--- title: "Dallas Buyers Club: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/dallas-buyers-club/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/dallas-buyers-club" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 27 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." --- # Dallas Buyers Club (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 27 reviews: 22 positive, 4 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Dallas Buyers Club, with praise concentrated on Matthew McConaughey’s swagger, physical transformation and portrayal of fear beneath Ron Woodroof’s defiance. Jared Leto also draws strong notices, particularly for the chemistry between the two leads. The favourable reviews value the humour and unsentimental handling of illness, finding an engaging account of survival and changing prejudices. Several credit the direction’s restraint with keeping the drama from becoming overbearing. The disagreement concerns how much the film achieves beyond its performances, and the spread runs from enthusiastic praise to outright disappointment. Reservations centre on conventional redemption scenes, thin supporting characters and simplified politics, though many critics find the acting compensates. Little White Lies questions the queer representation and the sidelining of gay activism in favour of a heterosexual protagonist’s journey. The Evening Standard offers the sharpest dissent, admiring both leads but finding the film around them conventional and dreary. ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2013. Festival review. The film is an enthralling drama about a Texas homophobe who hustles his way into experimental HIV treatment after his diagnosis. McConaughey delivers a full-bodied lead performance full of gusto that elevates the story. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/dallas-buyers-club-toronto-review-623772/) ## The Independent Rating ****. 29 May 2014. Powerful portrait of defiance focusing on McConaughey's transformation and his affecting relationship with Rayon (Jared Leto). [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/dvd-bluray-reviews-dallas-buyers-club-jamaica-inn-out-of-the-furnace-jack-ryan-shadow-recruit-that-awkward-moment-9453071.html) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 27 August 2013. Festival review. McConaughey delivers a wholly convincing portrayal of a bitter but unbreakable spirit in this study of living, not dying, with Vallée directing conventionally but with magical pauses. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dallas-buyers-club-review/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2013. Festival review. McConaughey and Leto deliver terrific performances in this riveting true story that puts a fresh twist on the AIDS narrative through an unlikely antihero. The film educates without feeling didactic while entertaining amid grim circumstances. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/markets-festivals/dallas-buyers-club-review-toronto-1200602974/) ## Film Comment Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2013. Praises the phenomenally transformative performances of Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto as the lead and his transsexual partner, along with the direction and writing that avoid heavy-handed sentimentality. Notes the film's rawer, more sophisticated approach to the story of a flawed man's transformation. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/dallas-buyers-club-review-matthew-mcconaughey-jared-leto/) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2013. The film is described as a rough, raw, ragged and exhilarating ride led by Oscar-worthy performances from McConaughey and Leto. Directed with an unsentimental hand, it mixes unexpected humor and rebellion with heart-wrenching humanity. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-dallas-buyers-club-review-story.html) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2013. Festival review. The critic calls it an absorbing film driven by a mesmerising lead performance from McConaughey. It singles out his weight-loss, bravado, humour and the elegant telling of the real-life story of transformation and activism. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/dallas-buyers-club/5060159.article) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 4/5. 4 February 2014. The critic praises the film as a stirring showcase for McConaughey's newfound range and fluidity as an actor. It singles out the true story's blend of personal transformation, communal grit and the way a higher purpose emerges for the difficult hero. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/london/film/dallas-buyers-club) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2013. The movie is a crowd-pleaser that is graceful and funny enough to distract from its gaps, anchored by McConaughey's committed performance as the hustling rodeo cowboy turned unlikely activist. Leto's complete transformation as Rayon stands out. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/11/movie-review-dallas-buyers-club.html) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating B. 31 October 2013. McConaughey gives a lively, swaggering performance as the real-life Texas electrician fighting for his life and bucking the system after an HIV diagnosis. The biopic conforms facts to dramatic conventions but remains engaging thanks to its lead. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/dallas-buyers-club-1798178496) ## Total Film — Matt Glasby Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 3 February 2014. Triumph as an actors' showcase with magnificent performances from McConaughey and Leto, though less convincing as an 'issues' movie. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/dallas-buyers-club-review/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 October 2013. McConaughey pulls off a tricky performance in this flawed but affecting biopic. The film balances its story of a homophobic cowboy's transformation with strong acting turns amid some conventional biopic elements. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-how-matthew-mcconaughey-pulls-off-a-tricky-performance-in-flawed-but-affecting-dallas-buyers-club-33551/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2014. The film offers a conservative take on entrepreneurial self-help in the Reagan era, with a heterosexual good ol' boy importing AIDS therapies and breaking down homophobia. Matthew McConaughey delivers a barnstorming lead performance as the ornery, resourceful Ron Woodroof. