66
Metascore
33 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Washington PostStephen HunterWashington PostStephen HunterMamet loves two things: scams and dialogue. This movie is rich with both.
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe kind of caper movie that was made before special effects replaced wit, construction and intelligence. This movie is made out of fresh ingredients, not cake mix. Despite the twists of its plot, it is about its characters.
- 80SlateDavid EdelsteinSlateDavid EdelsteinWith an actor as great as Gene Hackman in the lead, a lot of scenes even breathe.
- 75New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickA muscular, endlessly twisty homage to film noir capers like "The Asphalt Jungle."
- 70Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonVillage VoiceMichael AtkinsonHeist is a neat, bouncy, minor-key crime procedural that shakes no rafters. Glorious, freestanding Mametisms are dropped into it like beef hunks into clear soup.
- 63Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaPhiladelphia InquirerSteven ReaHackman's in it a lot, and he is, as almost always, great fun.
- 60TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghSolidly entertaining and surprisingly free of the Mamet-isms that can suck the life right out of the most tightly crafted story.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleEven a mediocre David Mamet movie is still a David Mamet movie. That means there are lines to savor, partly because the lines are so good, partly because they are so Mamet.
- 30SalonCharles TaylorSalonCharles TaylorThere's something offensive about how Mamet continues to win praise as a serious filmmaker with such a joyless picture, a picture that -- intentionally -- gives the audience so little.
- 20New Times (L.A.)Gregory WeinkaufNew Times (L.A.)Gregory WeinkaufWith a movie like this, there's no risk of spoiling the ending, because the entire plot is merely a formality trudging toward a foregone conclusion. The viewer's biggest challenge is to survive fits of yawning so violent they could disrupt ornithic migratory patterns.