The Critic

Ian McKellen balances desperation and laughs in this splendid mix of bitchy mirth and melodrama.

It’s entertaining throughout, especially for McKellen’s acerbic performance, even if it becomes a tad over-theatrical towards the end.

The Critic never quite comes together: there’s something wonky about the structure, as if Marber had given up halfway on the challenge of reshaping his source material, Anthony Quinn’s 2015 novel Curtain Call.

By the close, one is left befuddled. Is this a tragedy? Is this a comedy? Is it a moral fable? Cruelty to Homo criticus is the least of its problems.


This is an entertainingly ripe melodrama with weird aspirations toward seriousness... tonally it's all over the place.

Despite reported reshoots and a fresh edit after the film’s coolly received premiere last year, its sour spirit and a cluttered, clumsy third act remain a problem.

Outside McKellen and Mark Strong's performances, the writing is also worth your attention...As thinking movies go, this one is serviceable, if not memorable.

Still, it's a joy to see one of our finest actors sink his teeth into a meaty role.

McKellen was born to play this role as he imbues Jimmy with an ice-cold heart and an acid tongue.

A catty script cannot save a straight-forward story that's as predictable as a wet British February.