50
Metascore
31 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanThe cast is a pitch-perfect assemblage of pretty young things, but James Van Der Beek, as a slit-eyed dorm stud, proves that he can be an actor of cruel force.
- 80Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversRules needs that dose of hilarity. Ellis' satire, filtered through Avary's harsh lens, is hard to stomach, harder to ignore.
- 70Dallas ObserverRobert WilonskyDallas ObserverRobert WilonskyFor all its kinetic energy, for all its camera tricks, for all its dark humor, there's still something a bit off about these Rules, and it's not really Avary's fault.
- 70Washington PostStephen HunterWashington PostStephen HunterThe movie feels more like a walk across campus than a movie. That's so depressing. On the other hand, each of these lost children is really looking for the same thing, ol' Mr. Love.
- 63Boston GlobeTy BurrBoston GlobeTy BurrIf there's one thing Avary gets right, it's the brutal use-or-be-used approach to interpersonal relations that Ellis laid out with numbing detail, and James Van Der Beek is down to the challenge as Sean Bateman: horndog, cokehead, ceramics major, and all-around jerk.
- 60VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasGets an ambitious, sometimes inspired but ultimately less than satisfying screen treatment from Roger Avary.
- 50Miami HeraldRene RodriguezMiami HeraldRene RodriguezHollow and pointless.
- 50Philadelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyPhiladelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyAlthough it would be understatement to call their characters unsympathetic, Van Der Beek and Sossamon play their parts with such doomed passion that they have some affecting moments.
- 25New York PostJonathan ForemanNew York PostJonathan ForemanLooks and feels like a bad imitation of "Trainspotting" without any of that film's wit or charm.