--- title: "Moneyball: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/moneyball/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/moneyball" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 15 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." --- # Moneyball (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 15 reviews: 11 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find Moneyball an intelligent, engaging sports drama that makes baseball statistics compelling without relying on much on-field action. Praise centres on Brad Pitt’s restrained performance as Billy Beane, with several reviews also valuing his exchanges with Jonah Hill. The sharp script and Bennett Miller’s measured direction receive much of the credit for turning recruitment decisions and resistance to change into involving drama. For its admirers, the appeal extends beyond an interest in baseball. The reservations concern familiar underdog plotting, thin characterisation and a tendency to overstate the wisdom of its statistical approach. The spread is fairly wide, though even less enthusiastic reviews generally find something to admire in Pitt. Screen Daily finds the staging elegant but the film monotonous and less thoughtful than it appears. Slant Magazine offers the strongest dissent, arguing that conventional storytelling and broad character strokes blunt its account of unconventional thinking. ## Little White Lies — Dan Stewart Rating 2/5/4. 25 November 2011. The critic finds it gripping drama despite the premise, praising the script and Pitt's subtle performance as key to its success as the best film about statistics. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/moneyball) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2011. The critic calls it an exuberant fictionalized look at how Billy Beane transformed a poor team into serious competition by ignoring traditional baseball wisdom in favor of statistics. She highlights the sharp script and how director Bennett Miller turns dry material into a pleasurable Hollywood diversion, with strong praise for Brad Pitt's performance. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/movies/brad-pitt-in-moneyball-by-bennett-miller.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 27 November 2011. The critic praises Brad Pitt's fine performance as Billy Beane and the film's intelligent, exciting take on the story of data-driven baseball management. He singles out the superb scenes between the manager and his young statistical adviser, along with the strong script by Zaillian and Sorkin. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/nov/27/moneyball-review-brad-pitt-baseball) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Rating B+. 22 September 2011. Miller’s shrewd adaptation turns the stats-driven tale into an engaging sports movie for number-crunchers, with intelligent direction, crackling Sorkin dialogue, and performances full of revolutionary fervor. It persuades as a rousing egghead triumph despite some unacknowledged ironies in the on-field success. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/moneyball-1798169676) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2011. The critic describes it as a thoughtful, entertaining, and surprising sports movie that prioritizes a man's quixotic quest to revolutionize baseball over conventional victory narratives. He singles out Brad Pitt's low-key star power in the lead role and Bennett Miller's restrained storytelling style that allows actors to flourish. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-sep-23-la-et-moneyball-20110923-story.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2011. The film succeeds as a rewarding, workmanlike underdog drama focused on unconventional front-office tactics rather than on-field action, with strong chemistry between Pitt and Hill and effective supporting turns from Hoffman and Pratt. It lacks the knockout impact of The Social Network but pulls a timeless story from inside baseball. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/moneyball-234745/) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 September 2011. The critic praises the film as one of the most soulful baseball movies for confronting the game's anguish and highlights Brad Pitt's convincing portrayal of the tormented, revolutionary Beane. He notes Bennett Miller's perceptive direction of character dynamics but questions the over-celebration of sabermetrics and the irony of sacred passion devoted to cold numbers. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/10/03/playing-the-numbers) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 3/5. 22 November 2011. Praises the breezy approach, Sorkin's script and cast performances for a pleasurable watch, but complains of unfocused characters and a muted ending. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/moneyball) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 2011. Festival review. Notes Pitt's dignified performance and elegant staging but criticizes the film as too one-tone and not as thoughtful as it seems. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/moneyball/5031811.article) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2011. The film flattens its intermittently smart story of thinking differently into formulaic narrative, with broad character strokes and a dutiful big-game sequence that creates tonal whiplash. Pitt’s solid performance and some strong late scenes are undercut by musty humanizing elements and a bet-hedging approach to its subject. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/moneyball/) ## Empire — Olly Richards 21 November 2011. The critic praises the film as an uplifting and exciting sports movie despite lacking on-field action, highlighting its focus on innovative thinking, second chances, and strong performances especially from Brad Pitt. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/moneyball-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 September 2011. The critic finds the film riveting despite not caring about sports, calling it a witty and captivating look at thinking outside the box in business. They single out director Bennett Miller for keeping the story percolating with organic elements like family life and conflicts, and praise Brad Pitt's perfectly calibrated performance. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/moneyball-knocks-it-out-park-31196/) ## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 21 November 2011. It's a wonderful surprise, a movie about people shunning sporting romance that somehow manages to still embrace it. Pitt delivers a top-form performance and Miller directs with restraint. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a343374/moneyball-review/) ## /Film — Germain Lussier Rating 8/10. 23 September 2011. The critic sees the film as a character study about standing up for an unconventional idea against tradition, crediting Brad Pitt's confident and heartfelt lead performance along with strong support from Jonah Hill. It notes the talky script and some factual liberties taken with the true story but finds the core message resonant. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/517678/moneyball-review-brad-pitt-hits-triple-wall/) ## The Skinny — Becky Bartlett Rating 4/5. 21 November 2011. Follows the familiar underdog sports formula but is shot with style, features archive footage that makes it involving and easy to follow, and makes one root for the misfit team. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/moneyball) ## Den of Geek — Ron Hogan Rating 3/5. 25 September 2011. The critic finds it a very good sports movie that's entertaining and turns stats into fun, but wishes it was as good as it thinks it is, criticizing some indulgence and length. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/moneyball-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/moneyball.md