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SIDE EFFECTS (2013)Movie Reviews
Thriller about a successful New York couple whose world unravels when an anti-anxiety drug prescribed by a psychiatrist has unexpected side effects. Cast:Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vinessa Shaw, Mamie Gummer, David Costabile, Greg Paul, Laila Robins, Polly Draper, Kerry O'Malley, Ashlie Atkinson, Andrea Bogart, Nicole Ansari-Cox, James MartinezDirector:Steven SoderberghRelease Date:February 8, 2013DVD Release:May 14, 2013From:Open Road FilmsRating:RLength:1 hr. 55 min.
Side Effects (2013) opened to excellent reviews. • Marc Mohan wrote in the Portland Oregonian, "...impressive... Soderbergh directs with subtlety, placing clues delicately but firmly along the way... satisfying..." • And Mara Reinstein wrote in Us Weekly, "Just when you've figured out where this film is heading..." More Reviews Below...
Side Effects (2013) Positive Reviews (50 Reviews, reviews below)
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "Twists and double crosses occur and schemes are revealed as layer upon layer of Scott Z. Burns' clever script gets peeled away... never less than gripping..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 643 words, 02/07/13
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Just when you've figured out where this film is heading, director Steven Soderbergh changes course -- then drives off the road. It makes for a breathless, scintillating thrill."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 132 words, 01/31/13
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a lavishly dread-fueled suspense movie... Soderbergh wants to do for SSRIs what Hitchcock did for psychoanalysis in 'Spellbound,' and for a while he does."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 736 words, 02/08/13
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a hell of a thriller, twisty, terrific and packed with surprises.... This is Soderbergh in full, flinty vigor.... ticking bomb suspense laced with psychological acuity."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 513 words, 02/01/13
Scott Bowles, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...a gripping thriller through the first hour and a chilling indictment of the nation's pharmaceutical industry.... dissolves into a standard crime flick.... a severe let-down..."(See all of Scott Bowles's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 614 words, 02/08/13
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Imagine music for a sorcery-related plot and then dial it down to ominous forebodings. Without Thomas Newman's score, this would be a lesser film, even another film."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 657 words, 02/08/13
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: EXCELLENT(cg) "...the performances are all excellent, especially from Rooney Mara and Jude Law.... Mara gets to give a real performance here, and it's one that drives the film."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 631 words, 02/06/13
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...most of it is very far-fetched. Still, there's enough good stuff here to give the movie a pass, though it could have been a great deal more.... Age 16."(See all of Jeffrey M. Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 440 words, 02/05/13
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a clever, old-fashioned noir potboiler... a greatest-hits package, reminding viewers of some of the things that this protean director has done well in recent years."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 940 words, 02/08/13
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...when Soderbergh is willing to play it on the square, he's as good as anyone at bringing intelligence and verve to straight-ahead material.... deliciously complex..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 754 words, 02/08/13
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...best appreciated by us jaded movie critics -- and those Soderbergh fans who share our fascination with his daring, sometimes perverse, experiments with film."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 610 words, 02/08/13
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sly... the film is more about genre twists and reconfigurations than showy performance skill... Mara doesn't grab the screen so much as regard it, warily."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 511 words, 02/08/13
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "...the script is disappointingly clunky. What begins as an intriguing, if unsubtle, critique of societal drug dependence devolves into old 'Law & Order' episodes..."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 302 words, 02/08/13
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: EXCELLENT "Soderbergh's on top of his material in a way he has rarely been in the last decade -- or, rather, in a way he has labored not to be.... a smooth, shapely suspense picture."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 803 words, 02/04/13
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Imagine music for a sorcery-related plot and then dial it down to ominous forebodings. Without Thomas Newman's score, this would be a lesser film, even another film."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 657 words, 02/08/13
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...immensely pleasurable... when this initially pointed critique of our quick-fix, highly medicated era becomes a twisty genre exercise, it doesn't lessen the movie's punch."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 827 words, 02/06/13
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a cracking thriller.... Whatever you go in thinking about 'Side Effects,' you're not likely to leave the theatre with those same thoughts."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 641 words, 02/08/13
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a stylish take on the psychiatric-thriller genre that, despite progressive narrative absurdities, mostly delivers a dose to the pleasure centres."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 680 words, 02/08/13
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...intriguing.... Soderbergh and Burns shift gears so sharply that it took me a while to start caring about the new iteration of the story..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 355 words, 02/07/13
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "A medical thriller wrapped around a social-issue picture suspended within a potboiler... prefers perfunctory whiffs of ideas rather than deep dives."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 496 words, 02/08/13
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...artfully cool, aptly clinical... though the surfaces are clean and bright, there is plenty of dark, murky business going on underneath. Sex, lies, and violence."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 486 words, 02/08/13
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...keeps viewers emotionally invested yet intellectually off-balance... See it by all means -- especially if you love 'Body Heat' and 'The Usual Suspects'..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 486 words, 02/08/13
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...think of the movie as a puzzle box in which all the pieces fit together wonderfully well.... you have to marvel at how cleverly constructed the whole thing is."(See all of Randy Cordova's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 407 words, 02/08/13
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "...plays as many games with the audience as it does with its characters... the challenge comes from matching wits with what you're seeing."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 827 words, 02/08/13
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...yet another movie which is different from everything Soderbergh's done before. And yet, in all the truly important ways, really all of a piece."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 588 words, 02/08/13
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "The less you know in advance about this slick thriller, the more you'll enjoy it.... the movie goes to unexpected places, and we breathlessly follow along."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 299 words, 02/08/13
