---
title: "Hidden Figures: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/hidden-figures/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/hidden-figures"
critics_score: 76
critics_reviews: 22
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."
---

# Hidden Figures (2016): what the critics said

Critics' score 76 from 22 reviews: 18 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative.

Most critics welcome Hidden Figures as an uplifting, accessible account of three black women’s mathematical work at NASA, with praise clustering around Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe. Their humour, rapport and expressions of frustration give the history warmth and keep the discrimination personal. The broadly positive consensus also credits Theodore Melfi with balancing comedy, achievement and the absurdities of segregation without losing the story’s entertainment value.

The disagreement concerns how much the familiar Hollywood treatment costs the film. Many reviews acknowledge sentimentality, obvious dialogue and tidy resolutions but find the performances sufficient compensation; the four mixed assessments give those shortcomings greater weight. The AV Club finds too little surprise or nuance in the handling of racism and sexism, while Screen Daily sees bland direction despite the leads’ chemistry. The spread runs from wholehearted enthusiasm to qualified appreciation, with no outright negative verdicts.

## RogerEbert.com — Odie Henderson

Rating 4/4. 20 December 2016. 

The critic praises the film's writing, directing, and acting as among the year's best, highlighting its light touch in handling themes of race and gender while celebrating the women's achievements in mathematics and NASA.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hidden-figures-2016)

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 2016. 

The film is an irresistibly uplifting and bouncy feelgood biopic that entertains while lightly educating about overlooked history. It singles out the novelty of the untold story of three black female Nasa mathematicians and the lively, winning performances for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/dec/12/hidden-figures-review-john-glenn-taraji-henson-black-nasa-octavia-spencer-janelle-monae)

## Film Comment — Michael Sragow

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2016. 

The critic praises the film's rousing entertainment value and the strong ensemble performances, especially the leads' portrayal of the women's dual struggles as women and Black professionals at NASA. Melfi's direction is highlighted for balancing drama, comedy, and historical insight effectively.

[Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/deep-focus-hidden-figures/)

## Empire — Nick de Semlyen

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 February 2017. 

The critic finds Theodore Melfi’s film a thunderously effective feel-good experience and an important reminder about ongoing racial and gender issues on Earth. He singles out the true story of the three female African-American mathematicians at NASA for its timely resonance amid current divisions.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/hidden-figures-2-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2016. 

The critic calls it a Grade-A Hollywood crowd-pleaser that effectively celebrates its shameless moments and the little-known true story, praising the powerful performances of the lead actresses.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-hidden-figures-review-20161216-story.html)

## Radio Times — Stella Papamichael

Rating ★★★★. 10 February 2017. 

An inspiring, Oscar-nominated account that captures all the grit, grace and brilliance of its three female protagonists; the director movingly conveys the absurdity of segregation without beating a drum and presses all the right buttons for upbeat entertainment.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/hidden-figures-review-captures-all-the-grit-grace-and-brilliance-of-its-three-female-protagonists/)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2016. 

The critic describes it as brash, bright, and broad empowerment cinema that satisfyingly shows how race factored into the space race, praising the populist appeal while noting some on-the-nose dialogue.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/hidden-figures-review-1201936516/)

## Slant Magazine — Elise Nakhnikian

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2016. 

The film movingly shows the women's heroism against institutional barriers, with Henson excelling at conveying pent-up frustration, though personal-life scenes feel predictable and the treatment of change overly tidy.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/hidden-figures/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Sheri Linden

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2016. 

The film is a spunky, upbeat tribute to the women's achievements with strong performances and energy, but the screenplay sometimes lapses into sap and feels like a two-dimensional history lesson.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/hidden-figures-review-953700/)

## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger

Rating C+. 20 December 2016. 

Solid performances from the cast cannot overcome the film's conventional prestige-drama approach and lack of surprise or nuance in its handling of racism and sexism.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/good-performances-can-t-blast-hidden-figures-out-of-pre-1798189959)

## Little White Lies — David Jenkins

Rating 3/3/3. 16 February 2017. 

The critic finds the film machine-tooled to please and unapologetically sentimental, twisting history into a standardised Hollywood narrative, but notes it highlights the absurdity of racial segregation and excels in giving the three leads room to breathe.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/hidden-figures)

## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf

Rating 3/5. 20 December 2016. 

This huge-hearted crowd-pleaser has goodwill and strong performances on its side but is a touch overblown; it supplies work-the-problem thrills and benefits from Kevin Costner but endures some comic montages and verbal showdowns.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/hidden-figures)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2016. Festival review. 

Some sparkling performances and an inviting milieu can’t completely overcome the trappings of a feel-good message movie; Henson’s rapport with Spencer and Monáe is the film’s consistent highlight but Melfi executes the true story with bland nobility.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/hidden-figures-review/5111374.article)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 2016. 

The film is one of the year’s most inspiring stories, a beautifully told true account of African American women mathematicians whose contributions to NASA’s early space program were indispensable. It excels thanks to superb performances, especially Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson, along with strong support from Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, and Kevin Costner.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2016/12/hidden-figures-review-african-american-women-nasa-taraji-p-henson-octavia-spencer-1201868944/)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating B+. 4 January 2017. 

The critic calls the film rewarding and one we need right now despite lacking aggressive artistry. They single out the tremendous performances by the three lead actresses, especially Janelle Monáe's breakthrough turn.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/hidden-figures-review/)

## Consequence

Rating B+. 6 January 2017. 

The critic describes it as a feel-good movie that hurts and feels relevant and new. They single out the terrific, energetic, and moving performances of the three leads as what makes the film overachieve.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2017/01/film-review-hidden-figures/)

## Den of Geek — Simon Brew

Rating 4/5. 17 February 2017. 

The review calls it a triumph that is both important and entertaining, crediting the strong ensemble led by Taraji P. Henson and the compelling way the story of discrimination and achievement at NASA is told. It notes the broad appeal and quality performances as key strengths.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/hidden-figures-review-2/)

## The Playlist — Rodrigo Perez

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2016. 

The review calls it a crowd-pleasing, vibrant film that overcomes its formulaic and saccharine clichés through exuberance, winsome charm, and strong performances from the lead actresses. It succeeds as an entertaining, inspiring tale despite conventional trappings.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/hidden-figures-celebrates-undersung-heroes-crowd-pleasing-charm-inspired-performances-review-20161211/)

## The Ringer — K. Austin Collins

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 2016. 

The critic calls it an inspirational movie that forces us to question belittling the genre. They single out its rare portrayal of black lives in the ’60s as affected not only by racism but also by the space race and the Cold War.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2016/12/27/movies/hidden-figures-film-review-950967fc9abd)

## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 2016. 

The critic praises the leads' passion and performances, especially Octavia Spencer's enthusiasm, and notes the film's sophisticated take on racism by keeping it in the background. It is a well-balanced, polished production with some slow patches but strong overall execution.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/reviews.php?film_id=30449)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 5 January 2016. 

The movie turns American history into entertaining, feel-good schmaltz but does it well on behalf of intelligent black women mathematicians at NASA. It stands out for its realistic portrayal of systemic racism and for vivid, funny performances by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/hidden-figures-review-taraji-p-henson/)

## Paste — Andy Crump

Rating 7.7. 6 January 2017. 

The critic finds the conventional biopic routine but delightful in enhancing its best merits through jubilance and the cast's appeal. They single out the leading trio's collaborative performances and witty banter for giving the film its spark.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/hidden-figures/hidden-figures)

---
© 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/hidden-figures.md