--- title: "Heat: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/heat/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/heat" critics_score: 90 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." --- # Heat (1995): what the critics said Critics' score 90 from 8 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The consensus is strongly positive: critics praise Heat for giving its cops and robbers detailed lives without weakening the force of its action. Praise centres on Michael Mann’s controlled direction, the bank robbery shootout and the attention to locations and interiors. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro’s performances draw consistent approval, particularly their quiet diner encounter, while the wider ensemble also earns recognition. Several reviews find a melancholy study of professional obsession and its human costs beneath the heist thriller. The differences concern emphasis more than verdict, with no substantial negative dissent in the supplied reviews. The Times finds occasional schematic plotting and grating dialogue, whereas RogerEbert.com praises the dialogue for letting the characters express complex thoughts clearly. Other reservations concern occasional overreach, but remain secondary to the praise. Some critics concentrate on the action and control; others are more taken with the sadness of lives organised around work. ## Radio Times — Max Copeman Rating 5/5. The critic calls it the ultimate cops-and-robbers epic, far more than a star face-off, with bank robberies and shootouts that set benchmarks for the genres. Mann is praised for balancing authenticity, spectacle, character and cool across its controlled runtime. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ct3vll/heat/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 25 September 2014. The critic calls it Mann's masterly crime epic and simply the best American crime movie in over a decade. The action scenes, characterization, use of location and decor, and the cast's performances are singled out for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/heat) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 1996. The critic hails Michael Mann's epic crime thriller as an extraordinarily intelligent and stylish study of moral decay, elevated by the first on-screen pairing of De Niro and Pacino and deep character work across its large ensemble. He singles out the film's peerless sense of environment, visceral action (especially the bank heist shootout), and the charged central duel between the cop and thief. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/heat-review/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 1995. The critic praises the film's rich characterizations and thoughtful, melancholy take on modern life as standing out among crime films. They single out the detailed portraits of characters on both sides of the law and the powerful sadness in the emotional wages of their pursuits. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/heat-2-1200444173/) ## The Times — Geoff Brown Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 1996. The critic praises the film's deep character exploration and strong performances from Pacino and De Niro, noting how Mann fleshes out the human consequences of crime on both sides of the law. Minor complaints include occasional schematic plotting and grating dialogue, but overall the review highlights the film's absorbing quality and effective action sequences. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/article/heat-vmwgw7ztz89) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan 15 December 1995. The critic praises the film for turning familiar heist elements into a sleek, controlled, and involving work with exceptional ensemble acting, while noting it occasionally overreaches. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-12-15-ca-14301-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert 15 December 1995. The critic praises the film's insight into the intimate relationship between cop and criminal, highlighting the diner scene where they recognize their shared addiction to their lives. He singles out the complex, literate dialogue and the performances of Pacino and De Niro for allowing characters to express their thoughts eloquently. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/heat-1995) ## Slant Magazine — Jeremiah Kipp 21 February 2005. The film explores lone-wolf masculinity through the cat-and-mouse dynamic between De Niro's introspective thief and Pacino's explosive detective, both driven by unyielding professional devotion. It singles out the simple yet profound diner confrontation between the leads and the meticulously detailed, spectacular bank robbery shootout for praise. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/heat/) ## Collider — Collier Jennings Rating A. 2 September 2022. The critic calls Heat a sprawling crime epic that lives up to its reputation, crediting Michael Mann with a tale of obsessive professionals on both sides of the law and strong performances from Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. It singles out the iconic diner confrontation and intense action sequences for praise. [Read the review](https://collider.com/heat-review-al-pacino-robert-de-niro-michael-mann/) ## The Ringer — Adam Nayman Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2020. The critic calls Heat Mann at his best, a cosmic and pretentious but masterful heist thriller and ode to L.A. that excels in its action, themes of compulsion, and the legendary Pacino-De Niro pairing. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2020/12/15/movies/heat-movie-review-25th-anniversary) ## Polygon — Jesse Hassenger Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2025. The critic views Heat as an ultimate crime thriller and next-generation classic that has grown in stature, praising its performances, quotable dialogue, and the impactful low-key meeting between the leads. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/heat-pacino-deniro-mann-at-30/) --- © 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/heat.md