Washington Post's Scores

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For 11,478 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 46% higher than the average critic
  • 2% same as the average critic
  • 52% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 5.2 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 60
Highest review score: 100 Oppenheimer
Lowest review score: 0 Dolittle
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6,014 out of 11478
  2. Mixed: 3,069 out of 11478
  3. Negative: 2,395 out of 11478
11478 movie reviews
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  1. The Invisible Woman
    The Invisible Woman is less a conventional love story than a wise, often troubling contemplation of myriad modern impulses, from the lure of celebrity and public acclaim to the compartmentalizing of identity and the gender politics of Great Man-ism.
  2. Ride Along
    Hart is clearly working overtime; there’s nothing effortless about his histrionic delivery, but it works.
  3. The Nut Job
    Sometimes the punch lines land and sometimes they don’t, but overall the result is pleasantly nostalgic.
  4. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
    Branagh, who proved his action bona fides with “Thor,” does an inarguably competent job of choreographing a modestly intelligent espionage thriller, even if it’s impossible to identify anything new he’s bringing to an already groaning table.
  5. The Legend of Hercules
    The only thing epic about The Legend of Hercules is what a failure it is.
  6. Chander Pahar (Mountains Of The Moon)
    The movie’s editing mishaps, unbelievable scenarios, overuse of music and computer-generated fakery distract from what should be a great ad­ven­ture.
  7. August: Osage County
    The film feels claustrophobic at times, and stagy. It helps that the supporting cast is uniformly good.
  8. Lone Survivor
    What’s missing here is something, or rather, someone, to care about.
  9. The Past
    Many thematic ingredients come together in Farhadi’s rich stew of a story: jealousy, resentment, betrayal, forgiveness, healing. The filmmaker stirs them, with the touch of a master, into a dish that both stimulates and nourishes.
  10. The Suspect
    Director Won Sin-yeon skillfully emulates the you-are-there-but-where-the-heck-is-that? style of the “Bourne” movies.
  11. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones
    This sharp left turn takes the films’ mythology in strange and not entirely satisfying new directions, including a crazy time-travel element.
  12. Justin Bieber's Believe
    Along the way there’s a sprinkling of humanizing moments.
  13. 47 Ronin
    Ultimately, the movie just doesn’t justify its outrageous bid to turn a solemn tale of self-sacrifice into swaggering global-marketplace entertainment.
  14. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
    It can feel, at times, both overlong and oversimplified, but the story propels itself along while awakening in viewers some profound emotions.
  15. Her
    What’s surprising is that Jonze has taken what could easily have been a glib screwball comedy and infused it instead with wry, observant tenderness and deep feeling.
  16. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
    The unevenness of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and Stiller’s recessive characterization of the title character, keep it from being an all-out crowd-pleaser.
  17. The Wolf of Wall Street
    The Wolf of Wall Street remains one-note even at is most outré, an episodic portrait of rapaciousness in which decadence escalates into debauchery escalates into depravity — but, miraculously, not death.
  18. Grudge Match
    Luckily, a strong supporting cast makes up for the protagonists’ tepid interactions. The brilliant duo of Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin steal the show.
  19. Walking with Dinosaurs
    Like an elaborately decorated wedding cake, the kid-friendly Walking With Dinosaurs 3D may leave you wondering how something so stunning could end up being so bland.
  20. American Hustle
    The warmth that courses through American Hustle makes it irresistible, with Russell’s affection for his characters and his sharp-eyed evocation of their recessionary times, honoring their struggle, however dishonest, rather than denigrating it.
  21. Inside Llewyn Davis
    This soulful, unabashedly lyrical film is best enjoyed by sinking into it like a sweet, sad dream. When you wake up, a mythical place and time will have disappeared forever. But you’ll know that attention — briefly, beautifully — has been paid.
  22. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
    Buried inside this grab bag of hits and misses is a pretty good point about the descent of television news into a miasma of 24/7 speculation, fluff and, most of all, hype.
  23. Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas
    An insensitive, unfunny cringer from the entrepreneurial writer-director that should have come with a gift receipt.
  24. The Punk Singer
    The Punk Singer, like the best documentaries, captures more than just its subject, fascinating though she may be. Anderson manages to capture the feel of an era and the excitement surrounding a fresh feminist voice.
