The New York Times' Scores

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For 20,280 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 46% higher than the average critic
  • 5% same as the average critic
  • 49% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 4.2 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 61
Highest review score: 100 Short Cuts
Lowest review score: 0 Gummo
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9,381 out of 20280
  2. Mixed: 8,435 out of 20280
  3. Negative: 2,464 out of 20280
20280 movie reviews
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  1. Something New
    The film is good news nonetheless - it's a store-bought valentine with real heart.
  2. Cinema, Aspirinas e Urubus
    It is the sort of human-scale production that holds your attention with good acting, nice lighting and a screenplay that favors thought over action, thoughtful incident over full-blown episode.
  3. Battle in Heaven
    Working again with Diego Martínez Vignatti, the cinematographer for "Japón," the director doesn't just seize our attention; he commands it - forcing us into a world of terror and beauty.
  4. Tsotsi
    To his credit, Mr. Hood's meditation on truth and reconciliation doesn't traffic in the cheap thrills of art-house exploitation, like "City of God"; he wrings tears with sincerity, not cynicism.
  5. Unknown White Male
    Crammed with friendly, sympathetic talking heads and pretty images of a stunned-looking Mr. Bruce, then 35, relearning life (he remembers how to walk but forgot family and friends), the film comes up frustratingly short when it comes to the particulars.
  6. Forgiving Dr. Mengele
    For a film about death-camp survivors Forgiving Dr. Mengele is surprisingly uplifting and, at times, even lighthearted.
  7. The Fallen
    Directed by Ari Taub with a naturalistic style and a nonpartisan eye, The Fallen finds its humanity in the dailiness of a soldier's life, in the long stretches of nothing, where tensions swell and the killing of a deer can spark a mutiny.
  8. The Shaggy Dog
    Ms. Curtin is one of several examples of quirky casting that make this Shaggy Dog much more fun than it might have been.
  9. Shakespeare Behind Bars
    The filmmakers, Hank Rogerson and Jilann Spitzmiller, encourage us to marvel at the transformative power of art. In Shakespeare Behind Bars, the most restricted people in society find freedom in performance and release in words.
  10. Thank You for Smoking
    Glibly funny and eager to please.
  11. Don't Come Knocking
    Filled with haunting visual panoramas. One of the most resonant is a nighttime shot of the Elko skyline dominated by a glittering casino. Evoking a once and future gold rush, it says more about the Old West and the New West than all of Mr. Shepard's elliptical, stagy dialogue can muster. Such powerful images make Don't Come Knocking well worth contemplating.
  12. The Devil's Miner
    A brave, sincere film that leaves you wishing that more light had been shed on the darkness.
  13. The Big Question
    The overall effect, especially given the gorgeous setting and liquid-gold cinematography, is less a discussion of the divine than a commercial for it.
  14. Puzzlehead
    Puzzlehead reveals the selfishness of creation with style, originality and the understanding that even a tin man can have a heart.
  15. Mardi Gras: Made in China
    With any luck, this film will manage to open a few closed eyes (or minds).
  16. The Lady in Question Is Charles Busch
    Living proof that hard work and dedication can lead to professional and private gratification through the best and worst of times, Mr. Busch stands as solid source material for a film and for general inspiration.
  17. Slither
    While Slither sometimes feels like a monster-mash, what makes it work is how nimbly it slaloms from yucks to yuks, slip-sliding from horror to comedy and back again on its gore-slicked foundation.
  18. Yang Ban Xi: The 8 Modelworks
    The director Yan-Ting Yuen revisits the country's recent past to explore the history and legacy of one of the strangest byproducts of totalitarian madness: the revolutionary spectacular.
  19. Iron Island
    Less consumed by behavioral details than many of his filmmaking compatriots, Mr. Rasoulof makes bold use of symbolic imagery - a satellite television is confiscated and tossed overboard - suggesting that utopias inevitably come at the price of isolation and authoritarianism.
  20. Simon
    Tackles weighty social issues with quiet intelligence and low-key charm.
