47
Metascore
18 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichBeing Charlie may not be the definitive cinematic portrait of addiction, but it's the first Rob Reiner movie since "The American President" to palpably convey what it feels like to be anybody.
- 70VarietyAndrew BarkerVarietyAndrew BarkerBeing Charlie is far from a home run, but it’s the kind of solidly struck single after a string of strikeouts that can be just the thing to help set a veteran back on track.
- 67The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloBeing Charlie is Rob Reiner’s best film in at least two decades — admittedly a low bar to clear, given the competition (which includes such forgotten piffle as Alex & Emma and Rumor Has It…), but even a modest Meathead comeback is more than welcome.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThe Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinSome viewers might find that very cognitive dissonance interesting in itself, but many others may struggle to connect with a story that's essentially about an assortment of extremely entitled, self-absorbed people who ultimately have little new to say about addiction, families or the process of recovery.
- 50Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversMany a road to movie hell is paved with good intentions. To that list of lost causes add Being Charlie, a well-meaning study of addiction that hits too many banal beats to snap us to attention.
- 50New York PostSara StewartNew York PostSara StewartGood intentions aside, it fails to resonate, though there is a certain voyeuristic intrigue to attempting to figure out how much of this toxic stuff is drawn from the real Reiners.
- 40New York Daily NewsStephen WhittyNew York Daily NewsStephen WhittyTo be fair, Being Charlie has some action and a few good jokes. It's not completely unwatchable. It's certainly better than Reiner's last few awful movies.
- 40Village VoiceApril WolfeVillage VoiceApril WolfeIf Charlie were just unlikable, it all might be palatable and even fun. But his behavior draws more of an eye-roll than a laugh or a snarl, despite Robinson's confident, believable performance.
- 40The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThe movie’s refusal to abandon commercial formulas and examine its characters’ inner lives suggests that the director’s years inside the Hollywood bubble may have prevented him from recognizing the degree to which independent films and television are already overrun with deeper, more sensitive explorations of addiction and recovery.
- 25Slant MagazineElise NakhnikianSlant MagazineElise NakhnikianMost of the film's characters are unconvincing, flattened out by Charlie's self-focused lens.