Critic Reviews

• Wally Hammond, Time Out

  A disconcerting fluctuation in tone - from sorrowful satire to cheesy sitcom - proves the film's fatal flaw.

• Cosmo Landesman, Sunday Times (UK)

  Like a sitcom pilot that should never have seen the light of day. The characters are cardboard cutouts and the comedy lacks bite. Imagine the same script featuring white characters and you will see just how second-rate the screenplay is.

• Philip French, Observer [UK]

  has its moments, but the great Meera Syal and a gifted cast are not well served by an undeveloped script and some uncertain direction.

• Hannah Forbes Black, Film4

  All we learn from Mad, Sad & Bad is that, while a decent comedy can aspire to get away with all sorts of things, a lack of imagination shouldn't be one of them.

• Toby Young, Times [UK]

  Like a BBC One sitcom written by someone who thinks he's Strindberg.

• Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]

  Despite some nice ideas, and an impressive cast, Avie Luthra's family-ensemble movie doesn't entirely come together.

• Sukhdev Sandhu, Daily Telegraph

  The dialogue struggles to find the midpoint between naturalism and sit-com-style banter. But Luthra possesses a contrary sensibility that makes me curious to see what he comes up with next.

• James Bramble, Little White Lies

  Mad, Sad & Bad is unengaging, even dull. Most frustratingly, its bitterness at the flip side of success for a new generation of British Asians is left unchanneled.

• Derek Malcolm, This is London

  Mad, Sad & Bad, it must be said, is not made with any great flair. But Luthra extracts good performances from his cast and his writing gives them something to do once the story gets going.

• Chris Prince, Sky Movies

  A flat, glum, uninspired first feature that would struggle to find an audience on Sunday night television, never mind at cinemas.

• Jamie Russell, Total Film

  A British-Asian comedy that may not be mad or sad but is... Well, you've guessed it. another underachieving comedy to file and forget in British cinema's already overstuffed bottom drawer. Yawn.

• Allan Hunter, Daily Express

  Despite moments of poignancy you are left wondering why this contrived affair has strayed into the cinema.

• Matthew Turner, ViewLondon

  This British drama is patchy in places, but it just about succeeds thanks to a handful of decent gags and strong performances from its ensemble cast.

• , Sunday Mail [UK]

  Although it has been made on a tiny budget, Mad, Sad & Bad holds together because of some brilliant performances.

Read all 14 critic reviews