Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes
Publications list

Empire Magazine

Tomatometer-approved publication.

Prev Next
Rating Title | Year Author Quote
4/5
The History of Sound (2025) Laura Venning A profoundly affecting story of doomed love and lost time that boasts captivating performances from Mescal and O’Connor. Come for the boys, stay for the magic of storytelling through song.
Posted Jan 27, 2026  Edit critic review
2/5
Mercy (2026) Helen O'Hara It has aspirations to be RoboCop but this feels more like autopilot. Pratt is committed and the plotting is sometimes effective, but Rebecca Ferguson’s non-Dredd-ful judge is the only good reason to watch it.
Posted Jan 27, 2026  Edit critic review
4/5
Nouvelle Vague (2025) Ian Freer It might lack the edge of Godard’s own movies but this courses with love for cinema, creativity, youth, Paris and ’60s cool. Film history is rarely this charming.
Posted Jan 27, 2026  Edit critic review
4/5
Send Help (2026) Helen O'Hara Gnarly, gross and delightfully unconventional, this is exactly the kind of Sam Raimi film his fans have been waiting for, carried by a committed, no-holds-barred Rachel McAdams performance.
Posted Jan 27, 2026  Edit critic review
2/5
North (1994) Ian Nathan It's a strange concept -- the search for a better upbringing -- too quirky to be genuinely funny, too disorganised to be genuinely sweet, too edgy to sit comfortably.
Posted Jan 26, 2026  Edit critic review
3/5
North (1994) Angie Errigo This film goes beyond expectations in the weirdness stakes, with Bruce Willis in a rabbit costume proving hard to get over. But Reiner manages to take in a range of influences, meaning this film isn't just out for the kids' approval.
Posted Jan 23, 2026  Edit critic review
3/5
H Is for Hawk (2025) Miriam Balanescu A birdie biopic that’s too keen to avoid ruffling feathers, Lowthorpe’s film still boasts two brilliant lead performances — a magnificent Foy and an even more majestic Mabel.
Posted Jan 22, 2026  Edit critic review
5/5
No Other Choice (2025) Jake Cunningham Cut it, print it. These are brutal executions, brilliantly executed. Director Park has said he wants No Other Choice to be his “masterpiece” and he may well have done it. Hopefully he won’t be jobless any time soon.
Posted Jan 22, 2026  Edit critic review
3/5
Rental Family (2025) Beth Webb The execution doesn’t always keep up with the premise, but Fraser is an affable guiding light in this crowdpleaser about the complexities of connection.
Posted Jan 17, 2026  Edit critic review
4/5
The Rip (2026) John Nugent A gripping, zig-zaggy potboiler, this is a crime thriller in the old-school tradition, with some enjoyable turns from Boston’s finest, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
Posted Jan 17, 2026  Edit critic review
4/5
The Voice of Hind Rajab (2025) John Nugent About as powerful as cinema gets. Its hybrid blend of documentary audio and devastating dramatisation is heart-wrenchingly, shatteringly effective.
Posted Jan 17, 2026  Edit critic review
2/5
Giant (2025) Amon Warmann Despite good performances from El-Masry and Brosnan, this fails to pack the heavyweight knockout punch it sorely needs. Judge’s decision: a narrow loss, on points. 
Posted Jan 14, 2026  Edit critic review
4/5
The Extraordinary Miss Flower (2025) John Nugent A true original: an impressionistic portrait of a lost life, recreated in multiple forms with a gorgeous soundtrack. Odd, but unique.
Posted Jan 14, 2026  Edit critic review
4/5
Peter Hujar's Day (2025) Miriam Balanescu Paying fitting tribute to a photography legend, this slice-of-life film is a delectable treat, with among the best marriages of the ordinary and the transcendent since Perfect Days. 
Posted Jan 14, 2026  Edit critic review
5/5
The Magnificent Seven (1960) Kim Newman ...The Magnificent Seven was the beginning of a trend to which we owe Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars...
