Variety's Scores

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For 17,782 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 2.4 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: 9,136 out of 17782
  2. Mixed: 7,010 out of 17782
  3. Negative: 1,636 out of 17782
17782 movie reviews
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  1. Trekkies
    A largely affectionate look at the weird and the wonderful subculture that's ensued and endured since the sci-fi series first beamed up in 1966.
  2. Khab-e sefid
    Gentle, touching tale.
  3. The Big Hit
    Unquestionably a slick piece of goods. The training and experience of Wong and his crew --- culled largely from such action series as "La Femme Nikita" and "Once a Thief" --- keep the film lively and vivid.
  4. The King Is Alive
    Simultaneously gritty and cerebral.
  5. Amistad
    Aiming to instruct as well as entertain --- and often struggling to reconcile these two divergent goals.
  6. Evolution
    A consistently amusing action romp.
  7. Yossi & Jagger
    It's a very small pic but engagingly played by a fine cast.
  8. Femme Fatale
    An extravagant suspense cocktail of wacky and lascivious ingredients that goes down fine.
  9. One True Thing
    As sensitively written, fluidly directed and expertly acted as it is, and as elemental as its dramatic conflicts may be, One True Thing has trouble breaking free of its limitations as a small-scale, modestly aimed family drama.
  10. Amen.
    Despite fine performances and the care lavished on the production, Amen. is never as emotionally powerful as it should be.
  11. Addicted to Love
    Warm performances that result in hilarity without guilt.
  12. Secret Lives: Hidden Children and Their Rescuers During WWII
    Their interwoven stories, backgrounded by concise narration, well-chosen archival imagery and an evocative score by John Zorn, make for an absorbing and revealing examination of the ties that bind.
  13. There's Something About Mary
    Crudely made, somewhat overlong and larded with plenty of things that don't work, pic stands as proof positive that a comedy can be far from perfect and still hit the bull's-eye if it delivers when it counts in its big scenes.
  14. Dogtown and Z-Boys
    A fascinating story, albeit with some missed opportunities in the telling.
  15. The Real Blonde
    Enjoyable, if sometimes scattered, comic exploration of the quest for integrity and depth in a world wowed by artifice and superficiality.
  16. Suicide Kings
    A smart and snappy drama tinged with dark humor and brimming with self-confidence.
  17. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
    Affectionate spoof merits appreciation as a not-so-dumb salute to another era's ultra-dumb genre conventions.
  18. Happiness
    Baker does an amazingly sensitive job with the ticklish part and is joined in this by Read, who is superlative as his inquisitive young son.
  19. I Know What You Did Last Summer
    A polished genre piece with superior fright elements.
  20. The Negotiator
    The teaming of Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey, two of the most highly regarded actors around, in perfectly fitting roles that call for a battle of wits and wills, proves to be a shrewd piece of casting, and the best element of The Negotiator.
  21. Let's Get Frank
    A fascinating portrait of an era, as well as of a unique public servant.
  22. Grazia's Island
    Crialese's first feature in his native Italy is a small but distinctive drama that displays a firm command of his cast, an arresting visual sense and an admirable avoidance of facile sentiment or cliche.
  23. Angela's Ashes
    Artfully evokes the physical realities of Irish poverty, but mostly misses the humor, lyricism and emotional charge of Frank McCourt's magical and magnificent memoir
  24. Shattered Glass
    Credibly and absorbingly relates the tale of journalistic fraud perpetrated by young writer Stephen Glass at the New Republic five years back.
  25. Dead Man on Campus
    Although it falls far short of fulfilling its full potential as a dark comedy of desperation, Dead Man on Campus is a modestly amusing trifle that merits a passing grade as lightweight entertainment.
  26. The Parent Trap
    Richardson, who gracefully sways through a memorable drunk scene, and Quaid, whose megawatt smile has never been more dazzling, are disarmingly charming as the parents. And that's important; if the actors were any less engaging, the audience might not be so forgiving of their characters.
  27. Songcatcher
    Unfolds at a leisurely but enjoyable pace, its dramatic contrivances never pushed too hard.
  28. Spice World
    The movie essentially mirrors the non-diva, down-to-earth personalities on which their act is based, and which include a sizable amount of self-parody.
  29. Mighty Aphrodite
    A zippy, frothy confection that emerges as agreeable middle-range Woody.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Crimes and Misdemeanors
    Alda is perfect casting as a successful TV comedy producer, whose pompous attitude and easy romantic victories with women (including Farrow) exasperate Allen.
  31. The Execution of Wanda Jean
    At its best, Garbus' account quietly depicts a set of wasted lives, and a closing image of Allen's plywood casket carted away by a bulldozer is emblematic of the tragedy.
  32. Tupac: Resurrection
    Lazin has without question skillfully assembled an entertaining, strongly narrative nonfiction package.
  33. Summer of Sam
    Summer of Sam is never less than absorbing but feels just a bit like yesterday's news, both narratively and cinematically.
  34. Cuban Rafters
    Noteworthy for its detail and evenhandedness.
  35. 8 Women
    For all its careful plotting, some viewers may find the exercise ultimately hollow and nasty, but thesps make the experience completely worthwhile.
