---
title: "The Book Thief: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-book-thief/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-book-thief"
critics_score: 48
critics_reviews: 23
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 Book Thief (2013): what the critics said

Critics' score 48 from 23 reviews: 5 positive, 5 mixed, 13 negative.

Most critics find The Book Thief too cautious and sentimental for its subject, though the performances earn praise across the divide. Sophie Nélisse’s poise and expressiveness and Geoffrey Rush’s warmth and humour are recurring strengths; several reviews also value Emily Watson’s work. The period presentation attracts admiration, but its polish is often part of the complaint: critics who appreciate the lighting and production design still find the danger muted and the drama short of urgency.

The spread is wide, with a small enthusiastic minority finding the emotional force that most reviews miss. Den of Geek praises a devastating emotional payoff, while the Evening Standard condemns the film’s treatment of the Holocaust as historically misleading. Elsewhere, reservations cluster around the slow pace, Death’s intrusive narration and a preference for reassuring uplift over difficult questions. Even sympathetic reviews acknowledge sentimentality or awkward storytelling.

## Slant Magazine — R. Kurt Osenlund

Rating 3/4. 7 November 2013. 

Osenlund finds the film compassionate and lyrical despite some schmaltz and a near-derailing final act. He praises its warm natural light and imagery that makes books a symbol of loss and possibility.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-book-thief/)

## Variety — Dennis Harvey

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 October 2013. Festival review. 

Harvey finds the adaptation quietly effective and engaging, though its restraint and slow pace may limit its emotional impact. He praises the performances, especially Geoffrey Rush’s warmth and humor and Ben Schnetzer’s appealing portrayal of Max.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/markets-festivals/the-book-thief-review-1200694271/)

## The AV Club — Ben Kenigsberg

Rating B-. 7 November 2013. 

Kenigsberg finds the film an absorbing melodrama despite its clumsy narration and occasional sentimentality. He singles out Sophie Nélisse’s performance, especially her scenes with Geoffrey Rush, for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-book-thief-1798178592)

## Screen Daily — John Hazelton

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 30 October 2013. 

The review text is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint is visible in the page text.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-book-thief/5063046.article)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2013. 

The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. I can’t verify what the review singled out for praise or complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/08/movies/the-book-thief-world-war-ii-tale-with-geoffrey-rush.html)

## Radio Times — Trevor Johnston

Rating 3/5. 

Johnston gives the adaptation a three-star verdict. He singles out its emphasis on ordinary Germans who resisted Nazi propaganda.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-akn6qr/the-book-thief/)

## Total Film — Paul Bradshaw

Rating 3/5. 10 February 2014. 

Bradshaw finds the film moving but ultimately underwhelming and too safe for its weighty themes. He singles out the performances, especially the young cast, as its saving strength.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-book-thief-review/)

## Empire — Ian Freer

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2014. 

Freer finds the film handsome and engaging but lacking dramatic urgency and emotional heft. He praises the performances, especially Geoffrey Rush’s warmth and humour.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/book-thief-review/)

## IndieWire — Meredith Brody

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2013. 

Brody finds the film sincere and competently made, but oddly muted in its treatment of the Holocaust. She praises the warm cinematography and production design, while faulting the story’s dangers for lacking emotional force.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-the-book-thief-starring-geoffrey-rush-a-well-meaning-but-oddly-muted-holocaust-tale-195165/)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Stephen Farber

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 6 November 2013. 

Farber finds the film earnest and admirable in intent, but too languid and lacking tension to fully succeed. He praises the performances, especially Sophie Nelisse’s expressive portrayal of Liesel.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/book-thief-film-review-653866/)

## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf

Rating 2/5. 27 November 2013. 

The review gives the film two stars, finding its adaptation faintly unrealistic despite its sumptuousness. It singles out the film’s sumptuous presentation for praise, while criticizing its unrealistic feel.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-book-thief)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2013. 

Ebiri finds the film familiar and stodgy, despite its worthwhile ideas and polished execution. He praises the performances, especially Emily Watson’s, and singles out a story invented by Liesel as an effective moment.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/11/movie-review-the-book-thief.html)

## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 8 November 2013. 

Abele finds the adaptation a staid, wishful treatment of a catastrophic period, despite its serviceable performances. He criticizes its reluctance to confront the Holocaust and its emphasis on uplift over historical unease.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-nov-08-la-et-mn-the-book-thief-review-20131108-story.html)

## The Guardian — Mark Kermode

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 2 March 2014. 

Kermode finds the adaptation staid and over-restrained, unable to blend its moral observations with its metaphysical elements. He praises the strong performances, especially from the younger cast, but says the film’s tasteful cosiness smothers its story.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/mar/02/book-thief-review-war-drama-mark-kermode)

## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 31 January 2015. 

O'Sullivan strongly condemns the film as a sentimental, historically miseducating account of the Holocaust. She praises Sophie Nelisse's poise and ability to make her character convincing.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-book-thief-film-review-9159510.html)

## The New Yorker

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic dismisses the adaptation as a soft, meaningless treatment of wartime Germany. They particularly fault Death’s whimsical narration and the film’s snow-globe prettiness.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/the-book-thief)

## Den of Geek — Don Kaye

Rating 4/5. 6 November 2013. 

Kaye finds the adaptation elegant and earnest, with a devastating emotional payoff. He particularly praises the performances, especially Geoffrey Rush’s heartfelt turn as Hans Huberman.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-book-thief-review/)

## Paste — Matt Shiverdecker

Rating 8.7. 6 November 2013. 

Shiverdecker calls the film genuine and emotionally resonant, while noting its muted look and slow pace. He praises Sophie Nélisse’s performance and the way the film balances its heavy subject matter with moments of levity.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-book-thief)

## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff

Rating C. 6 November 2013. 

The review finds the film emotionally engaging but too narratively tidy and lacking in moral complexity. It praises the performances of Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, and Sophie Nélisse, whose work helps keep the story compelling.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-wwii-drama-the-book-thief-starring-geoffrey-rush-emily-watson-sophie-nelisse-20131106/)

## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael

Rating 2/5. 25 February 2014. 

The review finds the adaptation handsomely made but overly familiar and reluctant to explore its subject fully. It praises Sophie Nélisse’s deft, spirited performance, while faulting the film for signposting its twists and avoiding harder questions about fascist propaganda.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a553151/the-book-thief-review-this-isnt-the-whole-story/)

## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape

Rating 2/5. 24 February 2014. 

Pape finds the film emotionally detached, cliched and overly sentimental, despite the power of its subject. He praises the period setting and John Williams’s score, and singles out Geoffrey Rush’s sincere performance.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-book-thief-review/)

## Eye for Film — Andrew Robertson

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2014. 

Robertson finds the film competent and occasionally compelling, but ultimately flawed and not as transporting as its source. He praises the performances and visual design, while faulting the plodding pace, heavy-handed narration, and jarring shifts between languages.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-book-thief-2013-film-review-by-andrew-robertson)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2013. 

The critic finds the adaptation well-intentioned but uneven, with limited appeal beyond families and fans of the novel. They single out Death’s intrusive, recurrent voice-overs as a major flaw.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/book-thief-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/the-book-thief.md