46
Metascore
17 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertDavid Klass, the screenwriter, gives Freeman and Judd more specific dialogue than is usual in thrillers; they sound as if they might actually be talking with each other and not simply advancing plot points.
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliIt features a pair of well-developed characters, the plot contains some clever twists and turns, the dialogue is reasonable, and director Gary Fleder (Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead) keeps the level of tension and intrigue high. Put together, all of that adds up to a worthwhile motion picture.
- 50The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenMr. Freeman projects a kindness, patience and canny intelligence that cut against the movie's fast pace and pumped-up shock effects. His performance is so measured it makes you want to believe in the movie much more than its gimmicky jerry-built plot ever permits.
- 50San Francisco ChroniclePeter StackSan Francisco ChroniclePeter StackFor Morgan Freeman ("Seven") fans, it's a chance to see a great actor save a movie from itself.
- 50San Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserSan Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserDirector Gary Fleder seems to be trying for the mood and atmosphere of "Seven," another Freeman film about murder and police work, but this movie isn't as stylish and the script by David Klass, based on the James Patterson novel, doesn't really hang together.
- 50Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittSensitive acting by Morgan Freeman and stylish directing by Gary Fleder can't overcome the bottom-line pointlessness of the movie's melodramatic material, which never achieves the dark resonance that helped "The Silence of the Lambs" get under the skin of many moviegoers.
- 40Austin ChronicleRussell SmithAustin ChronicleRussell SmithIt's diverting enough, and intermittently suspenseful, but also strangely empty and decadent in a way that truly merits that overused term.
- 25The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyHere's the kind of movie thriller that can make you scream (in annoyance) and bite your nails (to pass the time) and sit on the edge of your seat (ready to bolt the theatre).
- 20Dallas ObserverRobert WilonskyDallas ObserverRobert WilonskyA movie that leaves you wondering what the fuss was all about when its end credits appear; it's a mish-mash of a dozen other, better films ground up and watered down--Seven, Silence of the Lambs, and Manhunter, to name a few of the usual suspects.
- 10Chicago ReaderLisa AlspectorChicago ReaderLisa AlspectorMisguided attempts at political correctness make this serial-killer movie stupid instead of just dull.