
  25. Beginners
    The result is an effective portrait of a damaged individual uncertain about the meaning of love and commitment and the two key relationships in his life that teach him lessons about both.
  26. Bright Star
    Bright Star is a nice ode to the poet, the love of his life, and the period in which he lived.
  27. Jackie
    The title character never emerges from the iconic shell she inhabits to become a fully fleshed-out individual and the filmmakers are perhaps too reverential to make her seem real. Like Camelot, she’s a mythic figure and Jackie doesn’t do enough to humanize her.
  28. Happiness
    Where Happiness shines, however, is in the series of extraordinary performances given by the members of the diverse ensemble cast. Leading the group is Dylan Baker, whose turn as Bill is astounding.
  29. Raw
    It relies on gross-out scenes to earn the right to be called “disturbing” and seems more interested in delivering schlocky shocks than suffocating the viewer with suspense or dread.
  30. Inherent Vice
    At first glance, Inherent Vice might seem to be a detective story. Look a little closer, however, and it becomes clear that this is Paul Thomas Anderson's idea of a comedy. There's slapstick, lowbrow material, and enough strange characters and "completely different" moments to make Monty Python smile.
  31. American Fiction
    American Fiction is the best kind of satire – one that is full-throated in its message, which it delivers with a cutting edge, while simultaneously taking the time to develop the characters in a meaningful way.
  32. Fish Tank
    It's not comfortable but it is engrossing.
  33. Little Shop of Horrors
    This is the kind of charming motion picture that can be viewed repeatedly without ever wearing out its welcome. With several triumphant musical numbers, an original villain, a smart and witty script, a cute romance, and a new, upbeat ending, this Little Shop of Horrors offers countless delights during its 94-minute running time.
  34. Hot Fuzz
    A little too long and suffers from a sagging midsection when the level of exposition becomes laborious, but the spectacularly entertaining final 30 minutes compensates for a lot of flaws.
  35. Four Weddings and a Funeral
    Possesses the rare ability to make an audience laugh (and laugh hard) and cry, without ever seeming manipulative or going hopelessly over-the-top.
  36. Django Unchained
    Despite the occasional brutality of the material, Django Unchained includes some of the best laugh aloud scenes of any 2012 motion picture, regardless of the genre.
  37. Us
    If there’s one thing that saves Us, it’s that, even as the movie descends into a narrative morass from which it never escapes, there are many individual scenes that, taken in isolation, pack a punch. The problem is that, once assembled into the larger whole, it doesn’t all work.
  38. The Wedding Banquet
    There is enough depth in this picture to fill up several movies, yet The Wedding Banquet shortchanges none of its interwoven storylines. While I won't go so far as to say that this is a magical motion picture, it certainly serves as excellent entertainment on more than one level.
  39. The Big Short
    Using gallows humor, likable protagonists, and a variety of nonstandard filmmaking techniques (like having characters address the audience directly), McKay maintains a high level of energy for more than two hours and dares us to become bored.
  40. Moana
    Moana is an entertaining and worthy way to close Disney’s 2016 animated roster.
  41. Reservoir Dogs
    Grabs you by the throat and digs its claws in deep. From the moment that the unwitting viewer tumbles into the realm of Lawrence Tierney's gang of eight, they are hopelessly trapped there until the final credits roll.
  42. Skyfall
    Skyfall can take its place alongside "From Russia with Love," "Goldfinger," and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" as the best Bond can offer.
  43. Your Name.
    Although there are times when the story loses its focus (mostly during the scattershot and occasionally confusing second half), the overall impression is one of satisfaction and the animation is better than anything to emerge from Japan since Miyazaki “retired.”
  44. The Scent of Green Papaya
    The Scent of Green Papaya is made all the more enchanting by its simplicity.
  45. Melancholia
    Melancholia represents von Trier at his best and worst. Visually and thematically, Melancholia is a rich motion picture, full of nuances. Unfortunately, in his pursuit of an artistic vision, von Trier has thrown logic, physics, and coherence out the window.
  46. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
    Imperfect, but magical nonetheless.
  47. Il Postino: The Postman
    A charming piece of cinema that takes several comfortable formulas and expands upon them in ingenious and emotionally-satisfying ways.
  48. The Hate U Give
    All movies have a perspective. The one presented in The Hate U Give is measured but unmistakable. The film is incisive; its manipulation is covert and strategic, engendering feeling without seeming intrusive.
  49. Hairspray
    The film isn't deep or thematically rich or filled with amazing characters. Instead, it's an excursion into song and dance, and works admirably on that level.
  50. Chicago
    Good, solid entertainment.