  21. On a Clear Day
    Despite a familiar crop of lovable eccentrics and a predictably inspirational thrust, the movie resists formula just enough to achieve a surprising degree of emotional traction.
  22. The Notorious Bettie Page
    Principally a work of gorgeous surfaces, shot mostly in silvery black-and-white film by the cinematographer Mott Hupfel, with an occasional splash of saturated color.
  23. Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story
    The story is told in faux-documentary style, echoing the films of Christopher Guest, and if the cast never quite matches Mr. Guest's ensemble in comic inventiveness, they nonetheless manage to invest a very slight story line with a loose, scruffy charm.
  24. Sir! No Sir!
    In his smart, timely documentary about the G.I. Movement, Sir! No Sir!, Mr. Zeiger takes a look at how the movement changed and occasionally even rocked the military from the ground troops on up.
  25. Herbie Hancock: Possibilities
    Mr. Hancock, a longtime practitioner of Buddhism who encourages his adoring colleagues to journey beyond their "comfort zones," resulting in some interactions and freestyle jamming that are truly infectious.
  26. Nathalie...
    Anne Fontaine's seductive film Nathalie is mostly about French star power and sex, so it's somewhat surprising that it is also subtle and intriguing.
  27. Mongolian Ping Pong
    Although its leisurely pace might be a bit tough going for restless Westerners, Mongolian Ping Pong is the kind of film that should rightly be seen by children, not just adventurous adults.
  28. Down in the Valley
    Begins semirealistically, then veers off course, hurtling into the wild blue yonder of myth and allegory. On the way to a climactic shootout that begins on the set of a Hollywood western and ends on a foggy hillside, it makes several screeching, hairpin turns.
  29. The Proposition
    The cast of The Proposition is reason enough to see the film.
  30. Dead Man's Shoes
    The always fantastic Paddy Considine evokes both sensitivity and explosiveness.
  31. Saving Shiloh
    Touching, intelligent and admirably thoughtful, but more action-packed than its predecessors, thanks to escaped convicts, a local murder and a truly suspenseful finale, with lives at stake.
  32. Wah-Wah
    Yet for all its studied snobbery and brittle entitlement, the film is never mean-spirited: even Ralph's monstrous parents are treated with more compassion than they deserve. Clearly, Mr. Grant's memories are more fond than bitter - even if the same probably can't be said of the Swazis.
  33. Sketches of Frank Gehry
    This absorbing documentary, the first directed by Sydney Pollack, is a modest undertaking, offering glimpses of the architect and his work rather than a full-scale portrait or catalogue raisonné.
  34. An Inconvenient Truth
    As unsettling as it can be, it is also intellectually exhilarating, and, like any good piece of pedagogy, whets the appetite for further study.
  35. Cavite
    A textbook example of seat-of-the-pants guerrilla filmmaking.
  36. The War Tapes
    Whatever your opinion of the war - and however it has changed over the years - this movie is sure to challenge your thinking and disturb your composure. It provides no reassurance, no euphemism, no closure. Given the subject and the circumstances, how could it?
  37. Bombón: El Perro
    That El Perro is so unassuming is part of what makes its humane, sympathetic story so satisfying.
  38. The Heart of the Game
    [Mr. Resler] turns out to be not only the heart of this particular game, but also its brains, lungs and unforgettably endearing mug.
  39. The Lake House
    The movie is, above all, a showcase for its stars, who seem gratifyingly comfortable in their own skin and delighted to be in each other's company again, in another deeply silly, effortlessly entertaining movie.
  40. Only Human
    A vigorously paced modern screwball comedy written and directed by the husband-and-wife team Dominic Harari and Teresa De Pelegrí, explores family values, and Leni and Rafi's mismatched cultural backgrounds, with a refreshingly light touch.
  41. Two Drifters
    Neither sentimental nor cruel, yet touching and trenchant, the movie sustains a profound ambivalence right up to the final shot.
  42. The Hidden Blade
    Though less powerful than Mr. Yamada's "Twilight Samurai" (2002), The Hidden Blade is an affecting portrait of the impact of profound change on people with limited options.
