--- title: "Bombshell: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/bombshell/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/bombshell" critics_score: 58 critics_reviews: 29 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." --- # Bombshell (2019): what the critics said Critics' score 58 from 29 reviews: 11 positive, 8 mixed, 10 negative. The consensus on Bombshell is mixed, with critics more united on the acting than on the film’s account of harassment at Fox News. Praise centres on Charlize Theron’s portrayal of Megyn Kelly and Margot Robbie’s performance as Kayla, while John Lithgow’s Roger Ailes also draws approval. Supportive reviews find the drama brisk, disturbing and emotionally persuasive; even several detractors credit the cast with making individual encounters with abuse compelling. The split is wide over how much the film understands the institution behind those encounters. Variety finds suspense and convincing newsroom detail, whereas Little White Lies condemns the softening of the anchors’ politics and the lack of moral complexity. Reservations elsewhere cluster around shallow analysis, uneven comedy and rushed storytelling. For the more critical reviews, the problem is not making these women sympathetic, but failing to examine their complicity in Fox News’s wider culture and politics. ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 2019. Turan calls the film ferociously entertaining, harrowing, and triumphant. He especially praises the sharp direction and the performances, singling out John Lithgow’s complex portrayal of Roger Ailes. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2019-12-12/bombshell-review-fox-news) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Rating Critic's Pick. 9 December 2019. Gleiberman praises the film as a powerful, suspenseful account of the harassment reckoning at Fox News. He singles out the finely textured newsroom detail and the three lead performances for making the story compelling and emotionally resonant. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/bombshell-review-charlize-theron-nicole-kidman-megyn-kelly-1203426314/) ## Empire — Terri White Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2019. White finds the film an unflinching, empathetic and authentic account of the #MeToo movement. She especially praises Margot Robbie’s portrayal of Kayla, highlighting a disturbing scene that makes the cost of harassment painfully clear. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bombshell/) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Rating 4/5. 17 January 2020. Sexton finds the film intriguing but somewhat unbalanced, with its portrayal of the harassed women and their complicity in Fox News complicating sympathy. He singles out John Lithgow’s fascinating, repellent performance as Roger Ailes for praise. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/bombshell-review-how-life-at-fox-news-became-a-horror-show-a4336876.html) ## Total Film — Kate Stables Rating 4/5. 17 January 2020. Stables finds Bombshell a smart, fast-moving drama with some tonal and structural stumbles. She especially praises Charlize Theron’s compelling performance as Megyn Kelly. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/bombshell-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2019. McCarthy finds the film a smart, snappy and engaging account of Roger Ailes’s downfall, though it does not offer deep analysis. He especially praises the convincing performances and physical transformations of Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and John Lithgow. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/bombshell-review-1254240/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating B-. 9 December 2019. Kohn finds the film cartoonish and overworked but ultimately effective, with a tragicomic soul. He especially praises Charlize Theron’s compelling transformation as Megyn Kelly and the film’s insight into women taking a stand against abuse. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/bombshell-review-charlize-theron-megyn-kelly-1202195314/) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be accessed, so its verdict and specific praise or criticism cannot be verified. The available page information identifies it as a review of the 2019 film Bombshell. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bombshell-movie-review-2019) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2019. The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also provides no specific praise or complaint beyond the film’s premise. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/bombshell-review/5144827.article) ## The i Paper — Demetrios Matheou Rating ★★★. 17 January 2020. The review finds the film powerful but ultimately limited. It singles out Margot Robbie’s heartbreakingly good performance while criticizing the film for not delving deeper into office politics. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/bombshell-review-margot-robbie-is-heartbreakingly-good-in-a-metoo-drama-thats-powerful-but-only-to-a-point-386899) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 3/5. 10 December 2019. The review finds the film’s portrayal of Fox News cartoonish despite its real-life rage. It singles out Charlize Theron’s performance as a standout. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/bombshell) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2019. Lane finds “Bombshell” forceful but hastily assembled, with its fact-fiction blend sitting uneasily. He praises Charlize Theron’s commanding performance, while faulting the film’s rushed, choppy treatment of its subject. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/12/23/bombshell-and-the-perils-of-topicality) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2019. Bradshaw finds the film insightful but uneven, with its critique weakened by strained performances and a muddled attitude toward its protagonists. He praises its depiction of sexual harassment and bullying as connected forms of corporate coercion. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/dec/09/bombshell-review-margot-robbie-charlize-theron-nicole-kidman) ## Little White Lies — Sophie Monks Kaufman Rating 3/2/1. 