Variety's Scores

Select another publication »
For 17,760 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 52% higher than the average critic
  • 4% same as the average critic
  • 44% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 2.3 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 63
Highest review score: 100 IMAX: Hubble 3D
Lowest review score: 0 Divorce: The Musical
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9,121 out of 17760
  2. Mixed: 7,003 out of 17760
  3. Negative: 1,636 out of 17760
17760 movie reviews
view
per page
  1. Factotum
    Arguably one of the best adaptations of Bukowski's work, even compared with Bukowski's own script for 1997's "Barfly," deadpan timing and ace perfs bring out the morose humor and surprising warmth in the often miserabilist scribe's voice.
  2. Trust the Man
    For those who appreciate the Woody Allen view of New York but would prefer fewer neurotics, Trust the Man provides a loving take on bourgeois Manhattan contentment that's usually only found in episodes of "Will & Grace."
  3. 10th & Wolf
    A lackluster actioner.
  4. King Leopold's Ghost
    Ghost throws its most powerful punch in its second half, reporting on contempo events as a direct repeat of the ghastly Leopold era.
  5. Pusher II: With Blood On My Hands
    Along with the continual build-up of tension and threatened (more than shown) violence, pic is notable for its brutal depiction of the sex industry.
  6. Conversations with Other Women
    The battle of the sexes is restaged to clever but inconsequential effect in Conversations With Other Women. Very much a case of old wine in a new bottle.
  7. Pulse
    A dumbed-down remake of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's disturbingly abstract Japanese horror film.
  8. Step Up
    Fresh cast, a formulaic but engaging storyline, and a smoking soundtrack from rap and hip-hop luminaries.
  9. Zoom
    This tepid comic-bookish comedy should zip through its theatrical run faster than a speeding bullet. It likely won't perform much more superheroically in ancillary venues.
  10. Half Nelson
    Avoiding rote inspirational notes as well as boyz-in-the-hood violence, scrupulously low-key drama nonetheless builds to a powerful impact.
  11. The L.A. Riot Spectacular
    A comedy that's vulgar, disturbing, distasteful and violent, but so is injustice and civil unrest.
  12. Poster Boy
    Underproduced and compromised by an uneven script and a tendency to descend into melodrama, the DV-lensed feature nonetheless is well acted and directed with confidence.
  13. House of Sand
    Magnificently renders a fresh view of life on planet Earth.
  14. Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna
    A star-loaded, Gotham-set relationships movie that's generally good but works better in bits than as a whole.
  15. Who Needs Sleep?
    A comprehensive, personal and surprisingly engaging look at how film crews routinely work hours far beyond anything that can be considered safe, healthy or conducive to a balanced life.
  16. World Trade Center
    World Trade Center yields lovely and touching moments but proves a slow-going, arduous movie experience.
  17. Lunacy
    More moving animal parts and less human pontificating would make a stronger case for a tale already rich in imagery. Another drawback is Liska, too one-dimensional to stand against Triska's overpowering performance.
  18. The Descent
    The chills and spills keep comin' to agreeable effect in Brit-made scarefest The Descent.
  19. Barnyard
    Zippy enough to delight youngsters and clever enough to engage their parents.
  20. The Night Listener
    Aiming for unsettling atmosphere over character definition, the dawdling mystery thriller manages to flatten two protagonists that had far more depth in the novel.
  21. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
    Simultaneously teasing and loving a subject doesn't make for easy comedy, but writer-star Will Ferrell and director/co-writer Adam McKay pull it off with good-ol'-boy good nature in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
  22. The Bridesmaid
    At 74, Chabrol is in full possession of his talent for elegant, understated filmmaking, though he's far from his disturbing films of the '50s and '60s.
  23. My Country, My Country
    Gotham-based documaker Laura Poitras ("Flag Wars") comes up with a still-timely, quietly hard-hitting look at the Iraqi situation with My Country, My Country, focusing on the lead-up to and outcome of the Jan. 30, 2005, Iraq election.
  24. Quinceañera
    This is a fresh, spirited drama, charming and unpretentious. It mines a similar vein to recent Latino-themed pics such as "Raising Victor Vargas" and "Real Women Have Curves."
