The Hollywood Reporter's Scores

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For 12,897 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 51% higher than the average critic
  • 4% same as the average critic
  • 45% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.7 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 62
Highest review score: 100 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Lowest review score: 0 Dirty Love
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6,604 out of 12897
  2. Mixed: 5,128 out of 12897
  3. Negative: 1,165 out of 12897
12897 movie reviews
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  1. The Dark Knight Rises
    Makes everything in the rival Marvel universe look thoroughly silly and childish. Entirely enveloping and at times unnerving in a relevant way one would never have imagined, as a cohesive whole this ranks as the best of Nolan's trio, even if it lacks -- how could it not? -- an element as unique as Heath Ledger's immortal turn in The Dark Knight. It's a blockbuster by any standard.
  2. Ponies
    Primarily an actors' showcase, it does at least provide the opportunity for the virtuosic John Ventimiglia (The Sopranos) to strut his stuff in a well-deserved leading role.
  3. Deconstructing Dad: The Music, Machines and Mystery of Raymond Scott
    The scattershot results, while admittedly providing plenty of fascinating details, doesn't quite do its subject justice.
  4. Ballplayer: Pelotero
    Although there are numerous interviews with various people both directly involved with or peripheral to the action, the most compelling figure on display is a particularly articulate coach who proves all too determined to have his protégé succeed. The fact that he works strictly on commission is certainly no small element of his zeal.
  5. Compliance
    Likely to spur discussions about workplace safety, employee rights and broader awareness of sexual predation, Compliance is also a suspenseful psychological drama for viewers prepared to tolerate its extremes.
  6. Ruby Sparks
    A beguiling romantic fantasy about the creative process and its potential to quite literally take on a life of its own, Ruby Sparks performs an imaginative high-wire act with finesse and charm.
  7. Easy Money
    A class-conscious Scandinavian crime film whose impact is dulled by some extraneous subplots, Daniél Espinosa's Easy Money nevertheless makes a solid vehicle for Joel Kinnaman.
  8. The Queen of Versailles
    The Queen of Versailles will prompt loathing not only among the so-called 99 Percent, but among those in the top 1 percent who would like someone more sane to represent them on camera.
  9. Farewell, My Queen
    Historical drama set in the early days of the French revolution is intelligent Euro eye candy at its most lavish.
  10. The Imposter
    A mesmerizing psychological thriller bulging with twists, turns, nasty insinuations and shocking revelations that might have leapt from the pages of a Patricia Highsmith novel, The Imposter is all the more astonishing because it actually happened.
  11. Grassroots
    A campaign movie for viewers who, if they care about politics at all, certainly don't require the full Sorkin treatment.
  12. United in Anger: A History of ACT UP
    Though the film sets out only to chronicle the group's life, not the history of the disease, some viewers will wish for a parting message making sense of where things stand today, with the disease mostly vanished from headlines but still destroying lives around the world.
  13. Katy Perry: Part of Me
    The live performances in particular feature an energized sheen sometimes missing from Perry's music videos featuring the very same songs.
  14. Ice Age: Continental Drift
    It's familiar, drawn-out shtick, and the humor lacks the subtlety of the first and best Ice Age, but there are some visually inventive high points.
  15. The Do-Deca-Pentathlon
    Inevitable or not, it's fun watching two middle-aged lunkheads reverting to adolescent competitiveness, and the fun is compounded by secrecy.
  16. The Pact
    The Pact demonstrates both why people respond to horror and why it's so routinely scorned.
  17. Madea's Witness Protection
    Madea is starting to look a little tired.
  18. Gypsy
    Although Martin Sulik's drama sheds light on typically unseen populations of Eastern Europe, the film, heavy on "Hamlet" allusions, may be overstuffed.
  19. Savages
    Savages represents at least a partial resurrection of the director's more hallucinatory, violent, sexual and, in a word, savage side.
  20. Last Ride
    A tour-de-force turn from the persistently terrific Hugo Weaving lights a fuse under Last Ride, a spare and wrenching road movie delving into the complexities of a fraught father-son relationship.
  21. Searching for Sugar Man
    While all the interview subjects are enthusiastic, the overall lack of familiarity with Rodriquez's personal background and career collapse begin to drag.
  22. Magic Mike
    The raunchiest, funniest and most enjoyably nonjudgmental American movie about selling sex since "Boogie Nights."
  23. Take This Waltz
    This sophomore feature is a stumble backwards in terms of maturity.