  43. The Devil Wears Prada
    Miranda is played by Meryl Streep, an actress who carries nuance in her every pore, and who endows even her lighthearted comic roles with a rich implication of inner life. With her silver hair and pale skin, her whispery diction as perfect as her posture, Ms. Streep's Miranda inspires both terror and a measure of awe.
  44. The Forsaken Land
    Mr. Jayasundara studied film in France and has probably watched his share of classic European art cinema. Although his influences may originate closer to home (in interviews he has name dropped the venerated Sri Lankan auteur Lester James Peries), his use of landscape to convey states of mind suggests that he has more than a passing acquaintance with the work of Michelangelo Antonioni.
  45. Strangers with Candy
    Devotees of the series, admirers of Ms. Sedaris and fake-news junkies who can never get enough of Mr. Colbert will find reasons to see it and to convince themselves that it is funnier and more satisfying than it really is. Count me in.
  46. The Blood of My Brother
    Though Mr. Berends strays too often, he does so down some compelling paths. His material is intimate and hair-raising, granting us rare access to scenes inside mosques, at a Shiite militia rally and in homes under fire.
  47. A Scanner Darkly
    Rotoscoping makes certain sense for a film about cognitive dissonance and alternative realities, though both the vocal and gestural performances by Mr. Reeves, Mr. Harrelson and, in particular, the wonderful Mr. Downey make me wish that we were watching them in live action.
  48. There's No One Like You
    Krrish is overlong, schmaltzy, wholly derivative and sprinkled with underwhelming song-and-dance numbers. Coming from anywhere else, these elements might be considered glaring flaws. In Bollywood they are not only expected, but often, as in this film, they also appear as virtues.
  49. Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos
    This is a movie so unabashedly in love with its subject that even audiences who don't know Giorgio Chinaglia from Georgie Best will leave the theater grinning.
  50. The Oh in Ohio
    A feel-good movie about feeling good, The Oh in Ohio thrums with happy vibes and amiable performances.
  51. Time to Leave
    Time to Leave subordinates narrative to mood. Since the end of the story is never in doubt, the only surprises lie in the particulars of Romain’s behavior and the nuances of sorrow, determination and doubt that pass over Mr. Poupaud’s face.
  52. Edmond
    Mr. Macy, a master at playing sticks of human dynamite in mild-mannered camouflage, gives the nerviest screen performance of his career.
  53. 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance
    An icy-cool study of violence both mediated and horribly real.
  54. Been Rich All My Life
    An admiring portrait of the Silver Belles, a troupe of veteran Harlem tap dancers between the ages of 84 and 96, is a valuable historical document and a useful how-to movie about making the most of old age.
  55. Clerks II
    What makes Clerks II both winning and (somewhat unexpectedly) moving is its fidelity to the original "Clerks" ethic of hanging out, talking trash and refusing all worldly ambition.
  56. Scoop
    Mr. Allen's invocation of the "Thin Man" films in an interview makes sense, even if he’s no William Powell and Ms. Johansson is certainly no Myrna Loy. Scoop was made by someone who understands that what makes the "Thin Man" series enduring isn't whodunit and why, but the way Nick and Nora look at each other as they sip their martinis, Asta nipping at their heels.
  57. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
    As a cultural artifact, Talladega Nights is both completely phony and, therefore, utterly authentic. Or, to put it differently: this movie is the real thing. It's finger lickin' good. It's eatin' good in the neighborhood. It's the King of Beers. It's Wonder Bread.
  58. Brothers of the Head
    A fake documentary that barely lets on that its fiction, this devilishly clever film tells the story of conjoined twins who create a minor sensation in Britain on the eve of punk rock.
  59. My Country, My Country
    Without comment but with unusual sensitivity, Ms. Poitras, exposes the emotional toll of occupation on Iraqis and American soldiers alike.
  60. Snakes on a Plane
    What they give us is the chance to win, not with righteous morality, but with an old-fashioned swagger that says, much like the film itself, Hey, we may be stupid, but we rock.
