Critic Reviews

• Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

  Lowe's Paul is slimy, but, lo and behold, we are supposed to believe that he smells like a rose. He really wants to make the world a better place. His sentiments may be genuine but they come across as a con.

• Sara Stewart, New York Post

  Meanders aimlessly around too-familiar territory.

• John Barber, Globe and Mail

  An improbable fantasy in which the people who make political advertising emerge as chisel-jawed heroes of democracy.

• Stephen Holden, New York Times

  Whether playing it sleazy or noble, Mr. Lowe brings little emotional weight to his role.

• Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

  [An] underwhelming, would-be political satire.

• Jeannette Catsoulis, NPR

  Soulless and two-dimensional, Knife Fight is a black hole of disillusion and spin.

• Brent Simon, Shared Darkness

  A fun, tack-sharp political drama with satirical underpinnings, buoyed by crisp characterizations.

• Marc Mohan, Oregonian

  It could have been an incisive counterpoint to a film like "The Ides of March." Instead, it's a forgettable series of bullet points barely strung together by charismatic performances.

• Nathalie Atkinson, National Post

  For all the knowing monologues mentioning tax breaks for the rich and diet drinks for the poor, Knife Fight feels squeaky-clean -- a remedial spin class that tells more than it shows.

• David Noh, Film Journal International

  Smart, brisk political satire, so smoothly done and performed that it overrides certain weaknesses and a climactic sentimental face change.

• Marshall Fine, Hollywood & Fine

  Another clichéd story of a cynic who gets in touch with his inner idealist..Movies like this give political satire a bad name.

• Brian Orndorf, Blu-ray.com

  A mixed bag, offering a few winning performances and moments of revelation, while the rest scatters aimlessly, in search of structure director Bill Guttentag doesn't provide.

• Nick McCarthy, Slant Magazine

  Bill Guttentag exaggerates the absurd lengths advisors go to win an election and yet ultimately aggrandizes their behavior.

• Susan Granger, SSG Syndicate

  Cynical and savvy, it's a small film with a big message about the ends justifying the means.

Read all 14 critic reviews