  24. Ted
    Not too many films serve up laughs that just keep on rolling with regularity from beginning to end, but Seth MacFarlane's directorial debut does so and without any feeling of strain.
  25. Beasts of the Southern Wild
    It's very much an art piece, to be sure, but it feels like a genuine one that, while meditated, speaks fluently and truly for the place, people and culture it so indelibly depicts.
  26. The Amazing Spider-Man
    While the two leads deliver the goods and manage to combine a frisky sense of first love with the movie's gloomier arc, they are well-served by a terrific supporting cast.
  27. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
    Genre enthusiasts will lap up the mixture of action and fantasy, while history buffs who don't mind a bit of rewriting will dig into an alternative spin on the Civil War period.
  28. Stella Days
    Playing an emotionally burdened small-town Catholic priest in culturally isolated 1950s Ireland, Martin Sheen does his best work since "The West Wing" in Thaddeus O'Sullivan's Stella Days.
  29. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
    With its sharp script and bittersweet humor, the audacious premise feels fresh enough to earn a large word-of-mouth audience among moviegoers who would normally avoid a more conventional rom-com, potentially becoming a left-field breakout hit in the mode of "Juno" or "Little Miss Sunshine."
  30. The Invisible War
    Kirby Dick's shocking investigation into widespread sexual assault in the U.S. military is an urgent call to action.
  31. People Like Us
    As overcranked as it is -- the film is directed as if it were an action drama, with two or three times more cuts than necessary -- People Like Us has a persuasive emotional pull at its heart that's hard to deny.
  32. To Rome with Love
    Allen the writer-director has gone tone-deaf this time around, somehow not realizing that the nonstop prattling of the less-than-scintillating characters almost never rings true.
  33. That's My Boy
    With enough wedding-related shenanigans to pull in the date crowd, the guffaw-to-gag ratio remains relatively respectable, though there's nothing here that hasn't been attempted many times over.
  34. Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap
    An insightful film about the creative talents that have made hip-hop an original, enduring American musical tradition.
  35. Americano
    The primary appeal of Americano lies in witnessing the attempt of a famous progeny to forge his own creative path, as Demy's struggle with artistic inheritance resonates throughout unmoored Martin's voyage between past and present.
  36. Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present
    Matthew Akers' film is a personally revealing look at an artist most famous for maintaining stone-faced silence for three months.
  37. Brave
    Visually stunning and strongly voiced, but doesn't take any real risks.
  38. Rock of Ages
    He (Shankman) succeeds in draining most of the fun from a vehicle that was all about the winking humor of its flagrant cheesiness.
  39. OC87: The Obsessive Compulsive, Major Depression, Bipolar, Asperger's Movie
    An eye-opener about what it's like to live with a variety of mental illnesses, including obsessive-compulsive disorder -- and, however tenuously, to recover from them.
  40. Tahrir: Liberation Square
    Instantly proves itself an invaluable historical document. Shot verite-style with no narration, soundtrack or other embellishments, Tahrir: Liberation Square simply depicts the events of late January and early February 2011 with a vital immediacy.
  41. Patagonia Rising
    If viewers have any remaining doubts as to whether or not the dams are a good idea, the gorgeous shots of the threatened landscapes are bound to erase them.
  42. Paul Williams Still Alive
    The film has a winning combination for all sorts of platforms as the story is highly intriguing and the music speaks, or rather sings, for itself.
  43. Dark Horse
    Never less than watchable and loaded with trademark negativity so extreme it's sometimes funny, the new film is nonetheless saddled with a protagonist so narrowly and unlikably presented that, in the end, he doesn't seem worth the time devoted to him.
  44. Safety Not Guaranteed
    Aubrey Plaza proves she can carry a film with this multiplex-friendly comedy about time travel.
  45. Peace, Love, & Misunderstanding
    The saving grace to the utter predictability in Christina Mengert and Joseph Muszynski's screenplay is reasonably personable characters and spirited acting by director Bruce Beresford's cast.
  46. Lola Versus
    Convincing in its depiction of late-20s romantic anxiety (if not of that age bracket's real estate realities), it is broadly appealing without bowing too deeply to formula.
  47. Bel Ami
    A flavorless literary adaptation sunk by a lead actor, screenwriter and co-directors that are all out of their depth.
  48. One Day on Earth
    Much like the recent, similarly themed "Life in a Day," the results are more admirable than enlightening or even entertaining.
