58
Metascore
34 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80New York Daily NewsEdward DouglasNew York Daily NewsEdward DouglasWhile the central visual of the figure in the dark goes a long way to provide the essential scares, the success of the film is just as much about what the filmmakers do to develop the characters that the audience cares about.
- 75Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsPalmer and Bello really do seem like world-weary, spook-addled daughter and mother, and they play the stakes just so, favoring neither blase understatement nor yellow-highlighter melodrama. They're strong enough to take your mind off some lapses in narrative judgment.
- 70Village VoiceApril WolfeVillage VoiceApril WolfeWhen Sandberg isn’t spinning his wheels in the why, he’s capable of doling out a steady diet of scares.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreYou don’t realize how much a good horror movie depends on acting until you stumble in that rare one whose cast actually gets it right.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweThe Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweComing in a few notches below the terror factor of Wan’s most exemplary material, this somewhat less-satisfying variation of an ill-fated haunting nonetheless represents a solid debut for Swedish filmmaker David F. Sandberg
- 60TheWrapRobert AbeleTheWrapRobert AbeleThat the film occasionally succumbs to certain rudimentary hallmarks of industrial studio horror is regrettable, but for the most part it’s agreeably suspenseful, date-night arm-squeezing genre fare.
- 60VarietyAndrew BarkerVarietyAndrew BarkerVery obviously a first feature, Lights Out is full of camp (most of it clearly intentional, some perhaps not), and its underlying mythology is confused and often ridiculous. But there’s an invigorating leanness — and a giddy, almost innocent energy — to the filmmaking.
- 60Time OutJoshua RothkopfTime OutJoshua RothkopfThe central idea here is as durable and effective as a well-told fireside ghost story, but in the cold light of day, the film fades.
- 40The GuardianJordan HoffmanThe GuardianJordan HoffmanLights Out is yet another half-baked, PG-13 scare-em snoozer centered on an underdeveloped supernatural concept that won’t even give kids a good nightmare.
- 40Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleIt’s the cinematic equivalent to a carnival funhouse: a bit scary when you’re traversing it, but utterly forgettable (and mildly regrettable) once it’s over.