---
title: "Easy Rider: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/easy-rider/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/easy-rider"
critics_score: 80
critics_reviews: 8
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."
---

# Easy Rider (1969): what the critics said

Critics' score 80 from 8 reviews: 6 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative.

Most critics respond warmly to Easy Rider, with praise clustering around its countercultural spirit, visual freedom and Jack Nicholson’s performance. The reviews repeatedly single out Nicholson for giving the film emotional weight and a persuasive expression of alienation. Hopper’s direction also draws praise for its fluid, observant movement, dreamlike passages and evocative landscapes. Several critics find that its account of social unease retains its force, rather than treating it solely as a document of its period.

The reservations concern how convincingly the film makes its case and how consistently its craft holds up. The Hollywood Reporter argues that the drug-dealing premise weakens its argument, despite a strongly positive verdict. Den of Geek acknowledges its historical importance and visceral impact but finds the artistry uneven. The balance is favourable, though unavailable text for two reviews limits what can be said about the less enthusiastic responses.

## Radio Times — Tom Hutchinson

Rating ★★★★★. 

The critic praises the film’s mythic force and its influence on road movies. They single out Jack Nicholson’s performance as an eloquent expression of youthful alienation.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-c97jza/easy-rider/)

## Slant Magazine — Chuck Bowen

Rating 4.5/5. 9 May 2016. 

Bowen finds the film timeless, with its diagnosis of modern social malaise gaining force over time. He praises Hopper’s vivid, dreamlike visual flow and the film’s evocative landscapes.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/easy-rider/)

## RogerEbert.com

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 

The retrospective review presents the film favorably. It singles out the film’s countercultural spirit as a key strength.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-easy-rider-1969)

## The Hollywood Reporter — John Mahoney

Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 26 June 1969. 

Mahoney gives the film a strongly positive verdict, while noting that its drug-dealing premise weakens its argument. He especially praises Jack Nicholson’s performance as the film’s emotional and thematic anchor.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/easy-rider-review-movie-1969-1221117/)

## Variety — Gene Moskowitz

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 1969. Festival review. 

Moskowitz finds the film perceptive, poetic, and far above typical films on the subject. He praises Hopper’s fluid, observant direction and the film’s evocative visual style.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1969/film/reviews/easy-rider-1117790631/)

## The New York Times — Vincent Canby

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 15 July 1969. 

The article appears to be a review, but its verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified from the inaccessible page. The available page text provides no review details.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1969/07/15/archives/easy-rider-a-statement-on-film.html)

## Time Out — CPe

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The page identifies itself as a film review, but its review text is unavailable, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the supplied material.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/easy-rider-1)

## Den of Geek — Michael Leader

Rating 2 out of 5. 15 December 2009. 

The critic finds the film’s historical importance and visceral impact undeniable, though its artistry is uneven. He praises Jack Nicholson’s nuanced performance but considers the Blu-ray package underwhelming and its ending awkward.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/easy-rider-blu-ray-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/easy-rider.md