Stephen King's Bag of Bones
A&E | Release Date: December 11, 2011
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
48
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
4
Mixed:
10
Negative:
6
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Uncle BarkyEd BarkDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: It's a genuinely chilling four-hour adaptation of the tireless horror-meister's 1998 bestseller. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyKen TuckerDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: Bag of Bones is occasionally hokey, and Brosnan overworks his mad cackling, but the production is never less than creepily engaging. [19 Dec 2011, p.72]
70
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen GrayDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: Compared with (sigh) "American Horror Story," the tale itself makes a certain amount of sense and like any good thrill ride, spaces out the scary parts just enough to make them truly scary. Read full review
63
People WeeklyTom GliattoDec 8, 2011
Season 1 Review: Brosnan remains totally believable whether he's borderline batty or bravely resilient. [19 Dec 2011, p.44]
58
Boston HeraldAmy AmatangeloDec 8, 2011
Season 1 Review: While the pace of the series definitely picks up in the second night, Bag of Bones doesn't pull off the scares of King's previous works such as Misery" or "The Shining" nor does it have the poignancy of his "The Shawshank Redemption." Read full review
58
NewsdayVerne GayDec 8, 2011
Season 1 Review: Sure, there are some fun moments. Sure Brosnan looks mah-velous. He always does. But a little less plodding plot and a lot more action, please. Read full review
50
New York PostLinda StasiDec 12, 2011
Season 1 Review: There are elements on night one that actually are pretty darned scary. Too bad there's a night two. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesLori RacklDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: Bag of Bones isn't completely devoid of suspense, but it's a lot less satisfying than many other, far superior King adaptations. Read full review
42
HitfixAlan SepinwallDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: It's just a collection of creepy imagery, lots of screaming and the occasional musical number for Anika Noni Rose. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesMary McNamaraDec 12, 2011
Season 1 Review: Although it is far from the worst King adaptation (would that be "Dreamcatcher"? "Lawnmower Man"?) it feels less like a ghost story than a dashed-together homage to the King oeuvre that's slow where it should be fast and fast where it should be slow. Read full review
40
The New York TimesMike HaleDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: Handsomely shot and deliberately paced, it has a superficially cinematic quality, but it doesn't have the storytelling juice to keep you engaged in Mr. King's convoluted multi-ghost story. Read full review
40
TV Guide MagazineMatt RoushDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: This Bag is sadly empty of surprises. Read full review
40
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: Like everything else in A&E's Bag of Bones, it is hollow and--boo!--not scary. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsDavid HinckleyDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: Bag of Bones feels a little skeletal. Read full review
37
USA TodayRobert BiancoDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: It starts slow, moves slowly and goes nowhere. Read full review
30
Miami HeraldGlenn GarvinDec 12, 2011
Season 1 Review: With tepid performances and a lifeless script, Bag of Bones feels like more of a chore than a television viewing experience. Read full review
30
SlateTroy PattersonDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: At points, Bag of Bones plays less like a horror story than a fond parody of one. Read full review
30
Washington PostHank StueverDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: A deplorably dull two-night miniseries. Read full review
30
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: Bag of Bones rarely scares but frequently induces unintentional giggles. Read full review
30
VarietyBrian LowryDec 9, 2011
Season 1 Review: Another King production that begins with glimmers of promise and winds up being bad to the Bones. Read full review
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