--- title: "Black Panther: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/black-panther/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/black-panther" critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 22 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." --- # Black Panther (2018): what the critics said Critics' score 82 from 22 reviews: 21 positive, 0 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like it a great deal, and they agree on why. The praise gathers around Wakanda itself: the production and costume design, and an African nation imagined in enough detail to feel like a place rather than a set. Several reviews call it a departure from the usual Marvel pattern, more political and more personal than the studio’s other origin stories. Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger is repeatedly named as a villain with a real argument; Chadwick Boseman and the women of the ensemble come up nearly as often. The reservations are small and familiar. Where critics complain, it is about the climactic battle, which some find as muddled as any other Marvel finale, and a resolution that does not follow its ideas through. The spread is narrow. The one dissenter is Slant Magazine, which grants Coogler’s artistry but finds the story lopsided and reads the acclaim as a sign of how little is expected of superhero films. ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 4/5/4. 9 February 2018. Ryan Coogler delivers Marvel’s best origin story since Iron Man, a daring and insightful superhero movie unshackled from typical MCU constraints. The critic praises the vibrant Afrofuturist world of Wakanda and its roster of strong female characters while noting some underwritten elements in the villain roles. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/black-panther) ## Empire — Jimi Famurewa Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2018. The critic hails it as a giddily enjoyable, convention-bucking epic that blends comic-book blockbuster, espionage thriller and Afro-futurist family saga. He singles out the bottomless invention, big-hearted verve, and how it makes viewers forget its barrier-breaking significance through its ambition and talent. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/black-panther-review-2/) ## Evening Standard — Matthew Norman Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 February 2018. The critic calls the film overdue, impressive, and one of the most political superhero movies ever made. He praises its gorgeous visuals, fun tone, deep engagement with themes of racial oppression and African wealth without becoming didactic, and strong performances especially from Boseman and Jordan. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/black-panther-review-all-hail-king-tchalla-a3762306.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2018. The critic calls it a royally imaginative standout in the MCU, an against-the-grain epic that is intensely personal with characters of integrity and dramatic heft. He singles out the vivid Afrocentric influences and the specificity of the mythical Wakanda for praise. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-ca-mn-black-panther-review-20180206-story.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2018. The critic hails the film as a subversive and uproarious action-adventure that upends African stereotypes and rewrites history through its afrofuturist vision of Wakanda. It singles out the sheer enjoyment and distinctive power of its futuristic elements for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/feb/06/black-panther-review-marvel-wakanda-chadwick-boseman) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2018. The critic praises the confident, assured and athletic filmmaking that keeps multiple ambitious elements in the air. They single out the dignified, dynamic performance from Boseman and the film's handling of scale and spectacle alongside its diverse cast and themes. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/black-panther-review/) ## Sight and Sound — Kelli Weston Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2018. Ryan Coogler's film is a dynamic, electrifying ride with balanced measures of comedy, action and heart, becoming an unusually poignant, political entry in the Marvel franchise. The critic singles out the reverence for ancestors and the deft handling of generational hauntings and Wakanda’s responsibility to the outside world. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/black-panther-review-electrifying-afrofuturist-superhero-movie) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2018. It is a radically different comic-book movie with a proud Afrocentric twist and nearly all-black cast focused on Wakanda that improves on the Marvel formula. The critic singles out the politically engaged villain and Michael B. Jordan’s charismatic performance as Killmonger. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/black-panther-review-1202682942/) ## Radio Times Rating ★★★★. 6 February 2018. Black Panther is a franchise film with a distinct individual identity that wants to mean something to those who watch it. The critic singles out the thoughtful handling of isolationism versus responsibility in the context of real history and the lavish love for African culture. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/black-panther-review-a-franchise-film-with-a-distinct-individual-identity/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2018. Black Panther delivers rousing action and riveting heroism but stands out for its willingness to go its own way with tonal and thematic flourishes that break MCU conventions. The critic praises the earnest variation on typical fare rooted in a desire to speak meaningfully about racism, global culture clashes and responsibility. