Cry-Baby

Cry-Baby (1990)

  • 76% of critics liked it
    (38 reviews)

  • 75% of users liked it
    (191,663 ratings)

John Waters does a quirky spin on '50s nostalgia in Cry-Baby, his musical homage to Rebel Without a Cause and Romeo and Juliet. Set in Baltimore in 1954 at the birth of rock & roll, the film features Johnny Depp as Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker. Depp is pure charisma as a juvenile delinquent… More

Play Trailer

PG-13,
Directed By
Genres
Comedy
In Theaters
Apr 6, 1990 Wide
Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

    Waters' hole card is Johnny Depp, the winsome tough from TV's 21 Jump Street, who radiates big- screen grace and swagger as Cry-Baby -- no easy trick, since he is guying his own image.

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    John Waters' mischievous satire of the teen exploitation genre is entertaining as a rude joyride through another era, full of great clothes and hairdos.

  • , Time Out

    Waters' finest film to date, a worthy successor to Hairspray which exudes teen angst and young lust from every pore.

  • Janet Maslin, New York Times

    Mr. Depp, who smolders naturally when he isn't trying so hard, acts this role about as well as Elvis would have; under the circumstances, that's fine.

  • Rita Kempley, Washington Post

    Basically the filmmaker reminds us of his affection for social misfits, but without much conviction. He's simply too hip to commit himself to his beliefs, and a relentless frivolity prevails.

Read all 17 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Manu G


    Good girls want him bad. Bad girls want him worse. Cool musical movie! The movie at first to me seems a little boring but it gets better and better as it goes on. This is one Depp's earliest roles as an actor and boy did he deliver. The movie is funny and the story is easy to… More

  • Chris W


    I really don't care for the film Grease, but I got a big kick out of this, which is a really silly, but tremendously fun satirical take on the Drapes(greasers) vs Squares rivalry of the 1950s. This movie may be over the top and really campy, but unlike Grease, it was intentional.… More

  • Unknown H


    Gimmicky and cringe worthy through out, I still find it hard to knock this movie because that was clearly the way it was supposed to be. Bordering between coming of age tale of lust and a hark back to the musical era of slick backed hair and fast cars, this movie assaults the senses… More

  • MisterYoda ?


    3 stars

  • Jennifer D


    The WEIRDEST thing about watching this film was seeing Johnny Depp so young and so... well... natural. Think of Pirates, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, hell, even Edward Scissorhands, he always has a lot of make up. This was refreshing. I knew this was popular, but not mainstream… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Also available on

UltraViolet Retailers

Other Retailers

Subscription Services

Not Available
Not Available
Not Available

Cast

See more (49)

Trailers & Clips