  25. The Last Days on Mars
    All of The Last Days on Mars feels like it’s been done before.
  26. Go for Sisters
    Go For Sisters is worth the time if only to witness the terrific chemistry between Hamilton and Ross, the latter of whom delivers a break-through performance as a woman of uncommon, almost regal, composure, even as she struggles to stay on the righteous path.
  27. Saving Mr. Banks
    Saving Mr. Banks doesn’t always straddle its stories and time periods with the utmost grace. But the film — which John Lee Hancock directed from a script by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith — more than makes up for its occasionally unwieldy structure in telling a fascinating and ultimately deeply affecting story.
  28. Bettie Page Reveals All
    Despite Page’s excellent voiceover, “Bettie Page” suffers from embarrassingly choppy editing and a parade of stock film clips used to illustrate episodes recounted by its subject.
  29. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
    The second part of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” trilogy goes a long way — and at 2 1/2 hours, I do mean long — toward righting the wrongs of the first movie, which was even longer.
  30. Nebraska
    Only someone with intimate knowledge of the Midwest’s singular cadences, social codes and confounding emotional stew (er, covered hot dish) of aggression and politesse could pull off something as masterful, meaningful and poetic as Nebraska.
  31. Murph: The Protector
    The challenge for any filmmaker wanting to convey the personal tales of our nation’s armed forces likely lies in finding a narrative as compelling, relatable and sentimental as the one told in Murph: The Protector.
  32. Let the Fire Burn
    Directed with rigor and sensitivity by Jason Osder, this is the kind of nonfiction film that proves how powerful simple storytelling and a compelling through line can be.
  33. Out of the Furnace
    A well-acted, beautifully filmed, utterly depressing chronicle of revenge and thwarted dreams in post-industrial America.
  34. Narco Cultura
    By the end of this troubling film, the cognitive dissonance that it highlights — between the theoretical glorification of the illegal Mexican drug industry and its actual cost in blood — is jarring. It’s an important film, but Narco Cultura is also maddeningly hard to watch.
  35. Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?
    The film is probably of interest only to those viewers who, like Gondry himself apparently, already have an obsession with Chomsky.
  36. Commitment
    Having ruled out humor, the movie emphasizes action and melodrama. Director Park Hong-soo, making his feature debut, handles the former with proficiency but little flair.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 88 Critic Score
    The Great Beauty
    [Director Paolo Sorrentino] collects scenes of superficial extravagance and eccentricity, then finds the deeper yearnings they conceal.
  38. Enzo Avitabile Music Life
    Enzo Avitabile Music Life succeeds at conveying one-quarter of its title. It is full of beautiful sounds that should delight fans of Avitabile and world music in general. The life portion is a bit trickier, but you get the sense that Avitabile wanted it that way.
  39. Philomena
    At its core, this clever, wrenching, profound story underscores the tenacity of faith in the face of unfathomable cruelty. Evil may be good, story-wise. But virtue, at its most tested and tempered, is even better.
  40. Black Nativity
    Sensory pleasures abound in Black Nativity, which is grounded by Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett’s performances as Langston’s strict, God-fearing grandparents.
  41. Oldboy
    In general, Lee directs with less visual verve than Park. Anchored by Brolin, who brings an almost simian physicality to his portrayal, this Oldboy feels simultaneously less showy, less nightmarish and less epic than the original.
  42. Homefront
    Isn’t Statham’s best — or most brutal — work, but it’s not bad.
  43. Frozen
    The animated comedy-adventure has a sweet and very modern message, plus strong characters. More important, the movie blends the music-minded mentality of yore with the more recent ambition (thank you, Pixar) of truly appealing to all ages.
  44. The Armstrong Lie
    The Armstrong Lie is thorough, fair and thoughtful. It may not, however, close the book on the scandal.
  45. The Christmas Candle
    It’s hard to imagine this tale of tradition and miracles leading skeptics to contemplation, much less faith.
  46. Camille Claudel 1915
    Despite its austere beauty, elegant triptych-like structure and faultlessly disciplined performances, Camille Claudel 1915 still raises more questions than it answers.