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/black-panther-review/5126078.article) ## The Telegraph Rating 4/5. 13 February 2018. The review praises the film as a superhero movie with serious muscle and style that offers a fresh perspective on the genre. It highlights the magisterial imagination of Wakanda's production and costume design for particular acclaim. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/black-panther-review-serious-muscle-style-marvels-creative-risk/) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 4/5. 6 February 2018. A huge step in the right direction, 'Black Panther' is a provocative and satisfying reversal of racial paradigms in blockbusters, from top to bottom a conscious reversal. The critic praises the culturally dense production design and deeper subtexts of honor, compassion and destiny, though notes it stumbles on typical Marvel battlefield action. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/black-panther) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2018. It is a blockbuster that succeeds in balancing the rough textures of non-heroic experience with Marvel’s gadget-packed demands, set in an unplundered utopian Wakanda. The critic singles out Michael B. Jordan’s swaggering, charming turn as the nemesis Killmonger for particular praise while noting qualms about its popcorn format. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/26/black-panther-and-early-man) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2018. The critic praises the film's fresh take on the Marvel universe with its hidden African world of advanced technology and royal traditions, noting strong performances especially from supporting cast and inventive action sequences. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/black-panther-review-1080811/) ## Slant Magazine — Keith Uhlich Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 February 2018. The critic acknowledges Coogler's artistry in blending spectacle with themes of race, legacy and community but notes narrative lopsidedness that undercuts the villain's arc and sees the film as an apex of lowered expectations despite its visual and performative delights. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/black-panther/) ## Collider — Haleigh Foutch Rating A-. 6 February 2018. The critic calls it Marvel's boldest and one of its best films, a vital moment in cinema history and heartfelt exploration of colonialism's scars and healing through an insular, richly detailed Wakanda. She singles out the strong ensemble especially the warrior women and the worthy, empathetic villain Killmonger for praise while noting minor flaws from the Marvel formula. [Read the review](https://collider.com/black-panther-review-chadwick-boseman/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2018. The critic calls it Marvel's greatest superhero movie yet and a dazzling film with real social value. He singles out Chadwick Boseman's performance as T'Challa along with the strong ensemble cast and diverse production team. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2018/02/black-panther-review-marvel-chadwick-boseman-michael-b-jordan-disney-1202279233/) ## NME — Olly Richards Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 February 2018. The review calls it the best Marvel movie yet, a smart and energetic standalone story with bold cultural commentary, stunning design, and joyful Afrocentricity from director Coogler. It highlights the film's importance as a statement on representation in blockbusters and its rewatchable entertainment value. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/black-panther-film-review-2239011) ## The Ringer — K. Austin Collins Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2018. The critic hails it as Marvel’s first genuine masterpiece, richer and more complex than expected with a fantastical world that raises real questions about history, isolationism, and Wakanda's meaning to black people everywhere. He praises Coogler's direction, the powerful performances, and the symbolic beauty of the world-building. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2018/02/14/movies/black-panther-film-review-marvel-ryan-coogler-michael-b-jordan-chadwick-boseman) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 February 2018. The review finds the film mostly rousing and thrillingly alive, praising its introduction of fascinating supporting characters. It singles out the strong female roles and the vivid costumes and music for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/black-panther-film-review-mcu/) ## The Playlist — Kevin Jagernauth Rating B+. 6 February 2018. The critic praises the film's rich political and moral texture around identity, legacy, and isolationism, along with strong performances especially from Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger and a compelling hero-villain dynamic. They note some issues with messy action sequences, over-reliance on futuristic tech, and a somewhat simplistic resolution that doesn't fully explore its ideas. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/black-panther-review-20180206/) ## Den of Geek — Don Kaye Rating 4 out of 5. 16 February 2018. The review praises the film as an excellent, culturally significant MCU entry with strong direction from Coogler, a superb ensemble cast (especially the women), and a complex, empathetic villain in Killmonger. It notes some pacing issues in the first half and uneven visual effects but concludes it expands the franchise meaningfully. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/black-panther-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/black-panther.md