  49. Music from the Big House
    The proceedings have a certain haunted quality, thanks to the dramatic setting and the stark black-and-white cinematography by Steve Cosens that fully conveys its bleakness.
  50. Pink Ribbons, Inc.
    It's easy to imagine exhibitors running scared from the documentary, but audiences who find it will be rewarded with a serious and provocative film.
  51. 6 Month Rule
    An ineffective indie variation on the sort of generic romantic comedy that should be starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.
  52. Piranha 3DD
    As sequels go, Piranha 3DD has barely enough heft to squeeze out 83 minutes of ho-hum entertainment, although it faithfully delivers plenty of menacing fish and bouncing boobs, as amply advertised.
  53. Cellmates
    Its low-rent cast and unappealing key art won't help at the box office, but viewers who stumble across it on cable may be pleasantly, if mildly, surprised.
  54. Crooked Arrows
    Predictable from first moment to last, it does at least provide a showcase for lacrosse, a sport heretofore cinematically unexploited.
  55. Battlefield America
    Battlefield America manages to pack every cliché imaginable into its overstuffed and overlong 106 minutes.
  56. U.N. Me
    A damning account of institutional dysfunction whose ability to stoke indignation is undercut by its filmmakers' misguided comic antics.
  57. For Greater Glory
    The sort of lumbering epic drama that went out of fashion by the late 1960s, For Greater Glory is mainly notable for shedding light on a little-known historical conflict, namely the Cristero War that took place in 1920s Mexico.
  58. Snow White and the Huntsman
    A bold rethinking of a familiar old story and striking design elements are undercut by a draggy midsection and undeveloped characters in Snow White and the Huntsman.
  59. Prometheus
    Although Ridley Scott's 3D visual feast is no classic, the oozing alien tentacles hit all the right sci-fi horror notes.
  60. A Cat in Paris
    A delightfully stylized caper involving a mute little girl, her pet cat and a cat burglar.
  61. 5 Broken Cameras
    The result is uniquely powerful, putting faces and human consequences to a political dispute that seemingly will never end.
  62. Jack and Diane
    Imagine a teenage lesbian love story directed by David Cronenberg and you'll have some sense of the weirdness of Jack and Diane. Bradley Rust Gray's attempt to weave horror elements into a fairly conventional narrative yields diminishing returns in this overly stylized effort.
  63. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
    Yes, it's a cartoon, but it's conspicuously unmodulated, with the volume set on high and the pacing all but pushed to fast-forward.
  64. Chernobyl Diaries
    The novelty of the setting ultimately proves highly effective. Shot mainly in Eastern European locations that effectively stand in for Prypiat, which is now actually a tourist site, the film is highly convincing in its verisimilitude.
  65. Redlegs
    Redlegs marks the promising directorial debut of film critic Brandon Harris.
  66. The Intouchables
    Corny, calculating and commercial...Their slickly executed culture-clash character piece is stuffed chock full of hard-knock life lessons that owe much more to the conventions of the screen than the tough realities of social deprivation and of the severely handicapped.
  67. Mahler on the Couch
    The film's great gift, though, is Romaner. Unbelievably, this is the first film for the Bavarian stage actress. She fully inhabits the role of this complex personality whose passion for love and art collides with her role of wife and mother.
  68. Men in Black III
    Finding smart ways to bring novelty to the franchise without forsaking what made the original so much fun (and in fact doubling down on some of those qualities), Barry Sonnenfeld's Men in Black 3 easily erases the second installment's vague but unpleasant memory and -- though we might hope producers will quit while they're ahead -- paves the way for future installments.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Battle Royale
    Bloodhounds will lick their lips experiencing the re-launch of Kinji Fukasaku's trendsetting Battle Royale (2000) with 3D effects, which basically make the splatter scenes gorier and stickier.
  70. Mighty Fine
    Has heart to spare, but little new to say.
  71. Moonrise Kingdom
    This is a Wes Anderson film -- more lightweight than some, possessing a stronger emotional undertow than others -- that will strike the uninitiated as conspicuously arch.
  72. Indie Game: The Movie
    Well-crafted and intelligent, this film is an illumination of the agony of creation – the self-doubt, the obsession, the life sacrifices – that are the core, not merely the side-effects of those define themselves through "art."
  73. Polisse
    Filmmaker-star Maiwenn's socially-minded film is packed with raw, visceral performances from an accomplished cast.
