---
title: "Save the Last Dance: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/save-the-last-dance/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/save-the-last-dance"
critics_score: 59
critics_reviews: 7
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."
---

# Save the Last Dance (2001): what the critics said

Critics' score 59 from 7 reviews: 3 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative.

The reviews are mixed, though most critics find something persuasive in the romance and performances. Praise clusters around Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas, whose chemistry and character work help make familiar material emotionally credible. Several critics also value the film’s willingness to address racial tensions, finding enough substance in the central relationship to offset some of the predictable plotting.

Reservations centre on formula, with even sympathetic reviews acknowledging how readily the story follows familiar routes. The dancing divides opinion: Total Film criticises awkward editing and the use of a body double, while Eye for Film welcomes the dance sequences as an education. The spread runs from warm approval to a strongly negative response from Empire, which finds the film patronising and its score intrusive, despite praising the cast and dance numbers. The clearest agreement concerns the performers; the disagreement is over how much they compensate for the script.

## Los Angeles Times — Kevin Thomas

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 January 2001. 

The critic finds the teen romance emotionally effective despite its predictable ending. He praises the youthful cast and the film’s balance of melodrama, wishful thinking, and grit.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-12-ca-11268-story.html)

## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 12 January 2001. 

Rabin finds the film a perceptive, unusually substantial teen romance, though its dance elements are clumsier and more predictable. He especially praises the layered central relationship and the performances of Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/save-the-last-dance-1798192582)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 12 January 2001. 

The URL identifies this as a film review, but the critic’s verdict is unavailable. The accessible page provides no details about what the critic praised or criticized.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/12/movies/film-review-a-young-ballerina-discovers-hip-hop-and-yo.html)

## Total Film — Total Film

Rating 3/5. 30 March 2001. 

The review finds the film predictable but ultimately enjoyable, praising its cast’s charm and its willingness to address racial tensions. It criticizes the dance scenes, especially their awkward editing and use of a body double.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/save-the-last-dance-review/)

## Variety — Robert Koehler

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 8 January 2001. 

Koehler finds the film earnest but formulaic, with an uneven middle and some implausible character choices. He praises the performances and the leads’ appealing chemistry, especially Sean Patrick Thomas’s warmth and confidence.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/save-the-last-dance-1117797042/)

## Empire — Colin Kennedy

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

The critic gives the film a strongly negative verdict, calling it a patronizing hybrid of familiar teen movies. They single out the formulaic plot and intrusive score, while praising the performances and dance numbers.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/save-last-dance-review/)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 March 2001. 

The critic finds the film formulaic but says its love story and racial tensions feel genuine. He praises Julia Stiles’ character-focused performance and singles out the dancing as an education.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/save-the-last-dance-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

---
© 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/save-the-last-dance.md