Critic Reviews
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Tom Huddlestone, Time Out
Shallow, melodramatic, pretentious and wildly misguided, it's also ambitious, entertaining and rather funny.
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Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
The film becomes unintentionally funny when he falls for another hustler (Margarita Levieva) with even less conscience, their grand passion leading to ludicrous behavior and soap-opera dialogue.
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Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
The film doesn't quite come off, though lots and lots of clothes do during its randy, random 97 minutes.
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Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Although Kutcher deserves some credit for trying to spread his professional wings, it quickly becomes clear that he's in over his head.
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Lou Lumenick, New York Post
A witless homage to Shampoo and American Gigolo that's brain-dead on arrival.
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Glenn Whipp, Chicago Tribune
Its formulaic, unconvincing story adds little to the conversation about slack ambition, mutual exploitation and evolving social mores.
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Matt Pais, Metromix.com
The tale of a guy who's just a victim of being a jerk, coping with the horrible curse of being good-looking.
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Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
Kutcher is a credible and potent leading man with an easy address to the camera. He carries off the movie with some style.
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Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph
Letting things slide into a sort of low-calorie moral vacuum, Mackenzie hasn't so much nailed LA's culture of skin-deep gratification as produced an advert for it.
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Kevin Maher, Times [UK]
The ghosts of Shampoo, American Gigolo and even Alfie (both versions) cruelly haunt the ripe and raunchy frames of Mackenzie's Spread - another "shallow-stud-in-need-of-redemption" movie that pales in the face of its predecessors.
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Philip French, Observer [UK]
It's deeply moral soft-core porn.
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Ben Rawson-Jones, Digital Spy
The very impressive Spread deserves to be a cherished gem.
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Rosamund Witcher, Heat Magazine
The promising beginning deteriorates into a baffling shambles, with each character changing their entire personality at least once.
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Matt Risley, Sky Movies
Spread devolves into your predictable, well-worn morality tale, and while there are beautiful people and emotional quandries aplenty, what we're really left with is a turgid but flashy romcom.
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Neil Smith, Total Film
Surprisingly believable as a preening hotshot - who'd have thought it? - Ashton Kutcher is ultimately undone by a disappointingly moralistic script that can't quite allow his easy-cum, easy-go hedonist to go unpunished.
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Trevor Johnston, Radio Times
It's fun when it's at its bitchiest, and Kutcher's astute performance will surprise a few people.
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Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail [UK]
I admired the way the movie avoided the usual romantic comedy happy ending, but the film's bleakness is unlikely to win it many friends at the box office.
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David Edwards, Daily Mirror [UK]
Spread is as fluffy as you can get, while you wonder how anyone could fall for someone like Nikki who dresses like a cross between Julian Clary and a far-right thug. Ghastly.
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Anthony Quinn, Independent
[Kutcher's] not a bad actor, in a lazy, self-conscious sort of way, but he's being propelled through a plot that has no guile, no subtlety, nothing at all, in fact, beyond a barely understood desire to punish him.
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Nicholas Barber, Independent on Sunday
As there's nothing to the central character except his supremely selfish lifestyle, when that's taken from him by the inevitable romance and redemption, it's hard to care what happens.
Read all 23 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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Ashton Kutcher plays himself in a story about what Ashton Kutcher most likely did for a living before he got famous (and what he does all day for a living now that he's Demi Moore's professional kept boy). The main character is not empathetic (and you don't need to be a… More
Ashton Kutcher plays himself in a story about what Ashton Kutcher most likely did for a living before he got famous (and what he does all day for a living now that he's Demi Moore's professional kept boy). The main character is not empathetic (and you don't need to be a pretty boy to empathize with one, just write the pretty boy better) and his "journey" never feels significant. Cinematography and acting is decent (besides Ashton who I've already established is just playing himself) but there's nothing of substance here. Waste of time and just a fun "take a risk" project for Ashton. I suppose his fans will like it as he has many partially nude scenes.
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Ok. Ok. I went into this knowing full well that it was supposed to suck. I REALLY liked it, and noone would be more surprised about that than me. Maybe I just REALLY like Ashton? He sure is a hotty, thats a given. BUT...I think that I would still have liked it with any other good… More
Ok. Ok. I went into this knowing full well that it was supposed to suck. I REALLY liked it, and noone would be more surprised about that than me. Maybe I just REALLY like Ashton? He sure is a hotty, thats a given. BUT...I think that I would still have liked it with any other good looking guy in it. Maybe. It could happen.
