Metacritic Movie Ratings
Charlie Bartlett Reviews

A sample of reviews from critics across the country.

• 80

  out of 100

  VarietyRonnie Scheib

  Rollicking story of a rich kid whose wildly successful bid for popularity has him playing drug-distributing shrink to an entire high school boasts pitch-perfect faceoffs between upstart Anton Yelchin and alcoholic principal Robert Downey Jr. that could fuel a chemistry lab.

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• 80

  out of 100

  The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt

  Yelchin delivers one of those performances that pop eyes... It's a breakthrough role.

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• 75

  out of 100

  USA TodayClaudia Puig

  A refreshingly entertaining character study that refuses to dumb down its youthful cast or bury their concerns in service of a catchy soundtrack.

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• 70

  out of 100

  Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern

  The film functions as a high-wire act that can leave you giddy with laughter.

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• 60

  out of 100

  The New York TimesStephen Holden

  If the attention span of Charlie Bartlett didn't wander here and there, the movie might have been a high school satire worthy of comparison with Alexander Payne's "Election." But as it dashes around and eventually turns soft, it loses its train of thought.

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• 58

  out of 100

  Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum

  Robert Downey Jr. is an uncomfortable sight as the school's hard-drinking, overstressed principal.

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• 50

  out of 100

  Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano

  For the most part, it's an uneven if amiable and occasionally inspired comedy about getting through adolescence that hits some false notes along the way.

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