--- title: "Foxcatcher: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/foxcatcher/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/foxcatcher" critics_score: 76 critics_reviews: 21 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." --- # Foxcatcher (2014): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 21 reviews: 17 positive, 1 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Foxcatcher’s bleak account of wealth, control and damaged masculinity, with the strongest agreement centring on its three leads. Steve Carell’s unsettling transformation draws particular attention, while Channing Tatum’s vulnerability and Mark Ruffalo’s convincing brotherly rapport give the drama emotional weight. The reviews also praise Bennett Miller’s restrained direction, the accumulation of unease and the care taken over the wrestling scenes. For many, its distance from the usual sporting underdog story is a strength. The spread is wide, however, and the same solemnity that admirers find gripping leaves others cold. Even sympathetic reviews register pacing problems or an academic seriousness. Time Out finds the drama too muted despite its performances; the Evening Standard considers it slow and dull. The Independent’s objection goes deeper: the craft cannot compensate for a central figure whose motives remain frustratingly unexplored. The acting earns praise even among the dissenters. ## Radio Times — Leslie Felperin Rating 5/5. A superb film whose surprises and shocks are best discovered without prior knowledge; an American tragedy of warped control and obsession with searing performances from Tatum and Carell plus exquisite craft in all departments. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-c30s24/foxcatcher/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 November 2014. The critic describes the film as a brooding, particularly American horror story of seduction, rejection, betrayal and murder in the world of Olympic wrestling, calling it a despairing and intentionally disturbing work that holds up a dark mirror to the American dream. He singles out the extraordinary, transformative performances of Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-foxcatcher-20141114-column.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 January 2015. The film is a superb, satiric antithesis of a Hollywood underdog sports movie. It offers a bleak and brilliant portrait of class division and toxic relationships, with career-best performances from Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jan/08/foxcatcher-review-undoing-of-underdog-sports-movie) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Rating Critic’s Pick. 13 November 2014. The critic calls the film an eerie horror story about class, wealth and damaged American masculinity, beautifully acted and impeccably mounted with a focus on atmosphere and character. She singles out the superb lead performances, especially Steve Carell’s physical transformation and the brothers’ scenes. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/movies/steve-carell-and-channing-tatum-in-foxcatcher.html) ## Variety — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2014. Festival review. The critic hails the film as a great, brooding true-crime saga and model of bleak, bruising storytelling, anchored by exceptional performances from Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo and a transformed Steve Carell. He singles out the film’s sustained intensity, consummate control and authentic re-creation of the wrestling world as a metaphor for emotional undercurrents. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/cannes-film-review-foxcatcher-1201185646/) ## Slant Magazine — R. Kurt Osenlund Rating 3.5/4. 23 September 2014. Miller crafts an eerie study of capitalism, delusion and obsession through shifting bonds among the wrestlers and du Pont. The film excels in its performances, especially Tatum's vulnerable portrayal of Mark Schultz and the haunting exploration of twisted patriotism. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/foxcatcher/) ## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward Rating 4/4/3. 9 January 2015. The critic finds muscular machismo and misplaced American pride in this intense drama with strong lead performances that match the director's solid direction. A true crime story with a twist that ends on a note of reflection about national pride. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/foxcatcher) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2014. Festival review. Bennett Miller’s impressively sustained film is a wonderfully taut and thoughtfully unnerving drama likely to attract awards attention thanks to three very different lead performances that dovetail perfectly. The director lets the story and complex characters develop gradually toward a shocking climax. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/foxcatcher/5072112.article) ## Film Comment — Farran Smith Nehme Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2014. The critic views Foxcatcher as a moral fable and same-sex Gothic tale about class and wealth's destructive power, praising its detailed accumulation of unease and Carell's nuanced monstrous performance while noting some academic solemnity. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/review-foxcatcher-bennett-miller/) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 July 2014. The critic calls it another dramatic triumph for Bennett Miller, though his toughest and least glamorous outing. It is a sad and horrible story, expertly and compellingly told, with strong praise for the cast's performances under Miller's direction. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/foxcatcher-review/) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 3/5. 5 January 2015. The film is a fascinating curio rather than a genuine heavy-hitter: intense and thoughtful but too dour and muted to catch fire despite flawless performances. Channing Tatum gives a career-best turn but the story lacks real life and energy. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/foxcatcher) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 14 November 2014. The film is a ponderous true-crime story that bloats a sick joke into something striving for significance, with Carell's eerie transformation as du Pont standing out amid the monotony. Ruffalo's Dave provides the sole engaging normalcy in an otherwise one-track dramatic exercise. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/11/movie-review-foxcatcher.html) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 January 2015. The critic finds the film beautifully made with gravity and fidelity, praising Steve Carell's extraordinary performance as du Pont. However, it ultimately becomes dull, too long and slow, lacking resonance for many viewers. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/foxcatcher-film-review-steve-carell-is-sensational-as-reallife-billionaire-john-du-pont-9967023.html) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2015. The critic finds the film brilliantly acted and extremely well crafted in a wintry, slow-burning way but with an emptiness at its core. Du Pont remains too enigmatic a figure for the filmmakers to fully unpick, leaving the film frustrating despite its craftsmanship. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/foxcatcher-film-review-steve-carrell-is-creepily-brilliant-but-this-is-hollow-at-its-core-9965453.html) ## HeyUGuys — Jo-Ann Titmarsh Rating 5/5. 19 May 2014. Festival review. The critic praises the film's exploration of the corruptive power of money and the standout performances, particularly Mark Ruffalo as Dave Schultz and the convincing fraternal bond with Channing Tatum's Mark. It highlights the strong direction, production design, sound design, and subtle screenplay leading to a horrifying conclusion. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/cannes-2014-foxcatcher-review/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating A. 14 November 2014. Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher is an incredibly sad and poignant portrait of two men desperate for greatness they’ll never achieve, destroyed by their failings. Led by astounding performances from Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, and Mark Ruffalo, it is a solemn victory that is incredibly powerful. [Read the review](https://collider.com/foxcatcher-review-steve-carell/) ## The Wrap — Sasha Stone Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 May 2014. Festival review. The critic praises Bennett Miller for delivering another strong drama about power, wealth and loneliness leading to tragedy. Carell's unsettling performance as the lonely, unlikable John du Pont is singled out, offset by strong work from Tatum and Ruffalo. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/foxcatcher-bennet-miller-makes-another-great-film-about-the-american-dream/) ## Eye for Film — Owen Van Spall Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 October 2014. The critic commends Bennett Miller's character study of outsiders and the gripping, superbly acted observational thriller that examines power, family, and the American Dream through the toxic triangle of the Schultz brothers and John du Pont. It singles out the excellent performances by Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, and especially Steve Carell for making the film compelling and thought-provoking. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/foxcatcher-2014-film-review-by-owen-van-spall) ## Consequence Rating B+. 21 November 2014. Bennett Miller’s true story shows a struggle for identity by two tortured souls living in the shadows of more accomplished figures, ending in tragedy. Strong performances, especially from Carell and Tatum, make it one of the season’s more essential viewings despite some pacing faults. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2014/11/film-review-foxcatcher/) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 4/5. 8 January 2015. The critic praises the magnificent performances, especially Carell's hypnotic villainy, and Miller's building of atmospheric tension through silence and long takes, seeing it as more Faustian than standard sports drama. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/foxcatcher-review-2/) ## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones Rating 4. 20 October 2014. Festival review. The critic highlights the chilling true story and career-redefining performances by Carell and Tatum, commending Miller's restrained direction and psychological depth while noting a slightly abrupt ending. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/bfi-london-film-festival/a604541/foxcatcher-review-steve-carell-and-channing-tatums-chilling-drama/) --- © 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/foxcatcher.md