--- title: "American Beauty: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/american-beauty/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/american-beauty" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 12 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." --- # American Beauty (1999): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 12 reviews: 11 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics greet American Beauty warmly: eleven of the twelve reviews are positive, and the praise gathers in the same places. Kevin Spacey’s lead performance is singled out again and again for its wit and control. Alan Ball’s script is credited with holding sharp satire and real affection for its characters together, and Sam Mendes’s direction is judged assured for a first film. Several reviews also pick out Annette Bening and Conrad Hall’s cinematography. The spread is narrow but not unanimous. The cooler notices find it a shade too neat: Time Out thinks it too pat to be revelatory and unconvincing as suspense, and the Guardian admits some redundancy and naivety. The one outright dissent comes from Slant Magazine, writing two years after release, which calls the portrait of suburbia cartoonish and the direction slick, while still crediting Bening. How well the film ages is the question the later reviews raise. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 4/4. 24 September 1999. Ebert views the film as both comedy and tragedy, centering on a middle-aged man's rebellion against his unloved, unrespected life and his pursuit of fleeting freedom and beauty. He singles out Kevin Spacey's intelligent performance and the ensemble's balance of parody and realism, while noting the story's emphasis on sadness and loneliness over cruelty. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/american-beauty-1999) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls it an exceptional, achingly funny and bitingly moving debut from Sam Mendes that explores ordinary Americans going off the rails. Kevin Spacey's richly textured lead performance is singled out for particular praise alongside the film's devotion to humanity and love. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/american-beauty-review/) ## Sight and Sound — Kevin Jackson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2000. The critic finds the film a brilliantly executed satire that transcends its clichéd suburban midlife-crisis premise through nuanced performances and tonal shifts. Kevin Spacey’s lead turn and Sam Mendes’ assured direction are singled out as making it a genuine surprise and ensemble triumph. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/291) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 1999. The film moves from sharp satirical riffs on suburban conformity to a vision of the sublime, offering redemption through appreciation of hidden beauty. It is called a rich, brilliant, and unnerving work, with praise for the direction, cinematography, and Kevin Spacey's performance. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/09/20/transcending-the-suburbs) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 September 1999. The critic hails the film's successful balance between mordant satire and bright affection for its characters in curdled suburbia. Kevin Spacey's witty, agile performance and Sam Mendes's visual flair are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/09/15/movies/film-review-dad-s-dead-and-he-s-still-a-funny-guy.html) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 1999. The film is an acerbic, darkly comic critique of social conventions leading to sterile lives, called a real American original and stunning debut for writer Alan Ball and director Sam Mendes. The multilayered script, sure-handed direction, and exceptional ensemble cast are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/american-beauty-1117752118/) ## IndieWire Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 1999. Festival review. The critic praises the film's savage wit and strong performances in this Toronto festival preview. It highlights the sharp satire and ensemble work as standout elements. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/toronto-review-american-beauty-showcases-pageant-of-savage-wit-82093/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2000. The critic finds Sam Mendes's debut an exhilaratingly intelligent and formally brilliant suburban satire despite some redundancy and naivety. Spacey and Bening deliver standout performances as the central unhappy couple. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jan/28/4) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 September 1999. The review describes an unsettling, unnerving dark comedy that avoids easy categorization, energized by bravura performances from Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. Sam Mendes's provocative debut direction and Conrad Hall's cinematography are highlighted as key strengths. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-15-ca-10492-story.html) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The review calls it a polished, acerbic social satire with countercultural leanings, praising Alan Ball’s screenplay for balancing wit and compassion and Mendes for guiding an artful path between desire and self-disgust. It notes the film is a shade too pat to be revelatory and unconvincing as suspense. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/american-beauty) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 1. 17 August 2001. The critic finds the film does not age well and calls its portrait of suburban life cartoonish, while noting some strong performances especially from Annette Bening. The direction and screenplay are faulted for being overly slick and smutty. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/american-beauty/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. The critic praises the script's devastating yet funny attack on middle-class American psyche, highlighting the humor, horror, and strong performances. It singles out the film's imaginative direction and broad scope covering dysfunction. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/american-beauty-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/american-beauty.md