--- title: "65: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/65/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/65" critics_score: 48 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # 65 (2023): what the critics said Critics' score 48 from 16 reviews: 3 positive, 6 mixed, 7 negative. The reviews lean negative, with fewer than a quarter of critics prepared to recommend it and most landing somewhere between indifference and irritation. Where they agree is on Adam Driver, whose committed lead performance is singled out by admirers and detractors alike as better than the material around him. The dinosaurs earn a second, smaller cluster of praise: several critics find the creature design frightening and the set pieces, particularly the finale, effective. The chief complaint is tone. Many critics feel the film refuses to embrace the silliness of its premise, weighing a stranded pilot and a child down with grief when it should be running from things with teeth. Others call it derivative, cobbled together from better survival pictures. The spread is wide: Empire and Screen Daily find it an efficient, entertaining thriller, while the Los Angeles Times calls it dull and imitative, and The Telegraph thinks the dinosaurs themselves are given short shrift. ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2023. The film is a straightforward, efficient survival thriller that delivers a lean, original studio premise without breaking new ground or relying on franchises. It stands out for its compelling Adam Driver performance, which grounds the B-movie silliness, and its fun, frightening dinosaurs in a handsomely presented package. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/65-movie/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2023. Adam Driver gives a committed performance in this efficient, sprightly popcorn thriller mixing dinosaurs, space travel and a father-daughter story. Terrific CGI monsters and swampy scares make it an entertaining multiplex movie. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/65-review/5180054.article) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 2/3/2. 13 March 2023. The critic finds the film a dire and derivative sci-fi action flop with shoddy execution and lazy world-building. Adam Driver's committed lead performance is singled out as better than the material deserves. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/65) ## Variety — Todd Gilchrist Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2023. Though derivative and cobbled from better films, the adventure delivers requisite thrills thanks to Driver's committed performance and menacing dinosaurs, feeling pleasantly diverting in its brevity despite lacking originality. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/65-review-adam-driver-scott-beck-bryan-woods-1235548659/) ## The AV Club — Manuel Betancourt Rating C. 9 March 2023. The critic finds the film self-serious and exhausting despite its premise. He singles out the predictable action set pieces and lack of surprises as the main complaint. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/65-review-adam-driver-fights-off-dinosaurs-1850209872) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2023. The critic finds the film a ho-hum, unremarkable survival movie that is not as bad as its troubled release history suggested but ultimately misses the mark. It is efficiently made in places thanks to Adam Driver’s commitment and some decent jeopardy, but relies too heavily on ineffective jump scares and fails to deliver the silly B-movie fun promised by its premise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/09/65-review-adam-driver-dinosaurs) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2023. The film is neither truly terrible nor halfway interesting, offering familiar dangers without awe, suspense or surprise as Driver's character runs a gauntlet of dinosaurs and other perils on ancient Earth. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/09/movies/65-review-adam-driver.html) ## The Telegraph Rating 2/5. 10 March 2023. Adam Driver does his best in this late-Cretaceous romp, but the whole thing feels fatally underpowered and the dinosaurs cruelly underfed. The cheerfully silly concept is not the problem, but nervous recuts, a damp-squib ending and dinosaurs rarely shown to their best advantage leave it disappointing. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/65-review-tyrannosaurus-wrecked/) ## Radio Times — Kevin Harley Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). The promising mix of dinosaurs and Adam Driver fails to ignite in this underwhelming and derivative sci-fi survival thriller. The action sequences are half-baked and the film has precious few ideas of its own. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-0kdpj3/65/) ## RogerEbert.com — Christy Lemire Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2023. The critic finds the film boring despite its wild premise of Adam Driver fighting dinosaurs on prehistoric Earth. It fails to embrace B-movie silliness, with repetitive action, underdeveloped characters and a blandly heroic lead performance. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/65-movie-review-2023) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2023. The critic deems the film not good and unengaging despite nonstop dino action. He singles out its mangled badness as oddly compelling while criticizing the confusing premise and lack of engagement. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2023/03/65-movie-review-is-adam-driver-an-alien-in-this-movie.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 9 March 2023. The movie is a pedestrian, dumb and dull hack job that is imitative and complacent rather than weird or wondrous about its extinction-level premise. It lacks visual breadth and compositional tension. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-03-09/review-65-adam-driver-dinosaur-space-science-fiction) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck 9 March 2023. The critic calls it a middling throwback creature feature. He singles out the novelty of Driver using high-tech weaponry against the dinosaurs for praise while noting the overall low-rent feel compared to recent sci-fi blockbusters. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/65-review-adam-driver-1235347167/) ## The Playlist — Simon Thompson Rating B-. 9 March 2023. The critic calls it a decent but formulaic sci-fi action thriller that lacks sustained tension yet excels in its exhilarating third act and finale. Special effects and creature design are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/65-review-a-decent-but-formulaic-sci-fi-action-thriller-that-delivers-a-third-act-worth-waiting-for-20230309/) ## /Film — Sarah Milner Rating 6/10. 10 March 2023. The critic finds the film delivers on dinosaur scares and action sequences but suffers from weak writing, a stale story, and thin characters. Driver's performance is praised for adding depth through body language. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/1223821/65-review-adam-driver-sci-fi-thriller-delivers-on-dinosaur-scares-but-not-much-else/) ## Consequence — Clint Worthington Rating C-. 10 March 2023. The film is a shoddy, somber sci-fi thriller where Adam Driver spends more time sulking than shooting dinosaurs. Some handsome staging and spectacle are noted, but the action is clunky and the CG unconvincing. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2023/03/65-review-adam-driver/) ## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2023. The film fails to deliver on its high-concept premise of a stranded pilot battling dinosaurs 65 million years ago, resulting in a tonal misfire that mixes grief themes with blockbuster action unsuccessfully. The standout cave set piece with dinosaur tension shows potential, but overall it is a jurassic dud. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a43226621/65-review-adam-driver/) ## Paste — Brianna Zigler Rating 3.5. 10 March 2023. The movie fails to embrace its goofy B-movie premise and instead awkwardly grounds it with emotion, resulting in tedium. Driver's yelling and the final dinosaur sequence are singled out positively amid the flaws. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/adam-driver/65-review) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/65.md