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Can't say I am overly surprised that a lot of people didn't like this, but personally I found it not too bad.
I would say this is Ashton Kutcher attempting a serious role, which obviously doesn't come across as all that convincing. Ashton is an actor who does comedy… More
Can't say I am overly surprised that a lot of people didn't like this, but personally I found it not too bad.
I would say this is Ashton Kutcher attempting a serious role, which obviously doesn't come across as all that convincing. Ashton is an actor who does comedy and fluff well. This is funny in a black way in places, but overall I think it is trying to be serious.
The story follows Ashton as guy who basically pimps himself out to older women for somewhere nice to stay and to get clothes and things bought for him. Pretty much a whore, but I don't think he really sees himself that way - more a scammer. It's kind of hard to take too seriously when he is strutting around talking about how hot he is while actually looking kind of dorky in some... interesting... fashion choices. Anne Heche plays a women who gets involved with him and is hurt by him. I think it does have something to say, as her character, while attractive, is ageing and, feeling insecure, she does something pretty drastic to improve herself. She points out to Ashton that he is also ageing and he can't get by on a pretty face all his life.
There is then another twist where he meets a young girl played by Margarita Levieva and falls in love with her. Then the movie is mostly about seeing if he will get her or if he can change his ways.
The ending isn't something I would expect from an Ashton vehicle,but I guess it is valid considering the track record of his character.
I could not highly recommend this as I don't think it will be for everyone, and other reviews here verify that, but it may pleasantly surprise some people. Maybe one to rent when you are getting out other stuff, just in case!
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I really like David Mackenzie's "Spread" because it's one of the only films I have seen to accurately portray the death of romance in our generation. The characters are all very unlikable but never not honest. The picture plays with genre conventions and… More
I really like David Mackenzie's "Spread" because it's one of the only films I have seen to accurately portray the death of romance in our generation. The characters are all very unlikable but never not honest. The picture plays with genre conventions and expectations, especially in the climax. Ashton Kutcher finally gets a role that suits him and has some great back-up from Anne Heche, Margarita Levieva and Sebastian Stan. The film has a great visual look (courtesy of master DP Steven Poster) and uses its LA backdrop to the fullest. "Spread" is a film not many will like due to the dark subject material and provocative sex, but I found it engaging, honest and accurate.
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This movie sucks! It's a porno with a terrorizing story. Not worth watchign unless your a sex freak. I felt like I was watching a movie being ridden by sex, just to make the movie 90 minutes long. However, I was amused by the fact that the director believed in some way this… More
This movie sucks! It's a porno with a terrorizing story. Not worth watchign unless your a sex freak. I felt like I was watching a movie being ridden by sex, just to make the movie 90 minutes long. However, I was amused by the fact that the director believed in some way this would be a good film to release to the public. Ashton Kutcher should be ashamed to be in this laughable storyline of a movie!
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It's a relief for me after watching this movie because FINALLY Ashton Kutcher found a role in a movie that perfectly fit for him... After first seeing he messing himself around in 'Dude, Where's My Car?' then 'My Boss' Daughter', and in the… More
It's a relief for me after watching this movie because FINALLY Ashton Kutcher found a role in a movie that perfectly fit for him... After first seeing he messing himself around in 'Dude, Where's My Car?' then 'My Boss' Daughter', and in the disappointing 'What Happens In Vegas', I think this is the movie that perfectly fit for him... I'm not mentioning 'The Butterfly Effect', but what I saw in 'Spread' already pleased me... The story of this movie itself was not bad, at least I was pretty impressed with the story even thought this was a sex comedy... Once again, a big thumbs up for Kutcher! And the other thing I like because this movie was pretty similar to one of my favorite Korean movie 'The Art Of Seduction'.. =)
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Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche absolutely sizzle in this modern update of the Richard Gere classic, <i>American Gigolo!</i>.
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I felt that the beginning of the movie was a little pretentious in the beginning, but it really became a good story. Ashton Kutcher played a perfect hipster with the most ridiculous outlook on life. I loved the idea of him literally losing everything he had by the completion of the… More
I felt that the beginning of the movie was a little pretentious in the beginning, but it really became a good story. Ashton Kutcher played a perfect hipster with the most ridiculous outlook on life. I loved the idea of him literally losing everything he had by the completion of the movie. It had a great filming style and fit the story perfectly.
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Where do I begin with this one? There so much to speak of for a movie that had so little to say. Shall we start with the horrible premise? The horrible dialogue? The horrible acting? Or the horrible everything else?