13 January 2020. The critic sharply condemns the film as disingenuous and politically evasive. She singles out its airbrushing of the anchors’ politics and its failure to give its female characters moral complexity. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/bombshell) ## Slant Magazine — Michael Joshua Rowin Rating 1.5/4. 9 December 2019. The critic finds the film too irreverent and narrow to deliver a meaningful critique of Roger Ailes’s criminality. He praises the performances, especially the actors’ portrayals of the women’s complicated experiences, but faults the film for reducing systemic sexism to Fox News and elite legal maneuvering. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-bombshell-is-a-collection-of-quirks-in-search-of-a-trenchant-criticism/) ## Sight and Sound — Pamela Hutchinson Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 15 January 2020. Hutchinson finds the film slick and over-explanatory, though its performances make it compelling. She particularly praises the women-only lift scene for conveying the mechanics of the media business. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/bombshell-review-rote-walk-through-fox-news-scandal) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 2019. Willmore finds the film a misbegotten, uneven drama whose flashes of insight cannot overcome its unearned inspirational ending. She praises its occasional attention to conservative white feminism, while faulting its failure to confront Fox News’s complicity in the politics it depicts. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2019/12/movie-review-bombshell-with-charlize-theron-nicole-kidman.html) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 2019. Kermode finds the film finely crafted and well told, despite occasional missteps. She particularly praises its acting ensemble and the performances that bring the characters to life. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/bombshell-2019-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## HeyUGuys Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film timely, engaging, and largely successful despite reservations about its comedic elements. They single out the performances of Theron, Kidman, and Robbie, as well as Lithgow’s portrayal of Ailes. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/bombshell-review-charlize-theron/) ## Den of Geek — Natalie Zutter Rating 3.5/5. 9 December 2019. The critic finds the film compelling and vital to the #MeToo conversation, despite its subjects sometimes receiving too soft a touch. She especially praises its ability to make women across an ideological divide sympathetic, alongside the performances and transformative makeup. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/bombshell-review-margot-robbie/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the film both entertaining and depressing, praising its deft handling of a difficult tone. It singles out Charlize Theron’s nuanced performance and Margot Robbie’s heartbreaking portrayal. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/bombshell-review-charlize-theron-2598012) ## Film Stories — Simon Brew Rating [3Stars]. 17 January 2020. The review finds the film competently told but too safe and insufficiently angry. It praises the strong performances while faulting the shallow treatment of supporting characters and Fox News culture. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/bombshell-review/) ## /Film — Hoai-Tran Bui Rating 5/10. 13 December 2019. Bui finds the film shallow and overly sympathetic to its female anchors, failing to reckon with the controversy’s complexity. She praises Margot Robbie and Kate McKinnon’s scenes together, while criticizing the film for sidelining Gretchen Carlson’s experience. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/571082/bombshell-review/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating D+. 9 December 2019. Goldberg finds the film muddled and superficial, with little insight into either Fox News or workplace harassment. He criticizes its emphasis on celebrity impersonations, which distracts from understanding the people and institution it portrays. [Read the review](https://collider.com/bombshell-review-charlize-theron-megyn-kelly/) ## The Skinny — Jamie Dunn Rating ★★. 16 January 2020. Dunn finds the film glib and shallow, ultimately saying it fizzles out. He praises Charlize Theron’s impressive impersonation of Megyn Kelly. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/bombshell) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2019. The critic finds the film compelling but overstuffed and tonally scattershot, with its explosive story never fully detonating. They praise Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie, especially Robbie’s performance in Kayla’s first encounter with Ailes. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/bombshell-film-review-charlize-theron-margot-robbie-nicole-kidman/) ## Consequence — Brett Arnold Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2019. The critic finds the film messy and ultimately ineffective in its attempt to portray women challenging Fox News. They praise Margot Robbie’s fictional character’s storyline as the film’s most compelling and chilling material. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2019/12/film-review-bombshell/) ## Digital Spy — Gabriella Geisinger Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 14 January 2020. Geisinger finds the film’s account too narrow and its treatment of white feminism discomforting. She particularly criticizes its glossing over Megyn Kelly’s racist comments and the broader impact of Fox News. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a30443829/bombshell-racist-megyn-kelly-white-feminism/) ## Polygon — Jesse Hassenger Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2019. The critic finds Bombshell stylish but ultimately superficial, with little point of view beyond condemning harassment. Charlize Theron’s uncanny performance and Margot Robbie’s solid turn provide some star-powered electricity. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/2019/12/11/21011349/bombshell-review-jay-roach-charlize-theron-kate-mckinnon-margot-robbie-big-short-laundromat/) --- © 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/bombshell.md