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The Town Review

Movies.com Critics

4.0

Dave White Profile

Wicked good. Read full review

3.5

Jen Yamato Profile

Ben Affleck's Boston, Part Two. Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 4.0
    74

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Generally favorable reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 60

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter

    Affleck gets the tribalism of Boston's traditionally Irish-American enclaves; it's a defining force in his character's lives. But for all their well-played grit, those characters resolutely remain types, and for all the well-choreographed action, the outcome doesn't matter nearly as much as it should.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    Village Voice Nick Pinkerton

    It's good enough at least that you wish it was better.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    The New York Times A.O. Scott

    A solid, minor entry in the annals of Boston crime drama. Not as florid as "The Departed" or as sadly soulful as "The Friends of Eddie Coyle" - or even as sticky and gamy as "Gone Baby Gone," Mr. Affleck's previous film.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    The New Yorker Anthony Lane

    Affleck the movie director makes you truly, badly want his bunch of ne'er-do-wells to pull off their heists without a scratch, and you can't ask for much more than that. [20 Sept. 2010, p. 120]

  • 75

    out of 100

    Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

    Everything is here. It's an effective thriller, he (Affleck) works closely with actors, he has a feel for pacing. Yet I persist in finding chases and gun battles curiously boring.

    Read Full Review

  • 80

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

    A fast-paced, character-driven heist movie that combines robberies with romance and solidifies Affleck's reputation as an actor with a genuine gift for directing.

    Read Full Review

  • 80

    out of 100

    Variety Justin Chang

    The behind-the-camera talent Ben Affleck displayed so bracingly in "Gone Baby Gone" is confirmed, if not significantly advanced, in The Town. Again proving a fine director of actors (this time with himself in a starring role), Affleck delivers another potent, serious-minded slice of pulp set on Boston's meanest streets, where loyalty among thieves runs thicker than blood.

    Read Full Review

  • 80

    out of 100

    Newsweek

    Affleck directed, stars in, and co-wrote The Town, a suspenseful, fiercely paced movie about bank robbers that is also about love, brotherhood, and the desperate need to escape a crooked life. It proves that "Gone Baby Gone," his accomplished directing debut, was no fluke.

    Read Full Review

  • 88

    out of 100

    USA Today Claudia Puig

    Though the narrative is a conventional one, the well-acted, suspenseful story deals in fascinatingly murky morality and mines intriguing material from a historic and complex city.

    Read Full Review

  • 91

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

    A rich, dark, pulpy mess of entanglements that fulfills all the requirements of the genre, and is told with an ease and gusto that make the pulp tasty.

    Read Full Review

  • See all The Town reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 16+

Strong, suspenseful, mature drama about a life of crime.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this gritty, tension-filled thriller directed by Ben Affleck about a crew of Boston bank robbers has plenty of excitement -- and plenty of graphic violence. The main characters are drawn into high-powered shoot-outs with the cops that leave several people dead or dying in pools of blood (two characters are shot in the head on screen). There are several bar scenes with a good bit of drinking, as well as near-constant swearing ("f--k" "s--t," and more). There are a few sex scenes, too, but, ultimately, it’s the realistic, intense violence that parents really need to watch out for.

  • Families can talk about "good guys" vs. "bad guys." Do you think someone who steals for a living should be portrayed as the “hero” of a movie? Do you think the criminals in this film come across as more competent than the cops?
  • Are there any obvious role models in this movie? What message do you think it's trying to send?
  • Do you think Doug MacRay is destined to become a bank robber like his father? How hard is it for him to escape this lifestyle?

The good stuff
  • message true0

    Messages: The movie seems to be saying that it's possible for people to escape their upbringing, but it may require them to turn their backs on friends and loved ones -- a tough choice, and one that's especially difficult here, because the film also highlights the importance of loyalty.

  • rolemodels true0

    Role models: It's not really clear who to root for in a movie about bank robbers. Doug MacRay is painted as the “hero,” but he kills people and steals for a living. He’s certainly got a soft side and wants to escape from the underworld, but at heart he’s still a criminal.

What to watch for
  • violence false4

    Violence: Several intense shoot-outs, a few beatings, and some point-blank, execution-style killings. Two characters are shot in the head, on screen, which yields plenty of spraying blood. Another is savagely pummeled with rifle butts, and one man is shot in the groin at close range.

  • sex false3

    Sex: One very quick glimpse of a stripper’s bare breast and two sex scenes that feature writhing, grinding, and passionate sounds, but no nudity.

  • language false5

    Language: Tons of swearing -- particularly “f--k," but also “s--t," "d--k," "c--k," "ass," "hell," and "goddamn."

  • consumerism false1

    Consumerism: Some of the characters drink from Budweiser bottles.

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Several scenes feature people drinking in bars or at parties, and there several references to oxycontin and heroin. One of the main characters is a teetotaler who drinks juice at the bar while his friends pound beers and is later seen going to an AA meeting. One character's promising future was scuttled by drugs.

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.

© Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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Fan Reviews provided by

Average Rating: 4.372
Read all reviews Write a review at Fandango
3

The Town by cmoriarty
Fun action and chase scenes, but a little wonky.

5

The Town Movie Review by Asianfreak
88 out of 100 It's "Takers" with white people, more suspense and excitement.

5


4

by Optimus_Mark

4

by deitrichp

Read all The Town reviews at Fandango
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