Critics’ reviews

RRR (2022)

15 reviews from 15 publications. Critics’ score 84: 14 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative.

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84
Positive
14
Mixed
1
Negative
0

The reviews for RRR are close to unanimous. Almost every critic finds the film exhilarating, and most say so with evident pleasure, treating it as a large, sincere entertainment built for a big screen. The praise gathers around two things: Rajamouli’s action set pieces, which critics describe as inventive, precisely staged and cheerfully ridiculous, and the partnership between the two leads, whose friendship several reviews call the film’s real engine. The musical numbers are singled out almost as often as the fights.

The reservations are mild and scattered rather than shared. Sight and Sound finds the film bloated and nationalistic before giving in to its showmanship, and The New Yorker notes that the storytelling leans on shortcuts. Deadline points out that the women are largely sidelined, and Variety mentions the historical liberties but decides they serve the story. The spread is narrow: one mixed review, none negative, and the complaints come from critics who enjoyed themselves anyway.

IndieWire
26 March 2022 · A · Siddhant Adlakha
95

The critic calls RRR a dazzling, emotionally sincere action saga and a triumphant return to the theatrical experience. They especially praise the energetic filmmaking and the chemistry between its two leads.

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Empire
5 July 2022 · Ian Freer
90*

Freer calls the film a bombastic delight and finds it entertaining from beginning to end. He particularly praises Rajamouli’s inventive action spectacle and the infectious charisma of its leads.

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The AV Club
16 June 2022 · Todd Gilchrist
90*

The critic celebrates RRR as a hugely entertaining, culturally specific epic that also speaks through familiar cinematic conventions. He especially praises its inventive action and dance sequences, along with the lead performances and the central friendship.

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The Hollywood Reporter
27 November 2022 · Frank Scheck
90*

Scheck finds the film deliriously entertaining throughout its lengthy runtime. He especially praises the dazzling action and musical numbers, along with the charismatic leads.

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The New York Times
3 August 2022 · Manohla Dargis
90*

The review finds RRR extravagantly entertaining. It praises the film’s exuberant action and spectacle.

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Variety
4 April 2022 · Joe Leydon
90*

Leydon finds the film an exhilarating, irresistible celebration of cinematic excess. He praises the leads’ chemistry and the audacious action spectacle, while noting that its historical liberties serve an exciting story.

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RogerEbert.com
24 March 2022 · ★★★½/4 · Simon Abrams
88

The review gives the film a strongly positive verdict. It singles out the extravagant action spectacle for praise.

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Radio Times
★★★★ · Max Copeman
80

The critic presents the film as a hugely entertaining epic. They single out its fabulously over-the-top action for praise.

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The New Yorker
2 June 2022 · Richard Brody
78*

Brody finds RRR an exhilarating, artistically bold action musical whose overt political purpose gives its spectacle force, though its storytelling relies on shortcuts and elisions. He especially praises the precise, inventive action and the athletic choreography that makes the musical numbers and fights visually dazzling.

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Sight and Sound
14 December 2022
75*

The critic finds the film bloated and nationalistic but ultimately exhilarating in its maximalist showmanship. They single out Rajamouli’s elastic, carefully modulated action and the exuberance of the musical sequences.

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Screen Daily
8 April 2022 · Tara Judah
70*

The headline and standfirst present the film as a spectacular big-screen achievement. They single out its record-smashing scale, but the review’s full verdict is unavailable.

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Eye for Film
17 December 2022 · Jennie Kermode
90*

Kermode finds the epic emotionally absorbing, thrilling and frequently ridiculous in the best way. She singles out its imaginative, ambitious action set pieces and the powerful bond between its two leads.

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Deadline
25 March 2022 · Stephanie Bunbury
85*

Bunbury finds the film a truly great story and an exhilarating, relentlessly entertaining epic, despite its lack of nuance. She praises its spectacular action and central bromance, while noting that its women are largely sidelined.

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Polygon
25 March 2022 · Katie Rife
78*

The critic finds RRR an exhilarating, crowd-pleasing action epic whose themes of resistance and solidarity feel broadly relatable. She singles out Rajamouli’s kinetic spectacle and the thrilling partnership between its two leads.

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The Playlist
7 April 2022
65*

The URL identifies this as a review of RRR, but the page is blocked. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified.

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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