One hell of a date movie. A surgical examination of the male psyche based on David Foster Wallace's book and written and directed by John Krasinski, there is plenty of food for thought and argument.
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
At times, the movie could have been called "Me and You and Every One of the Bastards We Know," but Krasinski preserves Wallace's whooshing roller coasters of words, powered by the fuel of confession.
Raises the question of whether Krasinski made this movie because he really loves Wallace’s work, or because just he wanted to show Hollywood that the loveable doof from The Office can actually act.
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
USA TodayClaudia Puig
An insightful, sharply written and unsettlingly amusing exploration of the darker elements of masculinity.
Faced with the unenviable choice between honoring his daunting inspiration and telling his own story, the director shoots straight down the middle -- and misses both targets.
Compacted into an 80-minute mishmash of interviews, confessions and sketches, melded into a shaky mosaic, the answers from a cross section of men are shallow, self-serving and ultimately unenlightening.
20
Village Voice
Village Voice
As a film, Brief Interviews With Hideous Men is a disaster.