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/feb/06/dallas-buyers-club-review) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2014. Matthew McConaughey blazes in the role of the unhealthy Texas rodeo cowboy Ron Woodroof, facing mortality with a convincing performance of physical decrepitude and fear. The film benefits from strong supporting turns and hidden depth beyond the lead's solo effort. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/10295404/Dallas-Buyers-Club-review.html) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2013. The critic finds the film an affecting if conventional real-life story of medical activism centered on a homophobe’s awakening. McConaughey’s energetic performance is praised, but the simplistic fable and stereotypical supporting character are critiqued. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/movies/matthew-mcconaughey-stars-in-dallas-buyers-club.html) ## Little White Lies — Tina Hassannia Rating 4/3/2. 6 February 2014. The critic finds the film a calculated prestige picture that never bothers to ask broader questions about the AIDS epidemic. It singles out the questionable queer representation and the way the story sidelines the milieu of gay activism in favor of a heterosexual protagonist's journey. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/dallas-buyers-club/) ## Slant Magazine — Jesse Cataldo Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 25 October 2013. The film is a clear actor's showcase for McConaughey's leathery performance as the gradually transformed hero, achieving little beyond that. It is conventional but never sanctimonious, balancing recovery tropes with sardonic wit. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/dallas-buyers-club/) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 8 February 2014. The performances by McConaughey and Leto are spectacular, but the film itself is mediocre, conventional and dreary, an actors' film lifted only by the acting. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/dallas-buyers-club-starring-matthew-mcconaughey-and-jared-leto-movie-review-9113840.html) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 25 March 2014. The critic praises the film's uncompromising portrayal of a flawed, homophobic hustler fighting for survival after an AIDS diagnosis, highlighting its refusal to soften hard truths. Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto deliver standout, honest performances that underscore themes of courage and common humanity. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/dallas-buyers-club-2013-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## Den of Geek — Don Kaye Rating 4/5. 1 November 2013. Highlights stunning performances by Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto that drive this humane drama about the early years of AIDS and one man's fight against bureaucracy and his own prejudices. Notes some narrative flaws in the second act but finds the journey understated and ultimately illuminating. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/dallas-buyers-club-review/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Rating 4/5. 7 February 2014. Commends Matthew McConaughey's hulking presence and raw energy in the role of Ron Woodroof, with strong chemistry alongside Jared Leto, making for an upbeat and invigorating take on a terminal illness story. Notes the compelling politics around pharmaceutical testing and the director's restraint. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a542121/dallas-buyers-club-review-matthew-mcconaughey-in-another-great-role/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B. 1 November 2013. The critic praises the film for celebrating flawed rebels fighting the AIDS epidemic through strong performances by McConaughey and Leto. It highlights their chemistry and the movie's warts-and-all tribute over sanitized portrayals. [Read the review](https://collider.com/dallas-buyers-club-movie-review/) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating B. 7 September 2013. Festival review. The review calls the film a smartly entertaining true story of one man's fight against AIDS and bureaucracy, buoyed by strong performances from McConaughey and especially Leto, plus tight editing and a balance of drama and humor. It notes the picture sometimes lacks deeper emotional gravity around the lead character's survival. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/tiff-review-dallas-buyers-club-with-matthew-mcconaughey-jared-leto-and-jennifer-garner-20130907/) ## Consequence Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 November 2013. The critic calls it a pretty good message movie that trades in theatrics but is saved by the chemistry and performances of McConaughey and Leto. It singles out the leads' ability to add subtlety and restraint to the film's simplistic impulses. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2013/11/film-review-dallas-buyers-club/) ## Paste — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 October 2013. The critic finds the film succeeds with its pragmatic view of a self-interested hero whose tolerance develops gradually through daily interactions. It singles out the odd friendship between Woodroof and Rayon for praise while noting some conventional inspirational elements weaken the ending. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/dallas-buyers-club) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2013. Festival review. Matthew McConaughey's intense, transformative performance as Ron Woodroof is the film's sole standout and reason to watch. The rest of the AIDS drama feels schematic and underdeveloped, with thin supporting characters and a script that prioritizes convenience over depth. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/dallas-buyers-club-review-guess-whos-coming-to-hiv/) ## The Skinny — jamie@theskinny.co.uk Rating 3/5. 3 February 2014. Finds the redemption narrative terribly banal and old-fashioned, hitting every expected beat with inelegant scenes demonstrating character growth. Credits magnetic performances from Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto for elevating the familiar Hallmark-style material. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/dallas-buyers-club) --- © 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/dallas-buyers-club.md