  47. Delivery Man
    Starbuck was a funny and warm-hearted trifle. So is Delivery Man.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    A Touch of Sin
    Some sequences...depict gunplay that wouldn’t be out of place in a conventional crime film. But Jia offers a stark presentation (no music, few edits) that discourages vicarious thrills; the violence is startling, not cool.
  49. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
    Levine brings a lot of visual style to “Mandy,” in addition to coaxing subdued, believable performances from his young cast.
  50. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
    Everyone hits their marks with gusto and believability in Catching Fire... But the engine of the entire operation is Jennifer Lawrence.
  51. Concussion
    Concussion suffers from a chilly detachment that feels all too clinical, when all we want, like Abby, is connection.
  52. The Broken Circle Breakdown
    With its exquisite depictions of suffering, The Broken Circle Breakdown is not always easy to watch. But, as in life, sometimes there’s beauty to be found in the pain.
  53. The Book Thief
    The Book Thief has its moments of brilliance, thanks in large part to an adept cast. But the movie about a girl adopted by a German couple during World War II also crystallizes the perils of book adaptations.
  54. The Best Man Holiday
    You don’t go to The Best Man Holiday to deconstruct its flaws. You go for its myriad, adamantly un-cerebral pleasures.
  55. Spinning Plates
    The movie doesn’t always feel cohesive, but the stories are unexpectedly touching.
  56. Great Expectations
    Thrillingly told, compellingly acted and beautifully shot.
  57. The Motel Life
    For all its melancholy and grey, snowy landscape, The Motel Life never feels totally hopeless, thanks in large part to colorful ancillary characters (not to mention occasional trips into Frank’s mind).
  58. How I Live Now
    Macdonald (“The Last King of Scotland,” “State of Play”) does a passable job of evoking post-apocalyptic atmosphere in How I Live Now, although the film suffers from uneven tone — is it a teen romance or wartime adventure? — and, ultimately, a regrettable lack of focus.
  59. Dallas Buyers Club
    Vallée, working with a lean, lively script by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, neatly avoids excess, letting Woodroof’s terrific yarn stand on its own and getting out of the way of his extraordinary actors, who channel the story without condescension or manipulative cheats.
  60. Thor: The Dark World
    Hiddleston steals the show here, making wickedness and treachery look a heck of a lot more fun than virtue.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    Big Sur
    A beautiful and sometimes affecting film that (appropriately, some would say) has as much difficulty connecting with the world before it as its protagonist does.
  62. Diana
    Diana isn’t just an egregious case of rewriting history, but one of oversimplifying it.
  63. Free Birds
    Free Birds has the colorful palette, zippy action and silly story to keep kids giggling, but it also delivers a few worthwhile winks to parents.
  64. Kill Your Darlings
    In this tale of longing, loss and regret, it isn’t always possible to know who’s deluding oneself, or someone else. But then, it isn’t always possible to know that in real life either.
  65. Man of Tai Chi
    If for some reason you find yourself in a theater watching the martial arts adventure Man of Tai Chi...feel free to take a nap during the non-fight sequences.
  66. After Tiller
    After Tiller does viewers the great service of providing light where there’s usually only heat, giving a human face and heart to what previously might have been an abstract issue or quickly scanned news item.
  67. American Promise
    The documentary is unwieldy, unfocused and frustrating at times... But the movie is also, somehow, dazzling.
  68. Capital
    Capital is too cynical to ever really suggest that redemption is possible. Not that anyone watching will even care.
  69. Mr. Nobody
    Van Dormael has crafted a saga that, even at two-plus hours, is endlessly, enormously watchable.
  70. Last Vegas
    It’s the actors, plus an exuberant Mary Steenburgen as quick-witted lounge singer Diana, who make the movie more than a middling copycat.
  71. Ender's Game
    Ender’s Game is more than a parable about bullying, or a disquisition on the concept of the “just war.” It’s also a rousing action film, especially in Imax.
  72. Blue Is the Warmest Color
    Hours, even days later, they may find themselves thinking of Adèle and wondering how she’s doing — only then realizing how completely this fictional but very real creation has winnowed her way into their hearts and minds. That’s great acting. It’s great art. And that’s why Blue Is the Warmest Color is a great movie.
  73. House in the Alley
    There’s nothing sly about writer-director Le-Van Kiet’s scenario.
