Critic Reviews

• Peter Debruge, Miami Herald

  While the movie's discussion points certainly rank on par with those political thrillers, there's not enough substance for the movie to succeed on its own merits, a point underscored by posters selling the movie on Newton's perfectly airbrushed chest.

• Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

  A polemic masquerading as a movie, Poster Boy unspools like a humorless lecture on right-wing homophobia.

• Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

  Although audiences will admire the film's do-it-yourself energy and commitment, Poster Boy finally collapses of its own contrived weight, deflating just when it should soar into madcap -- or at least thoughtful -- satire.

• Janice Page, Boston Globe

  An overwrought story of American politics and image-making that really only gets interesting in the final act.

• G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle

  Some clunky writing and a distracting subplot limit the effectiveness of this ambitious low-budget indie.

• V.A. Musetto, New York Post

  Poster Boy is a muddled coming-out movie that, for no good reason, unfolds flashback style as Henry tells his story to a sleazy newspaper reporter.

• Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com

  We all sat around in college having the sort of angry liberal rap sessions that this film painstakingly recreates. We don't have to relive them now.

• Phil Hall, EDGE Boston

  Offers an affirmation that conservatives are not ready to cast that proverbial first stone.

• David Elliott, San Diego Union-Tribune

  The people do not reduce to issues, but we know they will hit their issues marks reliably.

• Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide

  The film touches on a number of hot-button issues, including homophobia, the ethics of outing, and the intersection of public and private lives, but it suffers from an excess of subplots.

• Ernest Hardy, L.A. Weekly

  The tale is unnecessarily fractured and becomes increasingly didactic as it collapses into a mess of shrill big-screen activism and smugly relayed leftist ideals.

• Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine

  Screenwriters Ryan Shiraki and Lecia Rosenthal exploit red state/blue state tensions, scripting an act-up soap opera that unintelligently panders to pro-gay sentiment.

• Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

  Aside from topicality and good intentions, the film is reasonably engaging and well acted. But it's also more than a little bit overwrought.

Read all 13 critic reviews