--- title: "Fifty Shades of Grey: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/fifty-shades-of-grey/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/fifty-shades-of-grey" critics_score: 53 critics_reviews: 18 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." --- # Fifty Shades of Grey (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 53 from 18 reviews: 7 positive, 4 mixed, 7 negative. The reviews are evenly divided between approval and disappointment, with a smaller group finding mixed results. Praise centres on Dakota Johnson, whose humour, strength and questioning approach to Ana give the romance more life than many critics expect from the material. Several also credit Sam Taylor-Johnson with a stylish, controlled adaptation that improves on the novel, finding escapist pleasure and a credible story of sexual self-discovery beneath the silliness. The recurring reservation is how tame it all feels: even sympathetic reviews describe coy sex scenes, while detractors find the romance repetitive and the treatment of sex and power confused. The disagreement extends to basic craft and characterisation: Deadline praises Taylor-Johnson’s filmmaking and the sharpness of individual scenes, whereas The Independent finds little personal stamp and cartoonish leads. The spread is substantial, turning largely on whether the restraint makes the fantasy accessible or drains it of erotic interest. ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 February 2015. The film makes a pact with its audience to deliver escapist pleasure as a genuinely sexy yet somewhat silly and relatively timid romantic drama. It pushes the envelope on explicitness in a major studio release while remaining chaste and sanitized. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/fifty-shades-of-grey/5082944.article) ## Sight and Sound — Jane Giles Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 19 February 2015. The adaptation is neither a boundary-pushing female Shame nor the golden turkey some hoped for, but a singular phenomenon and romantic fantasy of sexual awakening aimed at a female audience. Dakota Johnson is terrific as the reluctant, questioning Ana. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/review-fifty-shades-grey) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Sheri Linden Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2015. The film is a well-cast conversation starter that is by turns provocative and romance-novel gooey. It benefits from strong lead performances that give dimension to the characters while balancing atmosphere with action in the sex scenes. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/fifty-shades-grey-film-review-770402/) ## Time Out — David Ehrlich Rating 3/5. 10 February 2015. A watered-down, hopelessly softcore adaptation that fails to match the books' titillation but works thanks to the director's finesse in navigating prudishness and framing the tepid scenes with a sensitive story of self-discovery. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/fifty-shades-of-grey) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). The film is neither so terrible as to be laughable nor so brilliant as to be powerful, delivering a sparky first third before bogging down in repetitive romantic drama and antiseptic kink. Dakota Johnson brings strength and humour, giving the movie more colour than it deserves. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fifty-shades-grey-review/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2015. The adaptation is a wildly confused treatment of sex and power dynamics, much like the source novel. The film is competent in acting and photography but ultimately muddled and anti-romantic. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/13/movies/submitting-to-the-power-of-a-runaway-best-seller.html) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Rating 2/5. 15 February 2015. Taylor-Johnson has eliminated most of the book's worst writing and turned the material into well-shot pictures that improve on the source, with discreet and creative sex scenes. The dialogue remains dire and the film is middle-of-the-road, though it renders the rubbish much less ridiculous than expected. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/fifty-shades-of-grey-film-review-dakota-johnson-is-a-decent-ingenue-and-jamie-dornans-torso-is-perfection-10038625.html) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 2/5. An antiseptic adaptation that reduces the pop-culture phenomenon to a straightforward soap-opera romance beneath its bondage shackles. The kinkiness is tame, the nudity softcore, and the S&M more M&S than edgily erotic. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-4kokku/fifty-shades-of-grey/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 12 February 2015. The film is better than the book due to its competence but remains gray with good taste and muted naughtiness within R-rating limits. It is unromantic and anti-romantic, focusing more on luxury and contracts than genuine eroticism. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/pain-gain) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2015. The film is a prim, tasteful and softcore take on sadomasochism that fails to deliver on its erotic promise, resulting in something more comedic than sensual. The critic highlights the absence of any explicit male nudity and the overly contractual, mainstream approach to the material. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/11/fifty-shades-of-grey-review) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 18 February 2015. The film adaptation turns out to be anti-climactic on almost every level and fails to deliver as either a guilty treat or a romantic drama. Sam Taylor-Johnson puts no personal stamp on the material, resulting in flimsy characterisation and cartoonish leads. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/fifty-shades-of-grey-movie-review-jamie-dornan-s-christian-is-like-a-chippendale-dancer-10053692.html) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2015. The adaptation improves on the source novel with witty and sharp scenes. Director Sam Taylor-Johnson brings style and strong filmmaking skills to the story. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2015/02/fifty-shades-of-grey-movie-review-jamie-dornan-dakota-johnson-1201370942/) ## Digital Spy — Emma Dibdin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2015. The adaptation is elegant and striking as a romantic drama with smart dialogue and appealing leads, but fails as erotica due to coy sex scenes and adherence to the source material's flaws; praises the chemistry and humor. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a628655/fifty-shades-of-grey-review-elegant-adaptation-of-an-inelegant-novel/) ## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2015. Festival review. The film is nonsensical and absurd but good fun if approached with an open mind. Dakota Johnson steals the show as the relatable Ana, while the repetitive structure of sex and arguments creates tedium. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/fifty-shades-grey-review/) ## The Wrap — Inkoo Kang Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 February 2015. The stylish film is a mostly satisfying adaptation that will leave fans content despite some missteps. It skillfully distills the book while capturing the thrill of fixation, though it is essentially porn without plot. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/fifty-shades-of-grey-review-dakota-johnson-jamie-dornan/) ## Eye for Film — Jane Fae Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2015. Fifty Shades is a romcom without much comedy and an old-fashioned soft porn flick. It features some very nice sensual sex scenes but is otherwise an ordinary tale that benefits from an unlimited budget for its fantasy elements. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/fifty-shades-of-grey-2015-film-review-by-jane-fae) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating D+. 12 February 2015. The critic finds the film tame and inoffensive in its depiction of kink, criticizing the bland direction and weak male lead performance. Praises Dakota Johnson's performance as the saving grace. [Read the review](https://collider.com/fifty-shades-of-grey-review/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 2/5. 11 February 2015. The critic finds the film surprisingly conventional and earnest in its romance despite the BDSM elements, praising the chemistry between leads Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan but noting it feels like limp Valentine's Day role-play. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/fifty-shades-of-grey-review-dakota-johnson-jamie-dornan/) --- © 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/fifty-shades-of-grey.md