  51. King Kong
    The best of the trio of human performers is Naomi Watts. She also has the most difficult job - not only is the role physical, but it requires her to play off something that isn't there.
  52. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
    Glass Onion is a late year present from a director who rarely disappoints.
  53. Midnight in Paris
    The film is constructed in such a way that suspension of disbelief isn't too hard because there's something universal in what Allen explores. Like Santa Claus, we know it's not real but the idea is so appealing that we go along with the fantasy.
  54. Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
    Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One is an oversized, big budget popcorn flick, with all the positives and negatives one associates with that sort of glorious but ephemeral brand of filmmaking.
  55. Love and Death on Long Island
    Despite the many laughs Love and Death offers, it never takes cheap shots. It has a vibrant, beating heart - and that makes the comedy all the more worthwhile.
  56. She Dies Tomorrow
    In the end, however, it’s all a rather hollow experience (as is too often the case with existential horror).
  57. Living
    Living offers restrained optimism leavened with enough cynicism to win over those who might be less enamored of something more artificial. It’s one of the year’s best films.
  58. The World's End
    There's a lot of fun to be had in watching The World's End and, surprisingly, more thematic depth than one might expect. The humor, true to its British roots, may baffle some Americans but those who "get" it will laugh quite a bit.
  59. District 9
    Anyone who watches District 9 and doesn't think of Apartheid, Nazis, and Josef Mengele needs to spend some time reading a few history books.
  60. The Nest
    The Nest is an autopsy of the disintegration of the middle-class dream and its impact on those for whom it becomes a nightmare. It’s a rumination about the fragility of happiness. It’s a modern-day horror film with a spooky mansion, a body that refuses to stay buried, and demons that haunt not the benighted halls of the house but the unsettled corridors of the psyche.
  61. Ford v Ferrari
    This is solid, middle-of-the-road entertainment. Slow patches aside, it finishes strong and, although it probably won’t win the box office race, it may generate some Oscar interest (because Bale is almost always good enough to warrant that sort of attention).
  62. Bad Education
    Ultimately, Bad Education must be considered to be a minor effort from a major director.
  63. Silver Linings Playbook
    Ultimately, this is an engaging, uplifting, and life-affirming motion picture that reminds viewers that it is possible to do interesting things with a romantic comedy while still sticking to some of the conventions.
  64. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
    The Bone Temple doesn't work entirely well as a stand-alone, but as part of a larger whole, it is a very good continuation of the ongoing tale. It leaves me hoping for a successful box office run so we can see how the whole thing ends.
  65. The Martian
    This is science fiction for sophisticated audiences and, as such, a fulfilling and satisfying experience.
  66. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
    For fans of the genre, Wake Up Dead Man delivers exactly what they have come to expect: a sharp, stylish puzzle box that is a joy to unlock.
  67. Ridicule
    For those who appreciate movies with a bite, Ridicule shows its teeth early and keeps them razor-sharp throughout.
  68. Wendy and Lucy
    The transformation undergone by Michelle Williams to play this role is nothing short of astounding.
  69. X
    X is a reminder that, while the slasher genre had some very deep valleys, some of the most effective horror emerged from it (especially in the early days before the films became little more than orgies of inventive eviscerations). With X, West seeks to recapture some of the fun, edginess, and energy of those productions while at the same time delivering a few surprises.
  70. The Wrestler
    Aronofsky's directorial style is simple and spare. There are no flourishes or attempts to convince us that he is a master of his craft.
  71. The Hours
    I'm sure mainstream audiences will be baffled, but, for those with at least a minimal appreciation of Woolf and Clarissa Dalloway, The Hours represents two of those well spent.
  72. Junebug
    There is sadness and humor here, but all understated.
  73. Good Time
    Connie (Robert Pattinson) is one of those individuals who constantly seems to be on the edge of a violent explosion and that potential makes watching Good Time a frequently exhausting experience.
  74. Everlasting Moments
    There's something old-fashioned about Everlasting Moments. Although the shots are beautifully composed, they are classically represented. Both the filmmaking methods and the storytelling are uncomplicated.
  75. Central Station
    A touching, well-made motion picture whose only real flaw lies in the overfamiliar storyline.
  76. A Fish Called Wanda
    One of the best-constructed, funniest, and most clever comedies to grace motion picture screens in recent years. It's outrageous, offensive, and even a little sick -- and all the more enjoyable because of it.
  77. Incredibles 2
    Constrained by expectations and established character/plot limitations, Incredibles 2 lacks the freshness and ingenuity displayed by its predecessor. It’s good, fun family entertainment but it’s not incredible.
  78. Casino Royale
    This is no longer the James Bond we know from the '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s. Welcome to the new world of MI6's most storied agent.
