USA Today's Scores

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For 4,670 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 61% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 36% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 1.1 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 64
Highest review score: 100 Fruitvale Station
Lowest review score: 0 Amos & Andrew
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,963 out of 4670
  2. Mixed: 1,021 out of 4670
  3. Negative: 686 out of 4670
4670 movie reviews
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  1. The Secret Garden
    The garden, an Edenic metaphor that gives the story its fertile power, should be as much of a living character as Maggie Smith's wonderfully brusque housekeeper - but isn't. As a result, everything that follows feels anti-climatic. Even if the plot plods a bit, there are pleasures to be plucked, especially in the performances of the children. [13 Aug 1993, p.4D]
    • USA Today
  2. The History Boys
    The History Boys is an erudite, sharply written film with consummate performances, but its origins on the stage are all too obvious.
  3. Hercules
    Furiously fast and fiendishly funny, Disney's 35th animated feature, Hercules outlines its musical-comedy agenda pronto. Even its villainous super-schmoozer Hades, well-ignited by the neurotic natterings of James Woods, would appreciate such get-to-the-pointedness. [13 June 1997, p.1D]
    • USA Today
  4. A Mighty Heart
    Emotionally and viscerally compelling and retains a suspenseful, edge-of-the-seat quality.
  5. Breakdown
    Breakdown exploits so many traditional thriller situations that any suspense fan vet can easily devote a hand to counting off the predecessors it plunders. [02May1997 Pg 12.D]
    • USA Today
  6. Invictus
    Invictus, which is Latin for "unconquered," gives the poem several meanings in the context of the film. It also applies to Eastwood, who, as one of America's greatest storytellers, finds enthralling tales and fashions them with finesse and an indomitable spirit.
  7. Big Hero 6
    The most endearing character in Disney's animated superhero animated movie is a one-man Affordable Care Act. (Make that a one-robot ACA.)
  8. Edward Scissorhands
    If the script were half as witty as its production design and Danny Elfman's score, the film might be a classic; instead, it recalls the “Beetlejuice” half that doesn't have Keaton. [7 Dec 1990, Life, p.4D]
    • USA Today
  9. Highest 2 Lowest
    Although they haven’t collaborated in a while, this teaming of old friends Lee and Washington soars once it gets cooking.
  10. Two Lovers
    Joaquin Phoenix gives a superbly raw and excruciatingly vulnerable performance.
  11. Sin City
    Occasionally very funny, the picture tends to coast on its cosmetics. A first-rate script might have made it a twisted masterpiece.
  12. Neil Young Journeys
    It certainly stays alive in this spare and intriguing film directed by Jonathan Demme, who has helmed two previous Young concert films.
  13. tick, tick...Boom!
    "BOOM!” is an entertaining, heart-filling work that showcases two musical geniuses, putting a new spotlight on Larson’s musical legacy and giving Miranda another endeavor to gift us with his unparalleled artistry.
  14. She Said
    A riveting cinematic quest for journalistic truth – especially one like She Said, which tackles an issue that means so much to so many – should always be embraced, no matter the era.
  15. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
    A revelation: funny, fascinating and insightful.
  16. Source Code
    A high-octane mind game best enjoyed by following a key character's advice: "The Source Code is a gift. Don't squander it by thinking."
  17. The Song of Sparrows
    Naji is an expressive actor, and so are the wonderful young non-pros who play his children.
  18. Thor: Ragnarok
    Even tonal issues can’t upend the magic this movie taps into putting Thor and Hulk together as new best buddies, whether they’re throwing down in an arena or having a bromantic heart-to-heart.
  19. Teacher's Pet
    Teacher's Pet is no "Finding Nemo," nor even "Lilo and Stitch," but it is an enjoyable family film -- particularly for younger kids -- during a time of year when such fare is lacking.
  20. Breach
    Less ambitious and more narrowly focused than the CIA saga "The Good Shepherd," Breach is a compelling, intelligent drama.
  21. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut
    This has to be the raunchiest full-length animated feature since Fritz the Cat, which got an X rating in 1971.
  22. 28 Days Later...
    The look of the film, shot on digital video, is haunting and gritty. The cleaner, prettier look of 35mm would have detracted from the immediacy and sense of foreboding created in this artful blend of sci-fi and pseudo-realism.
  23. Into the Wild
    Captivating and multifaceted.
  24. A Scanner Darkly
    Definitely not for everyone. It's a very bleak story with uneven pacing and a narrative whose jumps in time are confusing and occasionally infuriating. But the post-apocalyptic mood blends well with its uniquely stylized look and surreal story.
  25. The House of the Devil
    The result can be palpably unnerving.
  26. The Iron Claw
    It's a touching story of Americana mixed with sibling rivalry, parental pressure and heart-wrenching despair, with a ripped Zac Efron in an amazing turn as the beating heart of a tight-knit yet troubled clan.
  27. The Limey
    One of those movies in which pacing, dialogue and the right actors enliven a familiar story.
  28. Behind the Sun
    This tale is both redemptive and tragic, if occasionally melodramatic.
  29. Rust and Bone
    This gritty examination of physical and psychological wounds offers a superb performance by Marion Cotillard, who speaks volumes with her eyes, and a less convincing one by her lead co-star.
  30. Down in the Delta
    This is a movie that makes it exclusively on star power -- when it's making it at all. [22 Dec 1998, p.4D]
    • USA Today
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