--- title: "The Big Lebowski: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-big-lebowski/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-big-lebowski" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 18 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." --- # The Big Lebowski (1998): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 18 reviews: 14 positive, 1 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics like it, and those who like it tend to like it a great deal. The praise gathers around Jeff Bridges, whose unhurried Dude is repeatedly named as the thing holding the film together, with John Goodman’s volatile Walter and John Turturro’s brief turn as Jesus Quintana close behind. The Coens’ noir pastiche, the soundtrack and the quotable dialogue come up again and again, and several reviewers say the film improves on a second or third viewing. The spread is wide, and it runs along a line in time. The negative and mixed notices almost all date from the 1998 release, when Variety, The New Yorker, the Los Angeles Times and The Guardian found the plot shapeless and the cleverness empty, with nothing at stake beneath the jokes. Reviews written since 2011 are uniformly warm, treating the film as a cult object whose looseness is the point rather than the problem. ## Empire — Ian Nathan Rating 5/5. 1 May 1998. The critic praises the Coen brothers' inventive, peculiar film as a perfect fusion of noir pastiche, rich characters, and visual flair, with Jeff Bridges perfectly cast as the Dude. It highlights the film's soulful take on human goodness amid the comedy and chaos. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/big-lebowski-review/) ## Sight and Sound — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). The critic praises the Coens' playful, non-sequitur-filled neo-Chandlerian detective story as a heroic act of slacker cinema that defiantly stays inconsequential and gleefully pursues its own amusement. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/first-slacker-film-noir-big-lebowski-reviewed-1998) ## Slant Magazine — Michael Nordine Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 2011. The film genuinely improves with each viewing thanks to its near-infinite quotability and the tangled plot that rewards unraveling, centered on the Zen-like, magnetic Dude whose eccentricities and calm influence those around him. The critic highlights the supporting eccentrics, subtle humor, and how the Coens blend comedy with underlying grimness. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-big-lebowski/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 June 2012. The critic calls the film immensely inventive and entertaining, a prime example of the Coens' stylistic brilliance that is actually about something meaningful like friendship and manhood in its time and place. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-big-lebowski) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 April 1998. The review calls the film magnificent and the Coens' finest, noting its accessible blend of film literacy, real characters, and fun mystery elements centered on the Dude. It singles out the technical glitter, memorable supporting turns like John Turturro's Jesus, and overall joyful unpredictability. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-big-lebowski-review/) ## The i Paper — Nick Mitchell Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 2018. The critic celebrates the film as a cult classic that rewards repeat viewings due to its dense script and quotable dialogue. They single out the many small visual and referential details that add layers of genius. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/big-lebowski-20-coen-brothers-132364) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 1998. The critic describes it as a genial, shambling comedy about a human train wreck that should come with a warning against seeking a plot. It is weirdly engaging like its hero the Dude, with praise for the peculiar characters, dialogue, and inventive style including hallucinations and a Busby Berkeley-inspired sequence. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-big-lebowski-1998) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Duane Byrge Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 January 1998. The Coens deliver a deliriously fractured comedy about a deadbeat L.A. loafer that should appeal to select audiences and some mainstream viewers. It stands out for its screwy textures, performances (especially John Goodman), music, and overall rancid enjoyment. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/big-lebowski-review-movie-1998-1281783/) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Rating NYT Critic’s Pick. 6 March 1998. The critic portrays the film as a funny, cool-headed comedy where the Dude maintains his enviable composure amid nonstop Coen brothers chaos. It singles out the eclectic soundtrack and the gleefully demented appearance of John Turturro’s Jesus Quintana for praise. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/06/movies/film-review-a-bowling-ball-s-eye-view-of-reality.html) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 1998. Festival review. The critic notes it is spiked with wonderfully funny sequences and original notions but adds up to less than the sum of its parts because the film is about nothing other than its own cleverness. It praises the cast, technical work, and soundtrack while calling the overall reception likely mixed. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/the-big-lebowski-1117436792/) ## The New Yorker — Daphne Merkin Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 1998. The critic finds the Coens reverted to cynical disengagement after Fargo, resulting in a smart but sterile exercise drenched in knowingness with nothing at stake. It praises the cast performances and camera work but faults the lack of real emotional connection or darkness. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1998/03/23/smart-alecks) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 1998. The Coen brothers' film has plenty of their signature lunacy in its eccentric characters and riffs, but the sum is less than the total of its parts due to a disjointed and incoherent plot. The critic singles out strong performances, especially John Goodman's volatile Walter, for praise amid the chaos. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-mar-06-ca-25881-story.html) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 24 April 1998. The critic laughs a great deal at the Coens' loose, meandering follow-up to Fargo but finds it ultimately unsatisfactory and structureless, a bag of ideas that spills out at random and will win no prizes. The bowling-alley scenes and supporting turns from Goodman and Turturro are singled out as highlights amid the fantasy sequences and narrative incoherence. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,558593,00.html) ## Consequence Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2018. The critic calls it a beloved cult classic that has outlived its initial mixed reception, hailing it as a hallucinatory, funny take on noir with an optimistic streak rare for the Coens. They single out Jeff Bridges' laconic, brilliant performance as the stoner protagonist who anchors the film's puzzle-box storytelling and enduring appeal. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2018/03/the-big-lebowski-perfected-the-art-of-the-stoner-noir/) ## /Film — Joshua Meyer Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 2018. Praises the film as the ultimate hang-out movie with endearing, memorable characters like the Dude and Walter. Highlights its quotable dialogue, cultural phenomenon status including Lebowski Fest and Dudeism, and enduring rewatchability. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/556701/the-big-lebowski-anniversary/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 March 2018. Calls it a bona fide cult hit that is instantly quotable and hilarious, a strange and absurd follow-up to Fargo that showcases the Coens' identity. Notes its genius in portraying a lazy man solving a case through mishaps and its lasting memorability. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-big-lebowski-filmmakers-made-a-perfect-fargo-follow-up/) ## The Ringer — Adam Nayman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 September 2018. The critic describes the film as a sly, hilarious homage to noir and detective novels that has aged perfectly, with surprising depths beneath its ambling surface. They single out Jeff Bridges' transparent, guileless performance as The Dude for its remarkable weariness and ability to convey a character's passive absorption of the world around him. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2018/09/20/movies/big-lebowski-coen-brothers-this-book-really-ties-the-room-together) ## Den of Geek — Tony Sokol Rating 4/5. 19 February 2013. The critic praises the film's creation of a unique 'Lebowskiverse' with memorable characters and the Dude's Zen-like approach to chaos, highlighting Jeff Bridges' performance and the Coens' style. He notes its enduring appeal despite initial mixed reviews. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-big-lebowski-1998-lookbackreview/) --- © 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/the-big-lebowski.md