  36. Greendale
    Sublimely pointed in its idealistic simplicity yet willfully scruffy in presentation -- much like the enduring Young's best music.
  37. Seabiscuit
    Respectable when it should be thrilling, honorable when it should be rough and ready.
  38. Bang Rajan
    Visceral and sweat-drenched, but also attaining a genuinely epic stature in its final reels.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Manhunter
    An unpleasantly gripping thriller... Interesting Hitchcockian guilt transference territory and Mann's grip on his material is tight and sure. Director is at all times preoccupied by visual chic.
  40. The Insider
    A borderline pretentious, overly inflated picture.
  41. 24 Hour Party People
    A rough, gritty, often scabrously humorous tribute.
  42. Anything Else
    The younger casting brings a freshness to the material and, with Allen as the weird mentor, there are plenty of laughs, even if the pacing's slow and the running time over-extended.
  43. Forces of Nature
    An extremely enjoyable neo-screwball comedy about attractive opposites on the road.
  44. American Psycho
    Pace is sleek, airless and apt.
  45. Bulletproof Monk
    Not surprisingly based on a comic book series by Brett Lewis and R.A. Jones (whom pic fails to credit), pic hurtles along at a pace designed by vet music vid and ad helmer Paul Hunter to engage short attention spans.
  46. In & Out
    Aside from Dillon, who brightens every scene he's in, the delightful surprise here is Selleck, who brings wonderfully mischievous, energizing and self-deprecating qualities to the role of the dirt-digging but ultimately on-the-level broadcaster.
  47. Smilla's Sense of Snow
    An exceedingly sleek and handsome thriller, this ambitious European co-production, like the novel on which it's quite faithfully based, starts intriguingly but fails to stay the distance.
  48. Unbreakable
    Possesses sufficient intrigue to hook audiences and keep them on board much of the way.
  49. MC5*: A True Testimonial
    Draws on extensive archival materials to etch an absorbing portrait of a singular counterculture mini-phenom that will be manna to music fans.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Rocco and His Brothers (re-release)
    It's plotted in the form of an epic poem, each stanza dedicated to a member of the group.
  51. Holy Man
    Complex issues of ambition and consumerism taken to televangelic levels aren't truly addressed or resolved but simply tied up in a box with the message that love conquers all.
  52. Six Days Seven Nights
    Sprinkled with just enough laughs, close shaves and compromising positions to keep audiences mildly interested, this old-fashioned popcorn picture is agreeably breezy and colorful, but lacks the pizzazz and star chemistry of a genre ancestor such as "Romancing the Stone."
    • 73 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    El mariachi
    Spanish lingo crime meller has a verve and cheekiness that's partly a smart wedding of such influences as Sergio Leone, George Miller and south-of-the-border noir.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Siddhartha (re-release)
    Rooks has chosen to give this a surface elegance which sometimes robs the film of its needed earthiness and sensuality in its love angle and more robustness in detailing the vagaries of social aspects and values at the time.
  55. The Green Mile
    An intermittently powerful and meticulously crafted drama that falls short of its full potential due to considerable over-length and some shopworn, simplistic notions at its center.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    I Vitelloni [re-release]
    Federico Fellini, long a scripter, in his second feature film satirizes the 'wastrels', the do-nothing sons of middle-class Italian provincials whose life ranges from schoolroom to poolroom.
  57. Enemy of the State
    Sporadically entertaining, though it lacks the kind of political urgency and emotional resonance so crucial to many similarly themed '70s movies.
  58. Tycoon: A New Russian
    A savvy, fast-paced political thriller dealing with the meteoric rise and fall of a new Russian businessman.
  59. The Virgin Suicides
    Humor prevails throughout, but it doesn't deflate the disturbing elements of the tale, which miraculously manages to stay droll, heartfelt and poignant to the end.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Animal Factory
    In one of his best leading screen turns, Dafoe makes a potentially unlikely construct into a fascinating, full-blooded figure.
  61. The Sleepy Time Gal
    Bisset throws herself into what is by far the most emotionally demanding role of her career and emerges honorably.
  62. Rosenstrasse
    A sober, unsensationalized enactment of a Holocaust incident. Von Trotta keeps sentimentality at bay and, as a result, the film isn't as emotionally wrenching as it might have been.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Holy Land
    Offers an occasionally fascinating look at the complex social, religious and political dynamics that help define the sacred city of Jerusalem.
  64. Twister
    Another theme park ride of a movie without an ounce of emotional credibility to it, Twister succeeds on its own terms by taking the audience somewhere it has never been before: into a tornado's funnel.
  65. The Station Agent
    A well-acted and crafted character piece that's a bit too calculated and cutesy for its own good.
  66. Chasing Liberty
    Inoffensive adolescent escapism laced with surprising amounts of genuine charm.
  67. Billabong Odyssey
    Narrower focus may lend this less crossover appeal than "Step Into Liquid," which was practically a recruitment poster for the surfing lifestyle. But such a tight focus might also make Billabong a repeat must-see for more dedicated boarders and wannabes.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Pretty Woman
    Roberts handles the transition from coarse and gawky to glamorous with aplomb.