  61. Boynton Beach Club
    Smoothly balancing comedy and pathos, it infuses the fantasy with enough credibility to make you care about these people and wish them merrily on their way.
  62. Fan-Fan the Tulip
    The production is handsome, solid and bursting with Gallic atmosphere. Christian-Jaque gets a bouquet for his effort, even though it's just this side of being complete. (Review of Original Release)
  63. Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
    A little uncanny (has it been digitally manipulated?) and a whole lot clichéd, the tableau speaks of melancholy graced by a pale sliver of hope. You'd roll your eyes if they weren't so dazzled.
  64. Bubot Niyar
    A modest film, less interested in advocacy or analysis than in sympathy.
  65. Saint of 9/11
    The movie's steadily elegiac tone precludes it from creating a more lively, idiosyncratic portrait of a man who, by many accounts, was a wonderful raconteur whose gift of gab was complemented by a rollicking sense of humor.
  66. The Protector
    The Protector supersizes the formula of "Ong Bak."
  67. Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers
    A febrile blend of facts, liberal outrage and emotional manipulation (like his colleague Michael Moore, Mr. Greenwald knows the visual power of a grieving mother), Iraq for Sale has an us-versus-them sensibility that’s extremely effective.
  68. Rolling Family
    Rolling Family is not a movie of ideas but an emotional and tactile experience of economy-class travel. In surveying a large swath of the Argentine landscape, it could be a companion piece to "The Motorcycle Diaries."
  69. The Ground Truth
    Tries to do too much in too little time. It would be a stronger film if it devoted more detailed attention to the plight of the returning veteran. As it stands, it is a scattershot antiwar polemic that doesn't bolster its arguments with any historical perspective or statistical evidence. No one from the government or the military is trotted out to give an opposing view. This is not to say that The Ground Truth, on its own terms, isn't devastating.
  70. The U.S. vs. John Lennon
    One of the best-known cultural figures of the past half-century, leaves the movie with little to do but add its sometimes sanctimonious voice to the chorus of praise and admiration.
  71. Keeping Mum
    It’s refreshing to see Dame Maggie in a lighter mode than usual. The role of a genteel psychopath is a piece of lemon tea cake she consumes in one delicate bite.
  72. Fearless
    Fearless sustains the tradition of ethically inflected Chinese action movies.
  73. Jesus Camp
    Jesus Camp doesn't pretend to be a comprehensive survey of the charismatic-evangelical phenomenon. It offers no history or sociology and only scattered statistics about its growth. It analyzes the political agenda only glancingly, centering on abortion but not on homosexuality or other items.
  74. American Hardcore
    A toned-down cinematic equivalent of the music: fast and loud, but not too loud. The movie scrambles to cover so much territory that there is room only for musical shards and slivers; few complete songs are heard, and no signature anthems stand out.
  75. The Science of Sleep
    So while The Science of Sleep may not, in the end, be terribly deep, it is undoubtedly -- and deeply -- refreshing.
  76. American Blackout
    Though occasionally inflammatory -- one interviewee talks about being "slingshotted into slavery" -- American Blackout isn’t a conspiracy rant. It's a methodical compilation of questions and irregularities that deserves a wider audience.
  77. The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros
    Directed by Auraeus Solito from a screenplay by Michiko Yamamoto, Maximo has charmed film festival audiences from Sundance to Jerusalem with its refreshingly blasé handling of homosexuality, its amiable actors and its delicacy of milieu. Credit, above all, the talented Mr. Lopez, whose effortless charisma buoys the movie even when it goes heavy with contrivance.
  78. The Last King of Scotland
    Furiously paced, with excellent performances by Forest Whitaker as Amin and James McAvoy as the foolish Scotsman who becomes the leader's personal physician, the film has texture, if not depth and enough intelligence to almost persuade you that it actually has something of note to say.
  79. loudQUIETloud: A Film About the Pixies
    Boring people who made extraordinary music, the Pixies are inexplicable. In attempting to demystify them, the directors Steven Cantor and Matthew Galkin achieve the opposite.
