49
Metascore
20 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyEntertainment WeeklyChris NashawatySon of a Gun becomes a somewhat predictable but excitingly twisty heist film involving a double-dealing Russian heavy, a desperate femme fatale, and a fortune in gold bars. It has just enough muscle and style to make the familiar feel fresh.
- 60The DissolveKate ErblandThe DissolveKate ErblandBolstered by strong performances and a tight narrative, Son Of A Gun is an admirable debut film from Avery, and a worthy new entry into Australia’s burgeoning class of crime features.
- 50The PlaylistOliver LytteltonThe PlaylistOliver LytteltonAvery can't commit to whether he's making a gritty "Animal Kingdom"-style crime picture, or a light caper film, and the final result is wonky in the extreme, particularly in the conclusion, which feels particularly muddled.
- 50Village VoiceAmy NicholsonVillage VoiceAmy NicholsonLike so many meathead action thrillers, it's too busy fogging the windows with hot air to see the big picture.
- 50Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThe milieu — coastal-industrial Australia — is interesting, with its stoner arms dealers and crazed thugs of every age. But what sells Son of a Gun is McGregor’s presence and performance, a guy using and mentoring a gullible but gutsy young man, trying to impart the wisdom of the wizened con to the kid.
- 50New York PostSara StewartNew York PostSara StewartSon of a Gun, from first-time feature director Julius Avery, begins with an enticingly dark first act in jail, but descends steadily downward into a mass of clichés.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonThe Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonWhile Avery handles the kinetic action set-piece with impressive swagger for a first-timer, his self-penned screenplay is a major weak point.
- 40New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanWithout Ewan McGregor in the lead, this flashy but aggressively superficial Aussie thriller would likely disappear without a trace.
- 38Slant MagazineSlant MagazineThe film has the requisite iconography of a crime thriller, but no investment in any of it.