  79. Much Ado About Nothing
    Much Ado about Nothing is a gem of a movie - a real find in 1993's sea of mediocrity. Branagh has successfully used a mixed cast of "names" and "unknowns" to breathe life into this lavish production, and never has Shakespeare been more warmly received. I'm not sure if "feel good" has ever been used to describe a picture based on the Bard's work, but the expression fits. This film cements Branagh's status as a great director of Shakespeare, and perhaps of film in general, as well.
  80. Big Night
    In addition to their deft skill with light drama, the directors understand well-placed humor, and throw just the right amount of comedy into the mix to make Big Night fun without turning it into an outright farce.
  81. Cinema Paradiso
    This film is sometimes funny, sometimes joyful, and sometimes poignant, but it's always warm, wonderful, and satisfying. Cinema Paradiso affects us on many levels, but its strongest connection is with our memories.
  82. Ad Astra
    Of recent films, Christopher Nolan’s "Interstellar" is the best comparison. Ad Astra isn’t quite as strong but it’s in the same ballpark.
  83. The Secret of Roan Inish
    The story, although straightforward, is by no means simple, and there's enough in The Secret of Roan Inish to delight both children and adults.
  84. In the Company of Men
    In the Company of Men is anything but entertaining. It's virtually impossible to sit through this film without suffering bouts of intense discomfort, and therein lies its power.
  85. Nine Lives
    Movies like this usually have something interesting to say about the human condition, but not Nine Lives. It makes an insufferably obvious observation: we live boring lives, shit happens, and we die.
  86. A Bronx Tale
    De Niro successfully varies the tone, keeping it light and playful at times, dark and somber at others. A Bronx Tale is his triumph, and a testimony that all those years of watching the best in the business have borne fruit. If what is yet to come has any of the promise shown by this debut, we may be witnessing the birth of yet another directing talent.
  87. True Grit
    The Coens have fashioned one of the best Westerns in recent years - a modern reworking of a classic that never feels superfluous.
  88. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
    The movie feels like Baumbach is working through some family issues.
  89. The Blair Witch Project
    Caused a major stir with Sundance, and for good reason -- it was perhaps the most offbeat, energetic, and eye-opening motion picture to screen there.
  90. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
    So what’s the final verdict? A mixed bag. It’s a good start to a new trilogy but hardly the hoped-for masterpiece. It’s a solid space opera spectacle with enough nostalgia to overpower even the most hard-hearted child of the ‘70s and ‘80s but it relies a little too much on recycling old plot elements.
  91. Spellbound
    Despite rave reviews, film festival awards, and an Oscar nomination, Spellbound comes across as little more than a marginally compelling documentary -– the kind of movie that would be at home on PBS.
  92. Rabbit-Proof Fence
    At an economical 94 minutes, Rabbit-Proof Fence trims all the fat and tells its heartfelt and stirring story. This is one of 2002's most memorable imports.
  93. Whale Rider
    Story itself is richly rewarding and uplifting -– the coming-of-age tale of a girl who must defy the odds to achieve her goals. There's plenty of humor to keep the overall tone light.
  94. Barbie
    A degree of unevenness is expected and that’s what Barbie delivers: a delightful confection at its best, an unfocused jumble at its worst.
  95. Minority Report
    It affirms that, even in the 2000s, movies do not have to be brain-dead to be exciting. When the season is over, Minority Report will more than likely stand out as the best picture to grace multiplex screens during the Summer of 2002.
  96. The Simpsons Movie
    The Simpsons is interested in being a family film, although this is one of those rare animated occasions when adults are the primary audience. I, for one, couldn't be happier.
  97. Strange Darling
    Ultimately, Strange Darling left me with a little “Emperor’s New Clothing” feeling, with all the excitement coming not from the actual story but from the manner in which it is presented.
  98. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
    A celebration of Mr. Rogers and the healing capabilities of his words and doctrine, the movie may not be a splashy as many of the year-end multiplex stocking stuffers but the experience it offers tugs effectively at the heart strings.
  99. The Forty-Year-Old Version
    Blank uses humor to make her points and they are all-the-more memorable as a result.
  100. Irma Vep
    Are French films stuffy? At times, yes, and that's one of many reasons why even the most "accessible" French movies are relegated to art cinemas in this country. Irma Vep gleefully defies such facile labeling, however. This is a sly, sexy endeavor that presents its audacious viewpoint with style and intelligence. Irma Vep features some wonderful performances (notably those of Cheung, Leaud, and Richard), that, in concert with its sure direction and smart script, make for a wholly satisfying motion picture.
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