  25. Boynton Beach Club
    Briskly paced humor and/or pathos flow organically from situation and characters.
  26. Shock to the System
    Enough action, a tiny pinch of sex and some campy moments from Morgan Fairchild.
  27. Nightmare Man
    Perfs are either absurdly stiff or over-the-top, and effects and makeup look like they were made in someone's garage.
  28. Vacationland
    Marred by sluggish script and Verow's inability to either direct actors or cast ones whose thesping ability matches their good looks.
  29. Miami Vice
    Unlike most TV-to-movie transitions, Mann returns to his roots and delivers what amounts to a slightly overblown episode, brimming with style and characteristically short on substance.
  30. Scoop
    After the accomplished smoothness of "Match Point," it's back to more ragged form in Scoop, despite the almost identical posh settings, and the return of Scarlett Johansson as leading lady.
  31. John Tucker Must Die
    Predictable developments are more or less redeemed by spirited execution and the pleasures of an able, good-looking cast.
  32. The Ant Bully
    Lovely to look at but a headache to listen to.
  33. 13 Tzameti
    Shot like the grunge version of a '50s noir thriller from France (or Soviet Georgia), the black-and-white 13 (Tzameti) turns into a shocker of Tarantino proportions in protracted sequences of explosive violence that leave viewers quaking.
  34. America: Freedom to Fascism
    The strong case built in pic's first half is weakened by the vaguely argued contention in the second that the land of the free is becoming anything but. Attack focuses on the Federal Reserve, the Patriot Act, the abolition of the gold standard, and not-yet-ratified plans to introduce identity chips on currency and in citizens in the future.
  35. Another Gay Movie
    This is son-of-John-Waters with most of the grossness but none of the essential anarchism -- silly pop trash set for vid-classic status in gay households.
  36. Brothers of the Head
    Feature debut by Yank duo Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe isn't so far from their engrossing docus on Terry Gilliam's filmic adventures, "The Hamster Factor" (1996) and "Lost in La Mancha" (2001), except here the madness and exploitation is part of the music scene.
  37. I Like Killing Flies
    Charming character study.
  38. My Grandmother's House
    Studded with moments of character-driven charm, with sparky 6-year-old Marina Pastor a particular joy to watch.
  39. Little Miss Sunshine
    Pic's distinguished by a flawless cast, a gentle spirit of rebellion and a smart script by first-time screenwriter Michael Arndt that knows never to push its character quirks too hard.
  40. Darshan: The Embrace
    Docu's pace will be a little too meditative for many, but the rigorous, sinewy lensing will have Hypnotic power on those so inclined.
  41. Been Rich All My Life
    Providing an inspiration for active retirement, the ex-Harlem Renaissance chorus girls profiled in docu Been Rich All My Life are still shaking booty while most of their contemporaries can only shuffle their walkers.
  42. Shadowboxer
    Admirably jostles and upends the fatigued killer-for-hire genre.
  43. Clerks II
    A softer, flabbier and considerably higher-budgeted follow-up to Kevin Smith's 1994 indie sensation that nevertheless packs enough riotous exchanges and pungent sexual obscenities to make its 97 minutes pass by with ease.
  44. Lady in the Water
    A ponderous, self-indulgent bedtime tale. Awkwardly positioned, this gloomy gothic fantasy falls well short of horror.
  45. Monster House
    Constant shock cuts and souped-up music and sound effects will keep small fry in a state of moderate petrification, while the trio of tweeny leads plus attitude-redolent cohorts will make teens feel welcome.
  46. My Super Ex-Girlfriend
    Uma Thurman, a female superhero with emotional problems and dating issues, doesn't so much fight the forces of evil as battle the wit-starved movie's torpor -- indeed, her perf suggests what the entire film might have been.
  47. Azumi
    Inevitable comparisons to Quentin Tarentino's femme-centered carnage extravaganza "Kill Bill" are not unwarranted insofar as both films featurefeature an abstract, self-conscious, and decidedly post-modern approach to a moribund genre.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Fan-Fan the Tulip
    A rousing, good humored costumer on ribald 18th-century France. (Review of Original Release)
  49. Mad Cowgirl
    The point is not very clear, but there's an impressive weirdness to Mad Cowgirl that elevated it above more strained attempts at transgressive cinema.