Let's put it this way...I walked out. I never walk out of a… More
Where do I begin with this one? There so much to speak of for a movie that had so little to say. Shall we start with the horrible premise? The horrible dialogue? The horrible acting? Or the horrible everything else?
Let's put it this way...I walked out. I never walk out of a movie ("never" = "hardly ever.") The plot was "spread" so thinly on a wafer-thin canvas. There was no drama to speak of; no characters to empathize with; no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
Basically, we have Ashton Kutcher solidifying his status as worst actor of all time--seriously, he's worse than Hayden Christiansen. And the "acting" should have come easily for him in the role; since he's practically playing himself: a good-looking (debatable), charming (even more debatable) womanizer who has a predilection for loosening up already loose 40-somethings in order to gain prominence in society. Does the name "Demi" ring a bell, anyone?
Even with the real-life parallels, Kutcher blows it so badly that every scene in which he appears (which is sadly EVERY scene) is atrocious. And don't get me started on the horrible narration he provides.
The story arc for these characters were non-existent. Pretty people behaving badly has been done so many other times--and so much better than this tripe. Why would I want to go and see beautiful people getting themselves into the worst situations and not learning anything from it? Oh, that's right. I didn't sit through the whole thing, so technically I don't know if lessons were learned in the end. But let me tell you...it didn't look promising.
The movie was a complete waste of celluloid and I fear that my review of it may be an even worse waste of time and cyber real estate. I shouldn't even finish this review at all. Just spread the word: this movie is unfulfilling, vapid and incomple--
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In "Spread," Nikki(Ashton Kutcher) came to Los Angeles with his own share of hangups thinking it would be something out of a Van Halen music video(?!?) but soon became disillusioned. Now, he is homeless and without car, so he seduces Sam(Anne Heche), a thirtyish… More
In "Spread," Nikki(Ashton Kutcher) came to Los Angeles with his own share of hangups thinking it would be something out of a Van Halen music video(?!?) but soon became disillusioned. Now, he is homeless and without car, so he seduces Sam(Anne Heche), a thirtyish entertainment lawyer, so he can stay at her place, which was once supposedly owned by Peter Bogdanovich, so he can maintain his hustler lifestyle of having sex with as many young women as he possibly can, sometimes while watching football.
"Spread" is the perfect example of how they do not make them quite like the used to, in this case, classic romances about whether or not a cynic can fall in love. Nikki was jaded long before he got to Los Angeles, so his complaints about the city do not really apply. Just to reinforce this point, there is a shot of a freeway sign pointing towards Sunset Boulevard. Sure, the photography is well done with a neat tracking shot to start things off but there is little wit or intelligence to show for its efforts. I don't have a problem with the sex but sometimes it becomes about too much information. Worst of all is Ashton Kutcher in a charisma free performance, unconvincing that any woman could ever fall for him. And what's up with his voice?
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Huge misfire. The film needed a rewrite. It also was a little predictable. The film reminded me of a poor copy of American Gigolo. Ashton Kutcher is miscast in the lead role. Kutcher lacks the charm for the role and instead comes off as annoying from beginning till the end. Another… More
Huge misfire. The film needed a rewrite. It also was a little predictable. The film reminded me of a poor copy of American Gigolo. Ashton Kutcher is miscast in the lead role. Kutcher lacks the charm for the role and instead comes off as annoying from beginning till the end. Another actor in that role could have made more out of that role than he does. Anne Heche, Margarita Levieva, and Sebastian Stan make the most of their roles, given what they have to work with. I say skip Spread and watch American Gigolo instead.
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FINALLY they have a movie where the gigolo is the victim...but this one in the category of endurance of human interest...LOL! How far can he go with what he does kept me paying attention throughout the film. See it if you want but the final scene with what he has a bullfrog do will… More
FINALLY they have a movie where the gigolo is the victim...but this one in the category of endurance of human interest...LOL! How far can he go with what he does kept me paying attention throughout the film. See it if you want but the final scene with what he has a bullfrog do will amaze you...see it!
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It seems that David Mackenzie got lost in directing the movie... it was like a soft porn with bad screenplay and good acting to a certain degree. A lot of young people who haven't seen much of the real life will enjoy this film and the rest will wonder why beautiful and shallow… More
It seems that David Mackenzie got lost in directing the movie... it was like a soft porn with bad screenplay and good acting to a certain degree. A lot of young people who haven't seen much of the real life will enjoy this film and the rest will wonder why beautiful and shallow are going together for most characters!?