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...impressive... Soderbergh directs with subtlety, placing clues delicately but firmly along the way... satisfying..."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 416 words, 02/08/13
Roger Moore, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "Law uses his years of playing cads as useful baggage here, giving suspicious layers to this married, overextended workaholic. Tatum is never more believable..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 433 words, 02/08/13
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Nobody except perhaps the victim is who they seem to be... Soderbergh and Burns tease and tug the rug from under the audience.... Smart moves, smart movie."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 468 words, 02/07/13
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "A potent, tight psychological thriller with touches of Hitchcock.... Soderbergh lays the puzzle out so neatly, you can't help but be engrossed."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 228 words, 02/08/13
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "The movie plays you like a chump, but in the most entertaining manner possible; it's a weightless but hugely enjoyable shell game."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 562 words, 02/08/13
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: EXCELLENT "...immensely pleasurable... when this initially pointed critique of our quick-fix, highly medicated era becomes a twisty genre exercise, it doesn't lessen the movie's punch."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 827 words, 02/06/13
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD(cg) "...twisty and surprisingly sexy... Jude Law slips marvelously into the main role here, a would-be hero of his own story.... He's well-matched by Rooney Mara..."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 584 words, 02/05/13
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the story isn't so much full of surprises as it is riddled with plot holes.... [still,] the film looks classy, keeps your interest, and has attractive actors."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 225 words, 02/08/13
Scott Tobias, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...vastly entertaining.... Mara is superb as the glue that binds this fractured psychological puzzle.... Soderbergh pulls it off with the unpracticed ease of a maestro."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 437 words, 02/07/13
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: MODERATE(cg) "...even as the multiple plots turn odd and convoluted, that very formulation -- the convolutedness and the oddness -- makes sense for the movie's thematic focus..."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 858 words, 02/08/13
Ed Gonzalez, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...indulgently but justifiably coasts on the groggily antiseptic vibe of Soderbergh's aesthetic doodling.... the film gooses us with horror-thriller genre scares..."(See all of Ed Gonzalez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 597 words, 01/25/13
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...intriguing.... Soderbergh and Burns shift gears so sharply that it took me a while to start caring about the new iteration of the story..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 355 words, 02/07/13
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "...the sinister atmosphere gives way to contrived, wearying plot mechanics that feel increasingly sleazy. It ends up a different film than the one you signed up for."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 483 words, 02/08/13
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...expertly crafted and cleverly compounded for high-dose entertainment... with supple direction and a character of exceptional variety, Ms. Rooney is impressive..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 02/08/13
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a clever, old-fashioned noir potboiler... a greatest-hits package, reminding viewers of some of the things that this protean director has done well in recent years."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 940 words, 02/08/13
David Denby, New Yorker: VERY GOOD "...the movie holds you, even if you don't quite believe it.... This movie is intelligent, but it doesn't express much joy in filmmaking."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 857 words, 02/04/13
Mark Jenkins, NPR: WEAK "...a stylish, vaguely Hitchcockian dud.... fatally silly... an elegantly composed, neatly edited handling of a screenplay that doesn't merit such directorial finesse."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 532 words, 02/07/13
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...when Soderbergh is willing to play it on the square, he's as good as anyone at bringing intelligence and verve to straight-ahead material.... deliciously complex..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 754 words, 02/08/13
Dana Stevens, Slate: VERY GOOD "...cycles more or less effortlessly through an impressive number of genres... stylish, expertly paced... developes enough narrative momentum to whisk viewers along..."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 679 words, 02/07/13
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: FAIR "...initially feels like a dark, hard-edged satire about psychiatry, finance, Big Pharma and the justice system... eventually gives way... both hackneyed and implausible."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,289 words, 02/07/13
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Variety: VERY GOOD "...intriguingly different.... cunningly unpredictable.... The film's careful attention to the details of its psychiatric milieu compels fascination above and beyond the characters..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 835 words, 01/25/13
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "Soderbergh employs his dramatic know-how and superior craftsmanship to initially lure you into a story that you ultimately can't buy into at all... 'Oh, come on'..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 720 words, 02/01/13
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...when Soderbergh is willing to play it on the square, he's as good as anyone at bringing intelligence and verve to straight-ahead material.... deliciously complex..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 754 words, 02/08/13
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...timely and enjoyable.... it's hard not to notice Soderbergh's effort at turning his off-the-headline news tale into a hip and cool experience..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 599 words, 01/28/13
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a clever, old-fashioned noir potboiler... a greatest-hits package, reminding viewers of some of the things that this protean director has done well in recent years."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 940 words, 02/08/13
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...expertly crafted and cleverly compounded for high-dose entertainment... with supple direction and a character of exceptional variety, Ms. Rooney is impressive..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 02/08/13
16.8 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Side Effects (2013)'s reviews are separated by an average 16.8 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Side Effects (2013) (50 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Side Effects (2013)'s reviews cover 99.4% of potential readers (average is 68.0%). Volume:The film's reviews total 29,320 words involume (average is 20,220 words). Length:The film's reviews average 586 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 39.8 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.3 Release)
Side Effects (2013)'s reviews on average broke 39.8 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.3 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Side Effects (2013)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Side Effects (2013) (50 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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