  50. Little Man
    There are probably some moviegoers who can laugh at the sight of a groin-punching, breast-grabbing baby, possibly even find it cute. Everyone else should steer clear of Little Man, which welds Marlon Wayans' head to a diminutive body double, offering up the creepiest bigscreen dwarf since the last David Lynch movie.
  51. You, Me and Dupree
    A middling third-wheel comedy elevated a couple of notches by the ineffably weird charms of Owen Wilson.
  52. Changing Times
    A Cathererine Deneuve-Gerard Depardieu vehicle that leaves ample room for interesting supporting characters, this moody, more-bitter-than-sweet ode to anxiety is intense adult fare reinforced by effective no frills lensing.
  53. Mini's First Time
    The performances lift "Mini" out of the gutter of utter cynicism and into the realm of the complex.
  54. The Oh in Ohio
    Amusing indie comedy blithely blurs the line between risque and raunchy, often to hilarious effect.
  55. Time to Leave
    Francois Ozon's Time to Leave reps one of the helmer's most straightforward, but perhaps least interesting pics.
  56. Edmond
    Despite agreeably short running time and committed performances, Edmond is rendered inert by its stagy atmosphere and failure to fully mine the depths of its protagonist's complex psyche.
  57. Gabrielle
    Though it won't appeal to everyone, the concoction actually works, thanks to Huppert and Greggory's powerful negative chemistry.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Overlord [re-release]
    US director Stuart Cooper gives it the right understated, unheroic feel. (Review of Original Release)
  59. The Groomsmen
    Burns' always impressive sense of place lends authenticity to the pals' perambulations, and the stellar cast brings a welcome overabundance of personality to regrettably one-note roles.
  60. Two Sons of Francisco
    The unlikely success story of superstar Brazilian country music duo Zeze di Camargo and Luciano receives a polished if highly manipulative treatment in Two Sons of Francisco.
  61. The Color of Olives
    Mexican helmer Carolina Rivas obviously intends her slow-paced and contemplative doc as a testimony to the indomitability of the human spirit under dire circumstances.
  62. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
    There is a sense of bloat and where-do-we-go-from here aimlessness to this unconscionably protracted undertaking.
  63. A Scanner Darkly
    Deeply intriguing but almost too-faithful adaptation of Philip K. Dick's nightmarish 1977 novel.
  64. Beowulf & Grendel
    Director Sturla Gunnarsson seems aware of the savagery intrinsic to the story, but is unable to mine it deeply, proving too genteel in the end to make a genuinely creepy or disturbing film.
  65. Kill Your Idols
    Doesn't have the crossover appeal of recent music-themed docus like "Metallica: Some Kind of Monster," but could find worshippers as a micro-niche release.
  66. Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos
    While soccer fans will rep the core aud, even non-fans can enjoy.
  67. Cease Fire
    Audiences hooked on Persian mainstream will devour this irreverent romantic comedy, spiced with saucy dialogue that spoofs traditional gender roles through gritted teeth.
  68. Heading South
    Cantet's anticipated follow-up to "Time Out" supplants that pic's important issues with unexamined attitudes toward sex and the tropics.
  69. Guernsey
    Ravishingly lensed, widescreen pic's purely cinematic qualities slightly outstrip its narrative ones as central protag, as a result of the apparent suicide, slowly -- very slowly -- questions whether the aspects of her own marriage she thought were cast in stone may be made of less sturdy material.
  70. Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela
    A quasi-docu about the formative years of the African National Congress that relies heavily on handsomely-mounted dramatic recreations to tell its story.
  71. The Devil Wears Prada
    Streep single-handedly elevates this sitcomy but tolerably entertaining adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's bestselling 2003 roman a clef about a personal assistant's year of chic hell under the thumb of the dragon lady of the fashion world.
  72. The Blood of My Brother
    Made with access to the Mehdi Army and embittered citizens the Western news media -- or even the CIA -- might envy, producer-helmer-lenser Andrew Berends creates a revealing insight into the war in Iraq from the locals' POV.
  73. The Great Yokai War
    Odd blend of the truly cheesy with a few genuine f/x makes for a cutesy if not exactly thrilling spectacle.
