56
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumTobey Maguire's characteristic placidity makes a fine mask for a man who is thoroughly awful.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceTop-shelf cast, headed by Tobey Maguire, slips into familiar grooves of adultery, lies, blackmail, and pet poisoning, it's the spectacular blow-ups and dressing-downs that make this such a nervy pleasure.
- 70The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenInstead of turning soft and squishy, this examination of karma gets tougher as it goes along. Its refusal to settle into a cozy niche may be commercially disastrous, but I take it as a sign of integrity.
- 65In The Details' finest moments, writer-director Jacob Aaron Estes exerts a precise control over tone using sound and performance; in its worst moments, the score and actors overcompensate for weak material. Those elements let Estes get away with often-indulgent writing, throwing up whole scenes that don't add texture or conflict.
- 63Boston GlobeMark FeeneyBoston GlobeMark FeeneyManages to be both compelling and unsatisfying. But what limits it isn't lack of execution. The movie is many things, but a mess isn't one of them. Estes knows exactly what he wants. Whether it's worth wanting is another matter.
- 58The PlaylistCory EverettThe PlaylistCory EverettDescribed as an "existential horror film," The Details can't quite reach the same level of excellence as The Coen Brothers' recent "A Serious Man," another film about a man being punished (or rewarded) by fate based on his actions.
- 50The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe lone standout is Linney's performance as the deranged neighbor, whose erratic combination of sexual desperation and extreme vulnerability keeps the film on life support.
- 40Time OutTime OutIf only writer-director Jacob Aaron Estes had bothered to dig a little bit deeper than those damn raccoons did.
- 25Slant MagazineAndrew SchenkerSlant MagazineAndrew SchenkerThe Details is as smug and self-satisfied as its privileged lead character.