--- title: "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/sex-and-drugs-and-rock-and-roll/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/sex-and-drugs-and-rock-and-roll" critics_score: 60 critics_reviews: 12 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." --- # Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (2010): what the critics said Critics' score 60 from 12 reviews: 5 positive, 3 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews are divided on Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, but praise for Andy Serkis is consistent across favourable and hostile notices. Critics single out his recreation of Ian Dury’s voice, physical presence and charisma, with several finding humanity beneath the flamboyance. The more enthusiastic reviews also praise the musical sequences, unruly energy and humour, seeing a moving portrait that acknowledges Dury’s difficult behaviour without losing affection for him. The disagreement centres on whether the filmmaking matches its lead performance. Some critics enjoy the energetic visual style; others find it distracting or see a conventional family melodrama beneath it. Variety objects to the fragmented script and overlong, confusing edit, while Slant Magazine finds the direction flashy and the biography clichéd. Total Film’s milder reservation is that the emphasis on Dury’s personal life leaves too little music. The spread is wide, from wholehearted enthusiasm to firm rejection. ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic finds the film witty, wild and surprisingly moving. Andy Serkis’s deeply human performance as Ian Dury is singled out as the film’s greatest strength. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/sex-drugs-rock-roll-is-a-farrago-of-brilliant-nonsense-7439401.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2010. Bradshaw finds the biopic passionate and gripping, powered by an outstanding central performance. He especially praises Serkis’s convincing recreation of Ian Dury and his eerily good vocals. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jan/07/sex-drugs-rock-roll-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Ray Bennett Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2010. The critic finds the film rowdy, ragged, and wholly entertaining, with broad appeal for punk-rock fans. Andy Serkis’s performance is singled out for capturing Ian Dury’s distinctive voice and flamboyant manner. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/sex-drugs-rock-roll-film-29083/) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 4/5. 5 January 2010. The review awards the film four stars, indicating a positive verdict. The available description criticizes the increasingly drab state of British music films, but the review text is unavailable to identify a specific feature it praises. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/sex-drugs-rock-roll-1) ## Empire — Philip Wilding Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 30 December 2009. The review finds the film an occasionally dazzling but confusing portrait of Ian Dury. It singles out Andy Serkis’s remarkable performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sex-drugs-rock-roll-review/) ## Little White Lies — Matt Bochenski Rating 3/3/3. 7 January 2010. The review finds the film entertaining but ultimately conventional, describing it as a family melodrama dressed in rock ’n’ roll. It praises Andy Serkis’s mesmerising performance and the film’s energetic visual style. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/sex-and-drugs-and-rock-and-roll) ## Total Film — Neil Smith Rating 3/5. 21 December 2009. Smith finds the biopic exuberant but says its focus on Dury’s personal life may disappoint viewers seeking more music. He particularly praises Andy Serkis’s charismatic performance, highlighting his rendition of “Spasticus Autisticus.” [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/sex-drugs-rock-roll-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2010. Abele finds the film formulaic and oddly sentimental, despite its charismatic lead performance. He singles out Andy Serkis’s ferocious portrayal of Ian Dury as the film’s strongest element. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-24-la-sex-drugs-rock-roll-review-story-story.html) ## Variety — Leslie Felperin Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 January 2010. Felperin finds the biopic weakened by a fragmented script and an overlong, confusing edit, despite its lively performances of Dury’s songs. She praises Andy Serkis’s convincing portrayal of Dury’s voice and physical presence, though she criticizes his mugging. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2010/film/markets-festivals/sex-drugs-rock-roll-1117941855/) ## Slant Magazine — Lauren Wissot Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 24 April 2010. Festival review. The critic pans the film as a clichéd, hollow biopic overwhelmed by flashy direction. The standout praise is reserved for the stellar cast, especially Andy Serkis as Dury. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/tribeca-film-festival-2010-sex-drugs-rock-roll/) ## Digital Spy — Mayer Nissim Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 January 2010. The critic finds the biopic energetic and deeply respectful without glossing over Ian Dury’s flaws. Andy Serkis’s vivid performance and the faultless musical sequences are especially praised. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a194114/sex-drugs-rock-roll/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 20 March 2010. The critic finds the film uneven and its subject increasingly hard to like, despite its flashes of energy. Andy Serkis’s fierce, physically convincing performance is singled out as what lifts the film. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/sex-drugs-rock-roll-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/sex-and-drugs-and-rock-and-roll.md