  74. There's No One Like You
    Enjoyable, daffily improbable escapist romp.
  75. Superman Returns
    Grandly conceived and sensitively drawn.
  76. The Motel
    The Motel offers a fresh take on characters and conventions, and compels interest with shrewd, sympathy-inspiring storytelling.
  77. Strangers with Candy
    A pic that will delight the previously converted, but, as film is just as hit-and-miss as the series was.
  78. Who Killed the Electric Car?
    Oil companies aren't the only ones profiting from a spike in prices at the gas pump. It's likely also to boost the prospects of Who Killed the Electric Car? a likable if partisan post-mortem on the now-defunct auto.
  79. Room
    A perceptive, unsettling psychodrama marking the assured feature writing and directing debut of shorts filmmaker Kyle Henry.
  80. Wassup Rockers
    A thoroughly winning and unexpectedly observant lark about the antics of seven Latino skateboarding pals in South-Central Los Angeles.
  81. Click
    Adam Sandler's recent low-key phase continues with this cleverly conceived but conspicuously unfunny comedy.
  82. Waist Deep
    Waist Deep packs considerable energy and style into its tale of an ex-con forced back into a life of crime to rescue his kidnapped son. Yet the kinetic direction and occasional sly humor can't disguise the tale's banal brutality or pump much excitement into its routinized pileup of shoot-outs and car chases.
  83. Say Uncle
    The politics of homophobia and child molestation receive a badly misjudged tweaking in Peter Paige's writing-directing debut, Say Uncle.
  84. The Road to Guantanamo
    The film has a winning combo of excitement and topicality.
  85. The Forsaken Land
    There's poetry in The Forsaken Land -- not the written kind (there's barely any dialogue) -- but visual poetry replete with still, painterly compositions and finely nuanced lighting.
  86. Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
    Proves that few can maneuver one of Cohen's dusky, lovelorn songs like Cohen himself.
  87. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
    Pumping high-performance gas back into the series after a second lap sputter, third entry stays in high gear most of the way with several exhilarating racing sequences, and benefits greatly from the evocative Japanese setting.
  88. Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties
    A genuinely clever kidpic that should delight moppets, please parents -- and maybe tickle a few tweens.
  89. The Lake House
    Never quite sure what it wants to be -- a magical-mysterious love story, a psychodrama, a sprawling family saga, or an uneasy combination of these.
  90. Nacho Libre
    Nacho Libre strikes a delicate balance of whimsy and absurdity that may surprise auds primed to expect wall-to-wall slapstick.
  91. Land of the Blind
    One of the more spectacular misfires of recent years, Land of the Blind's lack of originality is only slightly exceeded by its failure to work as political satire.
  92. Loverboy
    A classic case of "Better if you didn't read the book" cinema, Loverboy emerges an OK character study of an abnormally possessive mother.
  93. Lower City
    Though the storyline is dirt simple and not particularly meaningful or involving, the action in this character-driven film is scintillatingly sexy.
  94. The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green
    It's a crackpot of a soap opera, ornamented by a great deal of sexual humor, sexual innuendo and sex. Lead Daniel Letterle is a charmingly boyish actor, and the other featured players -- particularly veteran actress Meredith Baxter as Ethan's gay-wedding-planner mother -- are excellent.
  95. Wordplay
    Punsters, linguists and crossword puzzle fanatics everywhere couldn't ask for a more bracing tribute than helmer Patrick Creadon's buoyant and exhilaratingly brainy documentary Wordplay.
  96. Dog Lover's Symphony
    Dog Lover's Symphony feels as if an alien species had been studying Hollywood movies for 50 years and tried to make one themselves.
  97. A/k/a Tommy Chong
    While the picture's reporting on government repression of alternative cultural ideas and lifestyles is noteworthy more than anything, it's a blatant promo for Chong's career.
  98. Cars
    Periodic bursts of cleverness brighten the festivities, but they're too few and far between, and the trademark humor that appeals to adults and kids often misfires.
  99. A Prairie Home Companion
    Rib-ticklingly funny at times and genial as all get-out.
  100. Agnes and His Brothers
    A Teutonic version of "American Beauty" with added dysfunctionality.
Page:

Top Trailers

See all »
See all trailers »