--- title: "LifeHack: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/lifehack/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/lifehack" critics_score: 76 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." --- # LifeHack (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 76 from 8 reviews: 8 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. Every one of the eight reviews is favourable, and the praise lands in the same place: this is a screenlife heist thriller that handles its format with more care than most. Critics single out the realistic hacking, the interface-driven plotting and a young cast whose chemistry comes through even though they are only ever seen in browser windows and phone screens. Several call it one of the better films the format has produced, and the fast pace is generally counted a virtue. The reservations are about that same pace. The trade reviews from the festival premiere are the warmest, with Deadline calling it the best screenlife film yet; the later notices settle around a more temperate line, with The Hollywood Reporter reporting screen fatigue and The Guardian finding it turns mechanical once the early excitement fades. Slant adds that the film avoids the harder questions about digital dependency it raises. Nobody dislikes it; the disagreement is only over how much the gimmick costs. ## Variety — Siddhant Adlakha Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 14 March 2025. Festival review. The critic calls it a pulse-pounding screenlife heist that pushes the format with realistic hacking and visual detail, deeming it an absolute treat for fans despite some moral complexity in the characters' motives. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/lifehack-review-screenlife-unfriended-1236335495/) ## IndieWire — Christian Zilko Rating B. 8 March 2025. Festival review. The review finds it one of the more joyful screenlife attempts, delivering an authentic and energetic portrait of Gen Z teens thriving in their online world during a crypto heist. It embraces the format's dopamine rush without feeling overly gimmicky. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/lifehack-review-1235102201/) ## RogerEbert.com — Clint Worthington Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2026. The critic views it as one of the more tolerable recent screenlife thrillers, praising its inventive heist sequences and character chemistry shown through screens while noting the relentless pace and format limitations can overwhelm. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lifehack-screen-life-horror-movie-review-2026) ## Slant Magazine — Eli Friedberg Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2026. The critic praises the film's tight plotting, interface-driven storytelling, and realistic take on cybercrime as a Gen Z heist thriller and nostalgic study of pre-2020s internet culture. It notes the film flinches from deeper implications of digital dependency and big tech. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/lifehack-review-ronan-corrigan/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2026. The critic describes it as an efficiently executed update of an old-school heist thriller in a digital, meme-filled format, praising the strong meme game and the tender romance subplot, but noting it becomes mechanical after initial excitement. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/14/lifehack-review-old-school-heist-updated-for-the-meme-age) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2026. The critic calls it a superior example of the screenlife format in heist mode, with a fast pace and engaging young cast that keeps viewers glued despite the gimmick. It ultimately causes screen fatigue and overstays its welcome. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/lifehack-review-screenlife-timur-timur-bekmambetov-1236593799/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 March 2025. Festival review. The critic calls it the best Screenlife movie yet, a dazzling and suspenseful cryptocurrency heist that rivals top heist films through its technical wizardry and strong Gen Z cast. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2025/03/lifehack-review-sxsw-ronan-corrigan-1236316726/) ## Collider — Matthew Donato Rating 8/10. 13 March 2025. Festival review. The film is a captivating and exhilarating screenlife heist thriller that marks an impressive feature debut. It is praised for its meticulous authenticity in depicting hacker culture and digital techniques within a tense, well-crafted story. [Read the review](https://collider.com/lifehack-movie-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/lifehack.md