  69. Glengarry Glen Ross
    But it doesn't quite all come together here as it did onstage, and relentless scabrousness, heavy claustrophobia and a vaguely dated feel are among the elements that will keep mainstream audiences away.
  70. Don't Say a Word
    Generates tension from the get-go, albeit of an increasingly unpleasant variety, on its way to a disappointingly generic climax.
  71. Bowfinger
    So lunatic that it creates as much puzzled disbelief as it does carefree delight.
  72. Runaway Jury
    With the standard Grisham formula having grown stale after so many books and film versions, Jury introduces ingredients that add zest to the old recipe and, in cinematic terms, open up increased possibilities for intrigue and narrative layering.
  73. Detroit Rock City
    It's crude, sexist, ear-splittingly loud and a helluva lotta fun for anyone suffering from past or present testosterone overload.
  74. Inventing the Abbotts
    An emotionally powerful but extremely old-fashioned coming-of-age saga.
  75. The Myth of Fingerprints
    Proficiently written and directed by newcomer Bart Freundlich, handsome pic brandishes traditional qualities in the areas of acting, character revelation and middlebrow seriousness, but operates within a familiar and narrow emotional range that provides little surprise or excitement.
  76. Close Your Eyes
    An enjoyable throwback to the occult psychological horror-thrillers of the late 1970s. While it flirts often with campy excess, the film remains compelling thanks to its chilly mood, stylish visuals and polished production values.
  77. Me Without You
    The two appealingly played central characters and the film's enjoyable evocation of the 1970s and '80s keep it buoyant and diverting.
  78. Remember Me, My Love
    While Muccino has refined his technique over four features and has developed greater insight, his characteristic tendency toward hysteria remains. This keeps the drama fast and compelling, but also makes it slightly wearing at times.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The Acid House
    The Acid House makes "Trainspotting" look like a mild-mannered youth comedy.
  80. Buffalo '66
    Alive to cinematic ideas, generous to its actors and peppered with unexpected humor, this ultimately sweet-natured low-budgeter is nonetheless riddled with enough off-putting and digressive material.
  81. Quills
    Lacks an edge of danger or excitement that might have brought the subject alive in more than a cerebral way.
  82. Go
    An overly calculated concoction that nonetheless delivers a pretty good rush.
    • Variety
  83. Road Trip
    Be forewarned: After you see Road Trip, it may be months, if not years, before you can order French toast with a straight face and a settled stomach.
  84. Auto Focus
    Schrader directs with a very smooth hand, providing a good-natured and frequently amusing spin to eventually grim material that aptly reflects the protagonist's almost unfailing good humor.
  85. It Runs in the Family
    Uneasily pivots between comedy and drama, with its best parts strongly reminiscent of Schepisi's previous, British-made drama about aging and dying buddies, "Last Orders."
  86. Monsieur Ibrahim
    Unshaven and twinkling-eyed, Sharif is professionally light and entertaining in the title role.
  87. Tomorrow Never Dies
    There is plenty of bang-bang but very little kiss-kiss in Tomorrow Never Dies, a solid but somewhat by-the-numbers entry in the James Bond cycle.
  88. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
    Certainly not a piffle, nor an impressive departure into a new filmmaking realm, Allen's second film in a row about crooks ranks in the middle range of his work.
  89. What Alice Found
    By turns disarmingly amusing and dramatically blunt.
  90. World Traveler
    Although occasionally both overwritten and overly symbolic, tale carries a satisfying emotional charge.
  91. A Civil Action
    A solid and intelligent legal thriller that may be too complex in its issues, and too low-key and unexciting in its style, for today's market demands.
  92. Sex and Lucia
    A slickly made, intense and powerfully visual take on time-honored problems such as identity and the body's power over the mind.
  93. Lucía, Lucía
    In a brilliant and precise reversal of Hollywood's current casting game of matching older male stars with younger female starlets, Roth takes hold of the mature end of a love affair with the ultra-handsome Becker and steers a course of vivid sexual and emotional power.
  94. The Winslow Boy
    Very English, very period and very polite.
  95. Secret Window
    The resourceful actor (Depp) invigorates Secret Window with a playful personality and wryly humorous aplomb not front-and-center in the script, making the psycho-suspenser more compelling than it might otherwise have been.
  96. Love Liza
    Todd Louiso's directorial debut emerges at once as compelling and as a bit of a specimen due to the entirely singular nature of the protagonist's behavior.
  97. Goodbye, Dragon Inn
    This feels like short film material stretched exasperatingly thin but nonetheless casts a certain sad spell, graced by moments of droll observational humor.
  98. Particles of Truth
    A believable romantic comedy.
  99. Dead Alive
    Technically, this is Jackson's best to date, with state of the art creature and gore effects by Richard Taylor and prosthetics design by Bob McCarron. There's any amount of dismemberment, disembowelling, beheading, and the like, all of it handled with bloody conviction.
  100. Monster
    Gritty and compelling as Monster is, the script's not entirely satisfying elaboration of the central relationship and Ricci's somewhat ungiving performance limit the material to that of a superior telemovie rather than something emotionally richer, like "Boys Don't Cry."
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