---
title: "Cyrano: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/cyrano/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/cyrano"
critics_score: 70
critics_reviews: 25
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."
---

# Cyrano (2021): what the critics said

Critics' score 70 from 25 reviews: 17 positive, 7 mixed, 1 negative.

Most critics respond warmly to Cyrano, with Peter Dinklage’s performance providing the clearest point of agreement. The reviews repeatedly praise his charisma, vulnerability and ability to make the familiar character’s longing feel immediate. Joe Wright’s direction also wins support for its inventive staging, while the costumes, pastel colours and graceful movement give the romance much of its appeal. For its admirers, the musical approach makes the story moving despite an uneven pace.

Reservations cluster around the songs: some critics find them stirring, while others hear few memorable hooks or feel the numbers interrupt the drama. Several reviews describe a slow, overly ornate film whose emotional force takes too long to emerge. The spread is wide, from enthusiastic support to one pronounced rejection. The New Yorker objects that bombast replaces poetic imagination and that this Cyrano lacks the character’s defining wit and rage.

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 92/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2022. 

Ebiri calls the film a delicate, deeply romantic dream that turns unrequited love into a moving, expansive experience. He especially praises Peter Dinklage’s expressive performance and the film’s sensual use of song, movement, and letters.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-joe-wrights-cyrano-starring-peter-dinklage.html)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Rating Critics Pick. 4 September 2021. Festival review. 

The critic praises the film as a fresh, poetic reinvention of the romantic classic. He especially singles out Joe Wright’s inventive direction and visually dazzling staging.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/cyrano-review-peter-dinklage-joe-wright-1235055301/)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Rating 4/5. 24 February 2022. 

The review finds the musical romance slow to come alive but ultimately moving and worthwhile. It praises Peter Dinklage’s performance and singing, while criticizing the wait for the film’s emotional force to emerge.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/cyrano-movie-review-peter-dinklage-haley-bennett-joe-wright-musical-b984344.html)

## Little White Lies — Leila Latif

Rating 3/4/3. 23 February 2022. 

Latif finds the adaptation charismatic and enjoyable but ultimately insubstantial. She praises its vivid pastel visuals, exquisite costumes and graceful dance numbers.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/cyrano)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Farber

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2021. Festival review. 

Farber calls the musical one of the year’s highlights and Joe Wright’s best film, despite some problematic elements. He especially praises the stunning visuals and the emotional force of Dinklage and Bennett’s final scene.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/cyrano-telluride-2021-1235009647/)

## The AV Club — Mike D'Angelo

Rating B. 14 December 2021. 

D’Angelo finds this Cyrano solid, with an inspired musical concept undermined by Peter Dinklage’s limited singing. He especially praises Dinklage’s nuanced acting in the scene where Cyrano realizes Roxanne loves Christian.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/peter-dinklage-and-his-perfectly-ordinary-nose-make-for-1848214191)

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2022. 

Chang finds the musical sweet, earnest and intermittently enchanting, though its retelling can feel uneven. He singles out Peter Dinklage’s soulful, vulnerable performance as the film’s sustaining strength.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-02-24/cyrano-review-peter-dinklage-joe-wright)

## Empire — Ian Freer

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 February 2022. 

Freer finds the adaptation eccentric and occasionally over-ornate, but inventive, visually lush, and worth seeing. He singles out Peter Dinklage’s vulnerable, charismatic performance as the film’s anchor.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cyrano/)

## IndieWire — David Ehrlich

Rating B-. 3 September 2021. Festival review. 

Ehrlich finds the film eccentric and only intermittently effective, though its boldness and Dinklage’s performance make it worth singing about. He particularly praises Dinklage’s poignant portrayal of Cyrano’s self-doubt, while faulting the musical numbers for lacking memorable hooks.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/cyrano-review-peter-dinklage-1234662047/)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2021. 

The standfirst signals a positive verdict on Joe Wright’s musical adaptation. It singles out Peter Dinklage as stealing the show.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/cyrano-review/5163444.article)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 February 2022. 

Bradshaw finds the film slower and more solemn than expected, but considers Dinklage persuasive and captivating in the title role. He singles out Dinklage’s natural charisma and piercing commitment as the film’s strengths.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/feb/23/cyrano-review-peter-dinklage-joe-wright)

## The i Paper — Christina Newland

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 February 2022. 

