--- title: "F9: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/f9/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/f9" critics_score: 62 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." --- # F9 (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 62 from 27 reviews: 13 positive, 10 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews lean towards qualified enjoyment, with praise concentrated on F9’s elaborate car chases, inventive stunts and willingness to be ridiculous. Several critics see a return to form, crediting Justin Lin with keeping the action coherent and the familiar crew with making the spectacle worth following. The earnest emphasis on family also wins supporters, who find enough warmth and emotional continuity to forgive the tangled plotting, while the comic exchanges provide welcome relief from the melodrama. Reservations centre on an overstuffed story, excessive length and effects that can make the action feel weightless. The family drama divides critics: some find it affecting, while others see franchise baggage and strained attempts to manufacture stakes. The spread is wide: The Wrap praises the stunt and effects teams for making the excess physically exciting, whereas The Hollywood Reporter finds the action dull and its disregard for physics unconvincing even as absurdity. ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 82/100 (inferred from the text). 23 June 2021. Willmore finds the film’s outlandishness buoyed by its earnest emotional continuity, making it a joyful return to form. She especially praises how the franchise’s commitment to family gives even its absurd spectacle a strange grace. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/fast-and-furious-9-review-f9-goes-to-space-comes-home.html) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 4/5. 25 June 2021. O'Sullivan finds F9 hugely enjoyable and calls it the best entry in the series. She praises the flair of its action set pieces and its self-reflexive wit. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/f9-film-review-fast-and-furious-vin-diesel-john-cena-b942230.html) ## Little White Lies — Hannah Strong Rating 4/4/3. 24 June 2021. Strong calls the film a joyful return to form and ideal multiplex escapism. She praises its earnestness and elaborate stunts, while noting the runtime could be shorter. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/fast-and-furious-9) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2021. The standfirst presents the film as a thoroughly enjoyable romp. It singles out the Fast and Furious crew as the source of its appeal. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/f9-review/5159709.article) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 June 2021. Bradshaw finds the film a cheerfully refreshing, magnificently silly action spectacle, though its plot and logic are negligible. He especially praises Tyrese Gibson’s comedy and the surreal sequence in which characters blast into space. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jun/25/fast-furious-9-f9-review-vin-diesel-and-co-kick-isaac-newtons-ass) ## Empire — Joshua Rothkopf Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 May 2021. Rothkopf finds the film a rejuvenation for the franchise and close to an ideal summer blockbuster, though it sometimes goes too far into silliness. He praises Michelle Rodriguez’s emotional depth and the film’s strongest action sequence, while criticizing its weightless effects. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fast-furious-9/) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2021. Chang finds the ninth installment a mostly solid, reassuring return that restores emotional continuity to the franchise. He praises Justin Lin’s balance of spectacular absurdity and cinematic coherence, especially the return of Han. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-06-24/f9-review-fast-and-furious-vin-diesel-sung-kang) ## Radio Times — Morgan Jeffery Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 22 June 2021. The critic finds F9 entertaining despite its garbled plot. They praise its spectacle and say it recovers some of the franchise’s heart. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/fast-and-furious-9-review/) ## The i Paper — Francesca Steele Fi1m's normalised score 68/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2021. The critic finds F9 entertaining despite its predictability and poor acting. She praises its relentless spectacle and pace, while singling out the acting as especially bad. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/f9-fast-saga-review-predictable-ride-worst-acting-vin-diesel-1068758) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 25 June 2021. The critic finds the film ridiculous but warmly entertaining, with its family themes providing heart. They single out Jordana Brewster’s welcome action scenes and a small, affecting smile as the lasting impression. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/fast-furious-9-vin-diesel-john-cena-nonsensical-with-heart) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2021. The page could not be read, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the accessible page. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/24/movies/f9-review.html) ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Rating C+. 18 May 2021. Ehrlich finds that F9 is a messy but ultimately successful return to form, steering the franchise back toward its core. He praises how the outsized spectacle is balanced by a deeper focus on Dom’s vulnerability and family. