The Dresden Files
SyFy | Science Channel | Sci-Fi | Sci | Release Date: January 21, 2007
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
55
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
9
Negative:
1
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
Christian Science MonitorGloria Goodale
Season 1 Review: These unsettling scenes are tough on the eyes, but happily, star Paul Blackthorne is well worth watching, full time. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterMarilyn Moss
Season 1 Review: Brooding, seductive and smart. Read full review
75
USA TodayRobert Bianco
Season 1 Review: Like Harry, the show has yet to fully master its tricks. There are a few decent jolts, but nothing is truly frightening or even that threatening. And while the show can be amusing, it's never exactly side-splitting. Read full review
60
Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan
Season 1 Review: If you don’t like hints of Harry Potter mixed in with fairly straightforward procedural elements, this may not be the show for you. Read full review
60
VarietyBrian Lowry
Season 1 Review: If the series doesn't generate any grand creative magic, it at least possesses a certain old-fashioned charm. Read full review
50
Detroit Free PressMike Duffy
Season 1 Review: Even with Blackthorne's occasionally engaging portrayal of Harry Dresden, this whodunit lacks the wit and imagination that might transform it into something special. Read full review
50
Entertainment WeeklyGillian Flynn
Season 1 Review: An uneven fantasy series that's not eerie enough to be a culty favorite or goofy enough to be a guilty pleasure. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsDavid Hinckley
Season 1 Review: "Dresden" hasn't put a spell on me at the start - but it's not bad. It's just that on Sundays, opposite such shows as "Desperate Housewives" and "Rome," not bad is not nearly good enough. Read full review
50
Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall
Season 1 Review: It isn't until the werewolf-themed fourth episode that "Dresden Files" finally gives you a trick worth applauding. Hopefully, there's more of that to come. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman
Season 1 Review: "The Dresden Files" is currently mediocre, a series searching for the right tone, seemingly unsure of itself and all the while not quite selling itself to the non sci-fi crowd. Read full review
50
New York PostLinda Stasi
Season 1 Review: The series has great potential, and frankly I can't tell you why it doesn't ever quite reach it - other than it somehow lacks, er, magic. Read full review
40
The New York TimesGinia Bellafante
Season 1 Review: It has the feeling of pizza with pineapple on it — which is to say, not actually for grown-ups. Read full review
30
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen
Season 1 Review: Dresden's investigations amount to a lot of ho-hum hokum... and his relationships are largely paint-by-number bland. Read full review
Current TV Shows
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 92 The Pitt: Season 2
2 90 The Celebrity Traitors UK: Season 1
3 89 Rivals
4 87 Hacks: Season 5
5 87 Industry: Season 4
6 87 Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal:...
7 85 The Beatles Anthology
8 85 The Traitors [UK]: Season 4
9 85 Bait: Season 1
10 84 Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
11 83 Lord of the Flies
12 83 Riot Women: Season 1
13 83 For All Mankind: Season 5
14 81 The Muppet Show (2026)
15 80 Outlander (2014): Season 8
16 80 The Other Bennet Sister: Season 1
17 80 The Mighty Nein: Season 1
18 80 The Comeback: Season 3
19 80 The American Revolution
20 80 One Piece (2023): Season 2
SEE ALL