--- title: "Lincoln: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/lincoln/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/lincoln" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 19 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." --- # Lincoln (2012): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 19 reviews: 16 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Lincoln, praising its narrow focus on the struggle to pass the 13th Amendment rather than an attempt to cover an entire life. Agreement is strongest around Daniel Day-Lewis: the reviews repeatedly single out his restraint, humour and portrayal of a weary, calculating politician. Tony Kushner’s script also draws praise for making negotiation and compromise compelling, while Spielberg’s restrained direction lets the talk and performances carry the drama. The spread runs from enthusiastic approval to mixed responses, with no wholly negative verdicts. Reservations concern dense dialogue, sentimentality and a lack of emotional involvement. Variety admires Day-Lewis but finds the drama somewhat stuffy and stage-bound; The Playlist goes further, finding it dull despite the acting and handsome photography. Historical reservations also cut across the positive consensus: HeyUGuys praises the performances and direction while arguing that the film whitewashes Lincoln’s history. ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 January 2013. The critic praises Spielberg and Kushner for narrowing the focus to Lincoln's political maneuvering to pass the 13th Amendment, creating a compelling, talky drama full of personality and beauty rather than a conventional biopic. Day-Lewis's authentic, restrained performance as the witty, devious president stands out as a highlight. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/lincoln-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2012. Spielberg's most restrained and interior film is a towering achievement, with Day-Lewis surpassing himself as Lincoln in a focused drama about the fight to pass the 13th Amendment. Kushner's script and the ensemble cast illuminate a sliver of the president's life with surprising power. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-nov-08-la-et-mn-lincoln-review-20121109-story.html) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2012. Spielberg and Kushner have made an exciting legislative thriller about the political struggle to pass the 13th Amendment, focusing on Lincoln as a shrewd, odd, and powerful actor rather than a pious myth. Day-Lewis's performance captures Lincoln's physical awkwardness, storytelling style, and moments of wrathful majesty. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/six-footnotes-to-the-greatness-of-lincoln) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 November 2012. The film is a splendid, rough and noble democratic masterpiece about a president using political maneuvering to pass the 13th Amendment and end slavery. It places the moral dilemma of abolishing slavery at the center while celebrating Lincoln's triumph amid complications. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/09/movies/lincoln-by-steven-spielberg-stars-daniel-day-lewis.html) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2012. Praises it as splendid and masterful, focusing on the nuanced portrayal of politics and persuasion, and Day-Lewis's performance bringing Lincoln to life as a man rather than an icon. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2012/11/movie-review-lincoln.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 24 January 2013. Spielberg has crafted a literate, heartfelt and high-minded film about Lincoln's battle to end slavery during his second term, his best in years. The standout element is Daniel Day-Lewis's masterful, unique central performance as a charming yet weary statesman. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/24/lincoln-review) ## Little White Lies — Vadim Rizov Rating 5/4/3. 25 January 2013. The critic views it as a rigorous, morally complex procedural on political compromise rather than a standard biopic, praising the performances and unflinching depiction of ethical shortcuts while noting accumulating niggles like sentimentality and weak supporting turns. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/lincoln) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 22 January 2013. The critic highlights the film's sharp focus on backroom wrangling and rhetoric around the 13th Amendment, lauding Day-Lewis's complex, endearing portrayal of Lincoln as a shrewd yet weary figure and the balance between sober drama and stirring moments. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/lincoln) ## Sight and Sound — Nick Pinkerton Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2013. The critic praises the film's focus on backroom political persuasion and negotiation over epic war or oratory, crediting Kushner's script and Day-Lewis's subtle, humanizing performance for creating suspense around known history. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-lincoln) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2012. The critic praises the film's intelligent, humorous, and restrained depiction of Lincoln's political maneuvering to pass the 13th Amendment, highlighting Daniel Day-Lewis's performance and the procedural drama, while noting it lacks poetic depth compared to John Ford's film. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/steven-spielbergs-lincoln-movie-review-385705/) ## Variety — Peter Debruge Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2012. Day-Lewis delivers an unimpeachable performance in Spielberg's shrewd but somewhat stuffy drama centered on the behind-the-scenes battle to pass the 13th Amendment. Kushner's script emphasizes talk and political wheeling-and-dealing over emotion, resulting in a play-like production that keeps some viewers at arm's length. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/lincoln-1117948666/) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 5 March 2013. The critic finds the film unlikely to stand the test of time due to its dense script, sentimentality, and reliance on saintly supporting characters, but singles out Daniel Day-Lewis's charismatic, humorous, and haunting performance as Lincoln for praise. It is described as handsome and humorous overall. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/lincoln-review-8466513.html) ## Collider — Dave Trumbore Rating A-. 9 November 2012. The critic calls the film an engaging story full of heart, humor and conviction that remains culturally relevant, praising the absorbing lead performance by Daniel Day-Lewis and dynamic writing by Tony Kushner while noting it misses on a few marks. [Read the review](https://collider.com/lincoln-review/) ## Paste — David Roark Rating 9.0. 12 November 2012. The critic hails Lincoln as one of Spielberg’s greatest accomplishments thanks to its strong cast and smart, historically rich story, singling out Daniel Day-Lewis’s masterful restraint and subtle portrayal of the president. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/lincoln) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2012. The film is one of the best American movies of the year and Spielberg's finest work in decades. It succeeds by focusing tightly on the political maneuvering to pass the 13th Amendment rather than a full biography, with Daniel Day-Lewis delivering a masterful, empathetic performance as Lincoln. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/lincoln-review-riveting-tale-separates-man-monument-64136/) ## Den of Geek — Ron Hogan Rating 4/5. 20 November 2012. The critic praises the film as a riveting historical epic with strong performances, especially Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln. They highlight the balance of political intrigue, humor, and Spielberg's direction that makes the story personal and engaging. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/lincoln-review/) ## HeyUGuys — Ty Cooper Rating 4/5. 16 November 2012. The critic praises the performances, especially Daniel Day-Lewis and Tommy Lee Jones, and Spielberg's restrained direction, but criticizes the film for whitewashing Lincoln's history and not being fully unbiased. Overall, calls it one of the best films of the year. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/lincoln-review/) ## Eye for Film — Anne-Katrin Titze Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 29 December 2012. The critic notes Spielberg balances melodrama and storytelling, praises Day-Lewis's sympathetic portrayal, but points out the film avoids deeper issues of slavery and turns performances into cameos. It's a contained, non-nostalgic historical drama. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/lincoln-2012-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating C. 13 November 2012. The critic finds the film handsomely shot and well-acted but terribly dull and lifeless, a plodding West Wing episode lacking Spielberg's usual flair, though supporting cast enlivens it. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-lincoln-is-a-handsomely-shot-immaculately-acted-terribly-dull-historical-biopic-20121113/) --- © 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/lincoln.md