Metacritic Movie Ratings
Zero Dark Thirty Reviews

A sample of reviews from critics across the country.

• 100

  out of 100

  Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan

  One reason Boal makes such a potent combination with Bigelow is that her directing style moves us right along. She is so good with both action and creating a convincing look and feel for the film that the time it takes to get up to speed with the complicated plot does not feel like a problem.

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• 100

  out of 100

  The New York TimesManohla Dargis

  Ms. Bigelow's direction here is unexpectedly stunning, at once bold and intimate: she has a genius for infusing even large-scale action set pieces with the human element.

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• 100

  out of 100

  Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman

  Once in a long while, a fresh-from-the-headlines movie - like "All the President's Men" or "United 93" - fuses journalism, procedural high drama, and the oxygenated atmosphere of a thriller into a new version of history written with lightning. Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow's meticulous and electrifying re-creation of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, is that kind of movie.

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• 100

  out of 100

  TimeRichard Corliss

  The word docudrama doesn't hint at Boal's achievement. This is movie journalism that snaps and stings, that purifies a decade's clamor and clutter into narrative clarity, with a salutary kick.

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• 100

  out of 100

  Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern

  Judged solely as a film, a partially fictionalized account of the decade-long search for bin Laden, it's superbly crafted and relentlessly dramatic. More than that, though, Zero Dark Thirty is a shock to the system, one that's bound to incite discussion of profoundly troubling issues.

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• 100

  out of 100

  The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthy

  The film's power steadily and relentlessly builds over its long course, to a point that is terrifically imposing and unshakable.

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• 90

  out of 100

  VarietyPeter Debruge

  Far more ambitious than "The Hurt Locker," yet nowhere near so tripwire-tense, this procedure-driven, decade-spanning docudrama nevertheless rivets for most of its running time.

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• 88

  out of 100

  ReelViewsJames Berardinelli

  A compelling contemporary thriller with the added benefit of also being an engrossing character study.

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• 75

  out of 100

  Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert

  Do we want to know more about Osama bin Laden and al Qaida and the history and political grievances behind them? Yes, but that's not how things turned out. Sorry, but there you have it.

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• 63

  out of 100

  USA TodayClaudia Puig

  While this decade-long look at the inner workings of the CIA is intriguing, the movie would have benefited by more character development and additional editing.

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See all Zero Dark Thirty movie reviews at Metacritic.com