Most critics welcome Logan Lucky as Steven Soderbergh’s return to feature films and treat it as a blue-collar cousin of his Ocean’s pictures: a heist comedy that likes its Southern characters rather than laughing at them. The praise clusters around two things. First, Daniel Craig, whose bleached-blond explosives expert Joe Bang is named again and again as the performance that steals the film. Second, the heist itself, which reviewers say is staged with the director’s usual control and pays off its long set-up. The ensemble, Channing Tatum and Adam Driver’s deadpan siblings in particular, draws steady approval. Reservations are mild and repeated: the film is called lightweight, occasionally pleased with itself, and thinner than Soderbergh’s best work, with The New Yorker wondering whether its take on working-class America tips into simplemindedness. The spread is narrow. The one clear dissent comes from The Skinny, which finds the accents overdone and the jokes too few.
L
Little White Lies
18 August 2017 · 5/5/4 · David Jenkins
100
Soderbergh returns with one of his strongest films in years, a warmhearted and funny blue-collar heist caper that avoids caricature. The critic praises the ensemble cast, precise direction, and humanist tone that elevates the material into something generous and memorable.
Read the full review →A
The AV Club
14 August 2017 · A- · Jesse Hassenger
90
The critic finds it great entertainment that is more than a summer lark, with real warmth toward its characters and economic anxiety. They praise the ensemble cast's performances, especially Tatum and Driver's deadpan as siblings, and Soderbergh's control of the heist mechanics.
Read the full review →E
Evening Standard
15 November 2017 · Charlotte O'Sullivan
80*
This rambunctious hillbilly heist is wildly entertaining, with Daniel Craig's scene-stealing, hilarious performance as the bleached-blond explosives expert Joe Bang at its centre. The critic highlights Soderbergh's affectionate take on Southern roots and the film's pertinence amid contemporary events.
Read the full review →i
The i Paper
25 August 2017 · ★★★★ · Matthew Turner
80
Soderbergh's rip-roaring heist comedy is the redneck cousin of Ocean's 11, full of hillbilly charm, laugh-out-loud humour and an infectious sense of fun. Daniel Craig steals the show with his surprising gift for character comedy as the platinum-blond Joe Bang.
Read the full review →Soderbergh delivers a cosy, blue-collar Ocean's-style heist that feels comforting and well-cast. The comedy is loose and generous, with strong sibling chemistry and a sense of esprit de corps.
Read the full review →T
The Times
27 August 2017 · ★★★★ · Tom Shone
80
Soderbergh returns with a fun, down-to-earth heist caper for the Trump era, trading glamour for rhinestones and Nascar. The cast shines, especially Daniel Craig having a blast as the explosives expert.
Read the full review →Soderbergh delivers an underdog crime comedy with the jazzy energy of his Ocean's films and Southern humour from Magic Mike. The review highlights the generous spirit, strong ensemble, and rare charm of the heist story without mocking its characters.
Read the full review →E
Empire
20 August 2017 · Andrew Lowry
75*
Soderbergh's return to theatrical features is a slick, well-acted redneck heist comedy with strong chemistry among the leads and standout turns from Daniel Craig and Adam Driver. The critic praises the enjoyable ride and cast but notes it falls just short of something truly exceptional.
Read the full review →S
Screen Daily
24 July 2017 · festival review
70*
Soderbergh's return to features is a smooth, familiar blue-collar crime caper that showcases his craftsmanship and an engaging ensemble. The review notes the film's breezy stylishness, working-class soulfulness, and deceptive ease despite some superficiality.
Read the full review →N
The New Yorker
21 August 2017 · Anthony Lane
70*
Soderbergh's redneck heist movie delights in the trimmings of an elaborate, improbable plan carried out by a cast including Tatum, Driver, and Craig as a safe-blower. It addresses class and working-class America with liberal credentials but questions if it veers into simplemindedness.
Read the full review →R
Radio Times
★★★ · Emma Simmonds
60
Soderbergh's caper has Southern sass and a strong cast but doesn't fully hit its stride, leaning more toward Coen brothers territory than his usual slick heists. The review singles out Daniel Craig's fun performance and the well-executed heist while noting uneven farce and a sullen lead turn.