Posted Jan 14, 2026  Edit critic review
4/5
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Olly Richards Simpler, but also bolder and bloodier, than its predecessor, The Bone Temple is a more-than-worthy sequel.
Posted Jan 13, 2026  Edit critic review
3/5
A Place in the Sun (1951) David Parkinson The film's political naivete was reinforced by William Mellor's glossy lighting of Hans Dreier's platitudinous sets, while its dramatic vulgarity was emphasised by Franz Waxman's bombastic score.
Posted Jan 13, 2026  Edit critic review
5/5
Stand by Me (1986) Emma Cochrane It's hard to tell if the four young actors are all geniuses or just perfectly cast, but the performances are never short of real, and if some of the key scenes don't have you choking back tears, you are without a soul.
Posted Jan 12, 2026  Edit critic review
4/5
Hamnet (2025) John Nugent With strong performances in service to a clear, confident vision from Chloé Zhao, this is a wrenching contemplation of the “undiscovered country” of death and grief.
Posted Jan 09, 2026  Edit critic review
2/5
Anaconda (2025) Matt Glasby Boasting more star power than all the Anacondas put together, but noticeably fewer laughs, what could have been a fresh take on familiar material ends up a regurgitated mess.
Posted Jan 09, 2026  Edit critic review
5/5
Out of the Past (1947) Kim Newman Perfect example of the Noir genre replete with shadowy stylistic visuals and rotten but charming characters.
Posted Jan 08, 2026  Edit critic review
2/5
House of Spoils (2024) Leila Latif Despite Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose's best efforts, this fine-dining horror only elicits a few scares. The food looks delicious, and the knife skills are on point, but genre fans will likely want to eat elsewhere.
Posted Jan 05, 2026  Edit critic review
2/5
The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025) Helen O'Hara It’s relentless and exhausting for adults, but kids and die-hard SpongeBob fans may find something to love here as the consistently cheery fry cook once again out-dimwits a dastardly foe.
Posted Dec 24, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Song Sung Blue (2025) Laura Venning As absurd as their story is, it’s hard not to be won over by Lightning & Thunder. You will have ‘Sweet Caroline’ stuck in your head for what feels an eternity afterwards, though.
Posted Dec 24, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Sentimental Value (2025) Emily Maskell A fantastic showcase for Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård, and another strong piece from director Joachim Trier, this is a moving drama that lingers long.
Posted Dec 24, 2025  Edit critic review
2/5
Hook (1991) William Thomas How did such a dream project on paper turn out so wrong. It should remain one of the great mysteries of cinema. The less said about this one, the better. For Spielberg completists only.
Posted Dec 18, 2025  Edit critic review
2/5
The Housemaid (2025) Olly Richards Great houses, shame about the plotting. The sort of glossy nonsense you might happily half-watch on a lazy Sunday.
Posted Dec 17, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) Ben Travis Anyone hoping for a seismic shift in the overall saga should recalibrate their expectations. Still, this is about the most spectacular spectacle you could ever ask for -- utterly transportive, technically masterful.
Posted Dec 16, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Christine (1983) Kim Newman This John Carpenter film is more like an assembly line vehicle than a customised job, but is nevertheless a slick, entertaining piece of work.
Posted Dec 15, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Goodbye June (2025) Helen O'Hara A strong directorial debut from Winslet with — as you’d expect — stellar performances from her cast. It might be the perfect antidote to other, overly saccharine Christmas films.
Posted Dec 12, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Dreamers (2025) Amon Warmann A bold and tender story well told, and elevated by its personal nature. This is a strong debut from Gharoro-Akpojotor — she’s one to watch.
Posted Dec 12, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Eleanor the Great (2025) Helen O'Hara The plot is predictable and the look unmemorable, but Johansson has nevertheless crafted a pleasingly old-fashioned character piece with just enough bite to balance its emotion.
Posted Dec 12, 2025  Edit critic review
2/5
Ella McCay (2025) John Nugent An odd, messy, misjudged shambles. You can’t fault the earnest tone or the plucky performances, but you can fault almost everything else.
Posted Dec 12, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) Kim Newman Just the right recipe for a seasonal horror cocktail — gruesome kills, proper suspense, sly wit, likeable leads and a dose of just deserts for very, very bad boys and girls.
Posted Dec 12, 2025  Edit critic review
2/5
Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (2025) Ian Freer It huffs and puffs to entertain but Five Nights At Freddy’s 2 falls flat on most levels. Animatronic chickens wreaking havoc should be much more fun.
Posted Dec 08, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Jay Kelly (2025) Laura Venning It’s a real pleasure to be whisked across the world by Baumbach, but perhaps this cinematic glass of Prosecco goes down rather too easily.
Posted Dec 08, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Eternity (2025) Iana Murray It may be a tad predictable, but Eternity skirts the trappings of its romcom tropes by elevating the love triangle to a riveting existential quandary.
Posted Dec 08, 2025  Edit critic review
5/5
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair (2006) A.A. Dowd Quentin Tarantino’s thrilling pastiche of Eastern and Western genre tropes returns to cinemas in the form of one massive magnum opus. It’s even better made whole.
Posted Dec 08, 2025  Edit critic review
5/5
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Bob McCabe For the second outing [of Terminator], both Arnie and Cameron knew that everything had to be bigger. And better.
Posted Dec 08, 2025  Edit critic review
5/5
The Terminator (1984) Clark Collis As chillingly efficient in exacting thrills from its audience as its titular character is in executing its targets.
Posted Dec 08, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
The Abyss (1989) Adam Smith It is The Abyss' attempt to go deep that is it's only flaw.
Posted Dec 05, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
The Abyss (1989) Kim Newman For its first two hours or so The Abyss is absolutely great action-man stuff, capitalising on everyone's fear of the deep and the dark.
Posted Dec 05, 2025  Edit critic review
5/5
Marty Supreme (2025) Jamie Graham This uncut gem dazzles, from its spotlit table-tennis contests to its dark portrait of American dreams.
Posted Dec 02, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Desperate Journey (2025) John Nugent A lavish if not especially profound World War II drama, Desperate Journey gets by thanks to its earnest belief in its remarkable protagonist, and the need for his tale to be shared.
Posted Dec 02, 2025  Edit critic review
3/5
Primitive War (2025) Kim Newman An unashamed exploitation movie with teeth, this has all the dinosaur devilry and gung-ho soldiering you could want. There’s even a sweet Tyrannosaur love story in the mix.
Posted Dec 02, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
Train Dreams (2025) John Nugent Haunting, serenely composed and beautiful, this is an elegy for a life and a country that America used to be. 
Posted Dec 02, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
The Ice Tower (2025) Matt Glasby Dusted with magic — and more than a little malevolence — this is one of those films you want sink into on a cold winter’s night.
Posted Dec 02, 2025  Edit critic review
2/5
The Carpenter's Son (2025) John Nugent This is not the messiah. Nor is it a very naughty boy. There was an opportunity for a truly original spin on the so-called Greatest Story Ever Told here, but The Carpenter’s Son pulls its punches to make a rather rote horror that amounts to little.
Posted Dec 02, 2025  Edit critic review
5/5
Pillion (2025) Beth Webb An unconventional love story that finds pathos amid the PVC, this triumphant directorial debut bares so much more than flesh. Bruising and brilliant.
Posted Dec 02, 2025  Edit critic review
4/5
A Desert (2024) Jamie Graham For a movie that opens in an abandoned cinema and possesses a strong meta dimension throughout, it’s only fitting that A Desert proves so potent, its mood and meanings impossible to shake.
Posted Dec 01, 2025  Edit critic review
Prev Next