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In a very spotty drama, Kutcher basically plays a male gigolo that has a close encounter with karma when he meets the right woman. Almost every character in the film is unlikable and there is little for an audience member to get behind, even at the very end.
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"Spread" is a fresh and racy look at the trials and tribulations of sleeping your way to a life of privilege in Los Angeles. Ashton Kutcher plays "Nikki" who understands his greatest assets are his looks and sexual prowess. With no life skills to offer except the… More
"Spread" is a fresh and racy look at the trials and tribulations of sleeping your way to a life of privilege in Los Angeles. Ashton Kutcher plays "Nikki" who understands his greatest assets are his looks and sexual prowess. With no life skills to offer except the ability to pleasure women, he exploits his talent by charming his way into the hearts of rich women getting a free place to live, fantastic gifts and plenty of sex too. I though Kutcher played Nikki brilliantly managing to reveal the humanity in his character in a very subtle way and by the end of the movie I was beginning to somehow warm up to his character. There's a lot of eye candy for your viewing pleasure; beautiful women and Demi's boy toy Ashton lolling around in bed naked.
There's no happy ending here which makes this movie so much better and realistic. The player gets played and we get to see a frog devouring a mouse national geographic style for the entire ending credits!!
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Geez, what I put up with for Anne Heche... She's the best part of this seedy concoction where every woman is portrayed as a needy idiot. Seriously. If it was this easy to get every woman I met to bump uglies & come back for more no matter how they're treated, then… More
Geez, what I put up with for Anne Heche... She's the best part of this seedy concoction where every woman is portrayed as a needy idiot. Seriously. If it was this easy to get every woman I met to bump uglies & come back for more no matter how they're treated, then I'd...well, let's just let that sentence trail off. It simply don't happen this way, even in Los Angeles.
Ashton Kutcher is in perpetual need of a Fisherman's Friend, hoarsely mumbling his lines while sleepwalking through his part as a gold-digging sexual predator. The kicker is that the film wants us to feel sorry for this jerk, unless they are trying to use him as a cautionary tale. Either way, it ain't happening. The only other bright spot is the appearance (and briefly nekkid form) of Rachel Blanchard from the import comedies <i>Peep Show</i> and <i>Flight of the Conchords.</i>
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Any respect Ashton Kutcher gained from me with "Butterfly Effect" went flying out the window wit this tripe. I know Kutcher's a goofy guy who is usually known for trying to get a laugh outta people, so I thought this vapid film was some kind of spoof. Some wannabe model… More
Any respect Ashton Kutcher gained from me with "Butterfly Effect" went flying out the window wit this tripe. I know Kutcher's a goofy guy who is usually known for trying to get a laugh outta people, so I thought this vapid film was some kind of spoof. Some wannabe model moves to LA but decides he'd rather mooch off of rich "cougars" while sleeping around with rich bimbos his age. But he's passing off this film as serious. The film is a basic how-to for gigolos. And perhaps the most nerve-grating thing about this film is the insipid voice over! Kutcher sounds like a parody of all the vacuous male models he worked with before branching off into acting, but he's serious! He even tries to make the film more serious further along in the movie, but everything that happens is so transparently predictable, you're checking your watch to cue the next plot "twist." I'm disappointed in Kutcher. I thought he was better than this. At least give me some dim-witted popcorn comedy to kill 2 hours with, but don't throw this vanity flick in my face and try to pass it off as some kinda deep drama.
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I will consider Spread like an American Giggolo of this time. Only this has more graphic sex and nudity. It was supposed to be a Romantic comedy, there was nothing romantic and nothing funny in this movie.Anne Heche performance was the only good thing, and WOW she looked fantastic.… More
I will consider Spread like an American Giggolo of this time. Only this has more graphic sex and nudity. It was supposed to be a Romantic comedy, there was nothing romantic and nothing funny in this movie.Anne Heche performance was the only good thing, and WOW she looked fantastic.
Ashton Kutcher character was good as the womanizer,looking for sugar mommies and play their toy boy for a while. Then everything changed when he met the woman of his desire.
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Good movie. I liked the story, the ending in particular, and I thought Kutcher gave a decent performance. There is a lot of sex, but there's also enough drama to the story to give the main characters added depth. I admit Spread's may not be for everyone, but I would still… More
Good movie. I liked the story, the ending in particular, and I thought Kutcher gave a decent performance. There is a lot of sex, but there's also enough drama to the story to give the main characters added depth. I admit Spread's may not be for everyone, but I would still recommend it.
Read all 19 featured audience ratings
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