  80. Shortbus
    An ode to the joy and sweet release of sex, the film manages to be a sincere, modest political venture that finds humor where you might least expect it, notably in a ménage à trois featuring a cheeky rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner."
  81. Blood Tea and Red String
    As much a work of sculpture as of cinema, this 71-minute movie, 13 years in the making, is the handmade brainchild of Christiane Cegavske, an artist who dabbles in film but whose talents and sensibility align more naturally with those of the contemporary-art world.
  82. Black Gold
    One of the most disquieting (and challenging) statistics is left for last: if Africa's share of world trade increased by only one percentage point, it would generate $70 billion a year, five times what the continent receives in aid. Who wouldn't want that?
  83. ...So Goes the Nation
    A clear-eyed and utterly ruthless dissection of the battle for Ohio in the months leading up to the 2004 presidential election.
  84. Driving Lessons
    The screwball aging diva genre isn't the only formula guiding this stubbornly old-fashioned movie. Driving Lessons belongs to the silly feel-good mode of "The Full Monty," "Calendar Girls," "Billy Elliot," "Kinky Boots" and dozens of other celebrations of Britons defying convention to become "free," whatever that means.
  85. Zerophilia
    A novel teenage comedy with an astute understanding of adolescent sexual confusion and the nebulous nature of desire, Zerophilia suggests an elastic view of gender that's alternately gleeful and terrifying.
  86. Running with Scissors
    Ms. Bening's precise, pitiless tracing of her character's decline from feisty defiance to pathetic, overmedicated self-delusion gives the film an emotional weight it might not otherwise have.
  87. Sweet Land
    The film’s guileless, heartfelt style veers perilously close to corniness at times, but the superb cast dares you to mock.
  88. Sleeping Dogs Lie
    Sleeping Dogs Lie doesn't pretend to be more than it is: a blunt, provocative comedy sketch whose visual look is almost as bare as that of an episode of the underappreciated Home Box Office series "Lucky Louie." The acting, especially by Ms. Hamilton, is better than serviceable.
  89. Shut Up & Sing
    The movie offers a revealing case study of the relationship between politics, celebrity and the media in today’s polarized social climate.
  90. 20 Centimeters
    A brash, vivacious concoction of dark comedy, light drama and musical performance.
  91. Absolute Wilson
    There is plenty of substance in Absolute Wilson, as it provides a concise and absorbing portrait of a powerful creative personality.
  92. The Bridge
    This eerie and indelible documentary about suicide juxtaposes transcendent beauty with personal tragedy.
  93. Stranger Than Fiction
    While Stranger Than Fiction traffics in a bit of darkly funny existential anxiety, it also finds room for romantic fantasy and sentimental uplift.
  94. Fuck
    Is this evidence of cultural decline? It's hard to think of a short answer that wouldn't be made more vivid by the insertion of the forbidden word. So skip it. No, not the movie. What, are you kidding me? No way. Go. Help yourself.
  95. Happy Feet
    While compromised by the uplift and affirmation that mainstream animation regurgitates like a mommy penguin, it also shows a remarkable persistence of vision. Even in a story about singing-and-dancing fat and feather, Mr. Miller can’t help but go dark and deep.
  96. Let's Go to Prison
    It takes a while to realize that this is actually a sly, very funny comedy, one that stays admirably deadpan every time you think it’s about to veer into gross-out territory.
  97. Candy
    Doesn’t add anything substantively new, though it has been nicely directed by Neil Armfield, known in his country for his theater work, and features striking performances from Heath Ledger and Geoffrey Rush.
  98. Flannel Pajamas
    Mr. Lipsky’s screenplay, a messy collection of fragments arranged chronologically, adds up to one of the most intimate screen portraits of a relationship ever attempted.
  99. For Your Consideration
    Funny? Yes. Revealing? No. By and large, the movie is content to offer amusing caricatures and leave it at that.
  100. This Filthy World
    John Waters is darned entertaining as he delivers a monologue that annotates his scandalous movies and encompasses assorted other subjects that interest or annoy him.
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