  74. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
    In structure and concept, the film resembles the faux-documentary “Borat,” with the distinction that the cameras here are all hidden. And that is where the film falls down and can’t get up.
  75. God Loves Uganda
    God Loves Uganda clearly lays the blame for it at the feet of the American evangelical movement. The movie doesn’t really argue its case, preferring to stand back, in quiet outrage, as the representatives of that movement are shown with the match in their hands.
  76. All Is Lost
    Chandor’s attention to detail, and the expressiveness and utter believability with which Redford goes about the anything-but-mundane business of surviving, make All Is Lost a technically dazzling, emotionally absorbing, often unexpectedly beautiful experience.
  77. The Counselor
    A movie that, despite its strenuous efforts to appear hardened and sexy and sleek, is unforgivably phony, talky and dull.
  78. Wedding Palace
    Wedding Palace boasts some neat moments.
  79. The Stream
    At the end of the day, the movie’s limitations keep its aspirations in check. It’s safe for everyone, but inspirational for only a few.
  80. Muscle Shoals
    A mesmerizing documentary.
  81. I'm in Love with a Church Girl
    The intentions for I’m in Love With a Church Girl may have been noble, but nearly every part of the delivery turns out to be flawed.
  82. 12 Years a Slave
    Intense, unflinching, bold in its simplicity and radical in its use of image, sound and staging, 12 Years a Slave in many ways is the defining epic so many have longed for to examine — if not cauterize — America’s primal wound.
  83. Escape Plan
    The plot itself is predictably divorced from reality, containing more holes — and smelling staler — than month-old Swiss cheese. All of which means that Stallone and Schwarzenegger end up having to do all the heavy lifting.
  84. The Fifth Estate
    As a piece of filmed entertainment, The Fifth Estate shows why things like authorial point of view and visual sensibility are so essential in bringing such stories to life. Unlike its most obvious predecessor, “The Social Network,” this film doesn’t have much of either, and the weakness shows.
  85. Carrie
    It’s as affecting as drama as it is effective as horror. It wrenches, even as it unnerves.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    A.C.O.D.
    As a look at the state of modern monogamy — or at least our enduring if misguided faith in it — it’s refreshingly acerbic.
  87. The Summit
    Because The Summit jumps around in time and because the events on the mountain happened over two days and at locations often far apart, the already garbled chronology of deaths is made even more confusing.
  88. When Comedy Went to School
    The movie doesn’t offer much more than fleeting and superficial pleasures.
  89. We Are What We Are
    There’s some fun to be had, as long as your idea of fun includes being grossed out.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 25 Critic Score
    Escape from Tomorrow
    Juvenile, disjointed and pointlessly revolting at times, although there are a few moments of disturbingly stark visual beauty.
  91. The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete
    Under the direction of George Tillman Jr., these two young performers exercise remarkable restraint, never milking the material for unearned tears.
  92. Romeo & Juliet
    Just a series of familiar scenes unfurling toward an inevitable conclusion.
  93. Machete Kills
    It’s exhausting. It’s also not particularly funny or engaging.
  94. Captain Phillips
    Captain Phillips is such an impressive dramatic achievement that it comes as a shock when it gets even better, during a devastating final scene in which Hanks single-handedly dismantles Hollywood notions of macho heroism in one shattering, virtually wordless sequence.
  95. Herb & Dorothy 50X50
    It’s a compelling, even stirring, tale.
  96. Parkland
    A film of modest ambition and workmanlike pacing, it breaks little new ground, either in form or content. Then again, that may be the point.
  97. Gravity
    Thanks to Cuarón’s prodigious gifts, Gravity succeeds simultaneously as a simple classic shipwreck narrative (albeit at zero-gravity), and as an utterly breathtaking restoration of size and occasion to the movies themselves.
  98. Runner Runner
    The film might take its name from poker subculture, but it lacks all the urgency, single-mindedness and swiftness that the title implies at its most literal. Runner Runner is a bummer. Bummer.
  99. Newlyweeds
    The wispy premise of Newlyweeds, written and directed by Shaka King, is kept afloat by its attractive, youthfully vital cast (along with some well-timed comic relief by way of some familiar faces).
    • 39 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    Zaytoun
    Riklis isn’t heavy-handed here, and even when the film’s plot grows a little unlikely, its tone is never sappy.
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