Newland finds Cyrano enjoyable and beautifully crafted, though it lacks momentum and lasting impact. She singles out Peter Dinklage’s charismatic, melancholic performance as the film’s chief strength.

[Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/cyrano-de-bergerac-review-peter-dinklage-musical-joe-wright-haley-bennett-1482154)

## Radio Times — Kelly-Anne Taylor

Rating 3/5. 

Taylor calls it a palatable adaptation, though the songs succeed unevenly. She singles out Peter Dinklage’s Cyrano and the musical transformation of the play, while noting variable success in adapting the letters into songs.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-blcgcs/cyrano/)

## Time Out — Cathy Brennan

Rating 3/5. 10 February 2022. 

The review presents this as an earnest musical adaptation, with Peter Dinklage a hero to root for. It singles out his charisma as the film’s strength.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/cyrano-2021)

## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen

Rating 2/4. 15 December 2021. 

Bowen finds the film overindulgent and insufficiently attentive to the play’s emotional core. He praises the finale’s piercing sadness and Peter Dinklage’s affecting performance.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/cyrano-review-joe-wright-peter-dinklage/)

## The New Yorker — Richard Brody

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2022. 

Brody finds the adaptation thuddingly dull, with its bombast substituting for poetic imagination. He particularly objects to how it strips Cyrano of the fiery wit and rage that define the character.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/cyrano-reviewed-a-musical-adaptation-plagued-by-niceness)

## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode

Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 8 January 2022. 

Kermode calls the film an unmissable, emotionally powerful adaptation that restores the story’s ambiguities. She especially praises Peter Dinklage’s performance and Haley Bennett’s singing as Roxanne.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/cyrano-2021-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## Collider — Ross Bonaime

Rating A-. 25 February 2022. 

Bonaime calls the film one of the best recent musicals, praising Peter Dinklage’s heartbreaking performance and the music. He notes that Roxanne is underdeveloped when the film focuses on her alone.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/cyrano-review-peter-dinklage-joe-wright-haley-bennett/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2021. Festival review. 

Hammond praises the film as a fresh, moving musical adaptation, led by Peter Dinklage’s vivid portrayal of Cyrano. He singles out Dinklage for making the familiar character feel newly alive.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2021/09/cyrano-review-peter-dinklage-telluride-1234827078/)

## /Film — Hoai-Tran Bui

Rating 7.5/10. 24 February 2022. 

Bui finds Cyrano an uneven but visually pleasing musical romance, elevated by a revelatory Peter Dinklage performance. She especially praises Dinklage’s expressive, yearning portrayal, while faulting the songs and occasional awkward musical staging.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/774641/cyrano-review-peter-dinklage-is-a-romantic-revelation-in-joe-wrights-handsome-musical-adaptation/)

## HeyUGuys

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. 

The critic finds Joe Wright’s adaptation respectful and romantically affecting, though several songs are forgettable and the casting raises a concern. Peter Dinklage’s charm and standout performance are singled out for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/cyrano-review/)

## Paste — Jesse Hassenger

Rating 6.5/10. 27 December 2021. 

Hassenger finds the film polished but overly conventional, with musical numbers that rarely achieve the story’s emotional highs. He praises Peter Dinklage’s soulful, multifaceted performance as Cyrano.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/joe-wright/cyrano-review)

## The Playlist

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2021. Festival review. 

The page is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No praise or complaint can be verified from the available text.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/peter-dinklage-cyrano-telluride-review-20210903/)

## NME

Rating ★★★. 13 January 2022. 

The critic finds the adaptation well-intentioned but ultimately unnecessary and unable to come together. They praise the Dessner brothers’ stirring soundtrack, especially the moving song “Wherever I Fall.”

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/cyrano-review-peter-dinklage-3137016)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2022. Festival review. 

The critic finds the adaptation bittersweet, with enjoyable highs undermined by painful lows. Dinklage’s passionate performance stands out, while the forgettable, poorly timed songs disrupt the story.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/cyrano-film-review-peter-dinklage/)

---
© 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/cyrano.md