Read the full review →L
Los Angeles Times
17 August 2017 · Kenneth Turan
Soderbergh returns with a slick, smart, and impeccably executed highbrow heist movie involving lowbrow folks that makes you smile despite occasionally seeming too pleased with itself. It marks his return to big-screen work with strong performances from a cast including Tatum and Driver.
Read the full review →Soderbergh delivers a precision-tooled heist entertainment with comedic banter and suspense handled deftly. The film showcases the director's characteristic smoothness and no-fuss confidence in staging the story of the Logan brothers' caper.
Read the full review →S
Slant Magazine
15 August 2017
The critic describes it as an effervescent and cerebral ensemble comedy and a Robin Hood fantasy that is the brightest film Soderbergh has made since Erin Brockovich. They single out the vibrant visuals, ensemble cast's comic timing, and the clever heist mechanics and twists for praise, while noting some unevenness from stunt casting.
Read the full review →G
The Guardian
24 July 2017 · Peter Bradshaw
The critic praises Soderbergh's return with a warm, witty heist comedy full of energy and specificity. Particular praise goes to the strong ensemble cast and the film's endearing, hangout vibe.
Read the full review →H
The Hollywood Reporter
24 July 2017 · Todd McCarthy
The critic calls it a rollicking good time and a breezy, unpretentious heist comedy that anyone could enjoy. They single out Daniel Craig's wonderfully wacky, show-stealing turn as the down-home career criminal for praise.
Read the full review →N
The New York Times
16 August 2017 · NYT Critic’s Pick · A.O. Scott
Soderbergh's gravity-defying and ridiculously entertaining film is a modern-day Robin Hood caper about a motley crew attempting to even the odds with a heist at a NASCAR race. It stands out for its generosity and loose self-confidence that disguises its mastery.
Read the full review →V
Variety
24 July 2017 · Owen Gleiberman
Soderbergh's high-spirited, low-down redneck heist yarn is a blast that taps into the dynamics of NASCAR country and features a diabolically clever homemade plan executed with mordant vivacity. It is Soderbergh in mid-season form with terrific ensemble work from Tatum, Driver, Craig, and others.
Read the full review →C
Collider
17 August 2017 · A- · Matt Goldberg
90
The critic praises Soderbergh for delivering a funny, cool heist film that loves its working-class Southern characters without mocking them, calling it a blast with strong performances across the cast.
Read the full review →/
/Film
18 August 2017 · 9/10 · Karen Han
90
Soderbergh's return from retirement is a triumphant and earnest one, running at a handsome clip as breezy as the NASCAR race at its center. The film stands out for stopping to appreciate simple pleasures and the goodwill of its characters, even as they break the law.
Read the full review →D
Deadline
16 August 2017 · Pete Hammond
85*
Soderbergh delivers a deliciously amusing and entertaining Southern heist film that is smart, clever, hilarious, and fun from start to finish, with more laughs than any movie that summer. The critic singles out the game cast, particularly Daniel Craig's scene-stealing turn as explosives expert Joe Bang, for enhancing the clever plot under Soderbergh's immaculate guidance.
Read the full review →R
The Ringer
16 August 2017 · K. Austin Collins
80*
The critic highlights the film's slick comedy about resourceful underdogs pulling off an ambitious heist, noting Soderbergh's skill with clever surprises, montages, and a charismatic ensemble that makes the story breezy and satisfying.
Read the full review →W
The Wrap
16 August 2017 · Robert Abele
80*
Soderbergh returns with a precision-timed, spirited welcome-back heist caper that counts as a muscle-flexing variety show of his signature crisp shotmaking, editing, dry humor, and electric sequences. The critic singles out first-time screenwriter Rebecca Blunt's screenplay for making the follow-through of the old-school plan so pleasurable.
Read the full review →S
The Skinny
25 August 2017 · ★★ · Jamie Dunn
40
The critic calls it an uninspired comeback with too many overdone accents and not enough funny lines, criticizing the broad characterizations and lack of genuine humor despite some visual appeal.
Read the full review →D
Den of Geek
18 August 2017 · 3.5 out of 5 · Don Kaye
The critic finds it an amusing but lightweight heist comedy, praising Daniel Craig's bizarre performance as the standout while noting it lacks substance compared to Soderbergh's better work.
Read the full review →Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate