--- title: "About a Boy: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/about-a-boy/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/about-a-boy" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 13 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." --- # About a Boy (2002): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 13 reviews: 6 positive, 7 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews lean towards approval rather than outright enthusiasm, with positive and mixed assessments but no negative verdicts. Hugh Grant is the clearest point of agreement: critics repeatedly praise his comic timing and controlled portrayal of Will, even when the film itself wins only qualified approval. Nicholas Hoult also earns praise for his performance and chemistry with Grant. The warmer accounts find the comedy funny, irreverent and refreshingly unsentimental, with an unlikely friendship that gives the coming-of-age story its appeal. The main divide concerns how successfully the humour and emotion work together. Digital Spy finds the storytelling both hilarious and affecting, while Variety considers it pleasant but short on laughs and emotional involvement, finding the emotional climax manufactured. The Guardian admires Grant’s intelligence but misses his earlier comic energy and questions the film’s earnestness. The spread is appreciable rather than polarised, though several partial reviews offer too little accessible detail to establish their reasoning. ## Radio Times — Lorien Haynes Rating 4/5. The review is positive about this British adaptation. It singles out Hugh Grant’s excellent performance as Will. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-c8w5yf/about-a-boy/) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 26 April 2002. The critic calls it a pleasingly skewed, very funny British comedy that delivers an enjoyable take on coming of age. They praise the chemistry between Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult, along with Hoult’s performance and the film’s irreverent humor. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/about-a-boy-review/) ## Empire — Colin Kennedy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2010. Kennedy finds the comedy-drama admirably unsentimental and consistently funny, with its positives outweighing its flaws. He singles out Hugh Grant’s finely calibrated comic performance, while noting that the supporting cast cannot match him gag for gag. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/boy-2-review/) ## The New York Times — A. O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 2002. The review is broadly positive about the film’s comic take on an unlikely friendship. It singles out Hugh Grant’s performance as a highlight. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/17/movies/film-review-peter-pan-meets-another-lost-boy.html) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The review is broadly positive, though it finds the women less successful than the central character. It especially praises Hugh Grant’s comic timing and performance. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/sex-and-the-single-mum-7432823.html) ## Screen Daily — Sheila Johnston Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 18 March 2002. The page identifies this as a review, but the accessible text does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also does not show what the critic singled out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/about-a-boy/408661.article) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2002. The archive identifies a review of “About a Boy” but does not show the critic’s verdict. It provides no praise or complaint about the film’s particulars. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/06/03) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The accessible page identifies this as a film review, but provides no verdict in the available text. Its metadata highlights the surprise of the directors’ previous work and Robert De Niro’s producing involvement. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/about-a-boy) ## Slant Magazine — Alexa Camp Rating 2.5/4. 8 May 2002. The review finds the film whimsically enchanting. It praises the clever performances by Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult, and singles out Toni Collette for bringing cheer to depression and suicide. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/about-a-boy/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 26 April 2002. Bradshaw finds the film watchable and Grant’s performance serious and intelligent, but misses the comic energy of his earlier work. He praises Grant’s portrayal of Will’s blankness while faulting the earnestness and sketchy treatment of Will’s relationship with his father. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/apr/26/2002inreview) ## Variety — Derek Elley Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 28 March 2002. Elley finds the film pleasant and engaging, but not especially funny or emotionally involving. He praises Hugh Grant’s comic performance while faulting the film’s emotional climax as manufactured. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2002/film/awards/about-a-boy-1200550577/) ## Digital Spy — Daniel Saney Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 March 2006. The review finds the film hilarious and emotionally affecting, praising its grounded, heartwarming storytelling. It singles out Hugh Grant’s performance and character progression as especially strong. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a30085/about-a-boy/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 24 April 2002. The critic finds the film surprisingly funny, unsentimental, and enjoyable. They praise the actors’ natural comic performances, especially Hugh Grant’s work as Will. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/about-a-boy-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © 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/about-a-boy.md