  74. Hysteria
    Hysteria, is a pleasurable diversion, even if it could have used a touch more spark in the writing.
  75. The Samaritan
    A gritty serving of pulp fiction masterfully perpetrated by Samuel L. Jackson as a philosophical ex-con trying to buck the considerable odds by taking a shot at redemption.
  76. Virginia
    Presumably a glib attack on sanctimonious small-town religious hypocrisy informed by Black's own strict Mormon upbringing, the film is tonally all over the place, eventually settling in a rut that comes a lot closer to resembling bad camp than edgy satire.
  77. What to Expect When You're Expecting
    Amid the would-be and actual laughs, the screenplay tries to drum up drama, but every disagreement and tension is treated superficially and summarily resolved.
  78. The Dictator
    Cohen employs a comic range that ricochets between wicked political barbs and the lowest anatomical farce, to often funny and occasionally hilarious effect.
  79. The Cup
    The family drama The Cup revisits this popular win in a workmanlike fashion.
  80. Dark Shadows
    Dark Shadows sinks its teeth half-way into its potentially meaty material but hesitates to go all the way.
  81. Bonsái
    Jimenez makes a youthful film about sex, lies and literature that has the awkward charm of first love.
  82. Where Do We Go Now?
    The film's blend of pathos, broad comedy and the occasional musical number is a little lumpy. But with sectarian violence continuing to scar the globe, its light tone provides a refreshing response.
  83. A Bag of Hammers
    A dicey blend that generates viewer goodwill but can't make its conflicting vibes gel, A Bag of Hammers will play best with the most soft-hearted viewers provided they don't mind rooting for unrepentant felons.
  84. Under African Skies
    A pure-bliss celebration of Paul Simon's landmark album Graceland coupled with an interesting if not unbiased look at the controversy surrounding its release.
  85. Sleepless Night
    Frederic Jardin's gripping Sleepless Night maintains a consistently high pitch without growing monotonous.
  86. Portrait of Wally
    Portrait of Wally may be too narrowly focused for some viewers, but offers an engaging narrative and high-profile subject that should attract audiences at fests and in specialized theatrical bookings.
  87. In the Family
    This deeply humanistic, profoundly touching work representing independent cinema at its finest should be seen by far wider audiences.
  88. First Position
    First Position overcomes its predictable elements thanks to the inherent visual drama of watching children strain their bodies to the limit in obsessive pursuit of their goals.
  89. God Bless America
    A niche theatrical run might draw fans of Goldthwait's previous work, this effort isn't likely to get as much help from critics as those sometimes did.
  90. I Wish
    A delightful and uplifting study of kids and families by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda.
  91. Tonight You're Mine
    Director David Mackenzie's film about two rival band members handcuffed to each other takes too long to find its footing.
  92. Chronicling a Crisis
    The result, Chronicling a Crisis, is an admittedly harrowing exercise in solipsism that will be of little interest to anyone besides the director's diehard fans and perhaps his therapist.
  93. A Little Bit of Heaven
    An awkward mixture of melodrama and whimsical romantic comedy that should make the briefest of appearances in theaters before, like its main character, moving on to other planes. It might serve a valuable purpose if it at least prompts viewers to finally schedule those long delayed colonoscopies.
  94. Last Call at the Oasis
    Following the template of documentaries bent on scaring viewers silly, Oasis winds up with a segment pointing to glimmers of hope, one of which addresses the marketing challenge of convincing citizens that recycled waste water is safe for drinking.
  95. The Perfect Family
    This debut feature by Anne Renton doesn't quite find the proper tone to convey its heartfelt message.
  96. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
    Even at its most predictable, the winning characterizations and soulful insights into aging keep the handsome film on a warmly satisfying track.
  97. Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story
    Beautifully put together in just about every way, it will be potent stuff on the small screen but deserves its moment in theaters.
  98. Safe
    Though Safe initially seems a little darker and more thoughtful than the British star's previous comic-book escapades in "Death Race," "The Expendables" or the "Transporter" trilogy, it ultimately reverts to testosterone-heavy formula.
  99. Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale
    Spectacular rain forest combat scenes are non-stop in an authentic-feeling actioner recounting an aborigine rebellion in 1930s Taiwan.
  100. Restless City
    In this intense twist on the American Dream, director Andrew Dosunmu vividly captures the pulsating dynamic of New York city's pan-African community, a robust aggregation that subsists amid an often hostile foreign environment.
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