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/fast-9-review-1234638051/) ## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger Rating C+. 25 May 2021. The review finds F9 entertaining in its standout action sequences but weighed down by family drama and franchise baggage. It praises the Edinburgh chase for its inventive, exhilarating set pieces. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/f9-has-too-much-family-drama-runway-between-the-fast-an-1846961665) ## RogerEbert.com — Nick Allen Rating 2.5/4. 24 June 2021. The review finds the film entertaining but overstuffed. It praises the franchise’s outrageous set pieces while noting the story’s excesses. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/f9-movie-review-2021) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Rating 2.5/4. 23 June 2021. Cole finds the film overstuffed and emotionally diminished, though its action restores some of the series’ energy. He especially praises the coherent, dynamic car sequences, while criticizing the retcons and lack of stakes. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/f9-review-justin-lin-vin-diesel/) ## Total Film — Jordan Farley Rating 3/5. 22 June 2021. Farley finds the film an entertaining, big-screen spectacle that gets the series back on track, though it sometimes pushes its excesses too far. He praises the chaotic action, especially a sequence riffing on Fast 5’s safe heist. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/fast-and-furious-9-review/) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2021. Gleiberman finds the sequel overstuffed and less thrilling than it should be, though it avoids completely jumping the shark. He praises the comic pairing of Roman and Tej but says the family plot and generic threats cannot anchor the film. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/f9-review-vin-diesel-john-cena-1234974952/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — John DeFore Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2021. DeFore finds the installment bloated and often dull, with its action lacking either thrills or convincing absurdity. He particularly criticizes the minefield and bridge sequence for ignoring basic physics. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/f9-review-fast-and-furious-1234954423/) ## Time Out — Stephen A Russell Rating 1/5. 17 June 2021. Russell calls the film a pointless misfire and says the franchise has crashed and burned. He singles out its lack of purpose as the central complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/fast-furious-9-2021) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2021. Lane finds F9 embarrassingly implausible and inept, with its escalation into outer space seeming desperate. He singles out the stunts and Diesel’s increasingly unconvincing acting for criticism. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/07/05/questloves-summer-of-soul-pulses-with-long-silenced-beats) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2021. The critic finds the film exhilaratingly ridiculous and says its outsized action still works. The stunt and effects teams are singled out for making the increasingly large set pieces visually and viscerally effective. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/f9-film-fast-furious-justin-lin-john-cena/) ## The Ringer — Miles Surrey Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 25 June 2021. Surrey finds F9 an exhilarating, excessive return to form that embraces the franchise’s absurdity. He especially praises the sustained, inventive action and the way its spectacle is anchored by an earnest theme of family. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2021/06/25/movies/f9-review-fast-and-furious-dom-brother-overwhelming) ## Paste — Jacob Oller Rating 7.1/10. 24 June 2021. Oller finds the overstuffed film uneven but still magnetic, with its earnest themes and self-aware absurdity keeping it satisfying. He especially praises a creatively directed sequence that visualizes Dom’s memories across decades. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/fast-and-furious/f9-review) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 3.5/5. 18 June 2021. Crow finds F9 ridiculous but irresistibly earnest, calling it a revival for the franchise. He especially praises Justin Lin’s balance of melodrama and cartoonish action. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/f9-review-fast-and-furious-boldy-going/) ## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 June 2021. The critic finds the film entertaining despite its overly familiar plot. The outlandish action sequences, especially the space-bound finale, are singled out for delivering the spectacle fans expect. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a36751154/fast-and-furious-9-review-f9/) ## NME Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The review finds the sequel entertaining but comparatively safe, with its outrageous premise and familiar franchise formula limiting its impact. It praises the thrilling finale and singles out Helen Mirren’s London car chase as a highlight. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/fast-furious-9-review-2975302) ## /Film — Hoai-Tran Bui Rating 6/10. 25 May 2021. Bui finds that the film’s absurd, self-aware action brings the franchise back on track, though its emotional story falls flat. She praises the Edinburgh magnet chase and the welcome return of Han, while criticizing the lifeless CGI and uneven tone. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/581288/f9-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/f9.md