56
Metascore
33 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliNot since "The Crying Game" has Jordan crafted as compelling a motion picture.
- 83The A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonThe A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonThe moody tone and carefully balanced drama turn a grubby premise into something unexpectedly elegant.
- 75Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsThe Brave One is "Death Wish" with a guilty conscience, and while it may be a bit of a hypocrite as vigilante thrillers go, the internal contradictions of the thing make for a very interesting picture.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceTaken literally, almost everything that follows in The Brave One so seriously strains credibility (even by the standards of the genre) as to enter the realm of the absurd. Taken on the level of a menacing urban fairy tale, however--something akin to what Jane Campion was aiming for with "In the Cut"--it's strangely fascinating.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenA vigilante drama boasting a powerful Jodie Foster performance and carefully weighted direction by Neil Jordan.
- 70Washington PostStephen HunterWashington PostStephen HunterIt's hard to hate, because as a rabble-rouser it is superbly effective, driven forward by two powerhouse actors.
- 67Austin ChronicleSteve DavisAustin ChronicleSteve DavisA confounding movie on many levels. For all its sophistication and sensitivity, it turns out to be little more than an upscale B-movie about getting even.
- 60VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangFoster’s pistol-packing turn as an avenging dark angel nearly sustains director Neil Jordan’s grim vigilante drama through a string of implausibilities and occasionally trite psychological framing devices, with deft support from Terrence Howard as a sympathetic cop.
- 58Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEverything about Foster's ocular intensity is riveting, but little in this hushed vigilante drama makes sense.
- 40New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinFoster’s feminist victimization complex seems to be looping around to meet Nixon and Agnew. Next she’ll be hunting Commies for the FBI.