--- title: "The Butler: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-butler/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-butler" critics_score: 63 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 Butler (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 63 from 23 reviews: 9 positive, 11 mixed, 3 negative. ## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin Rating 3.5/4. 11 August 2013. Cabin finds the film familiar in its broad story but formally radical and emotionally urgent. He especially praises Lee Daniels’s visceral staging of the civil-rights violence and Oprah Winfrey’s electrifying performance. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/lee-daniels-the-butler/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating B. 9 August 2013. Kohn finds the film a thoughtful, emotionally grounded period drama despite its sentimentality and occasional camp. He praises the contrast between Cecil’s quiet White House service and his son’s activism, along with Forest Whitaker’s understated performance. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-lee-daniels-the-butler-is-a-saccharine-civil-rights-lesson-but-thats-why-it-works-35971/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 23 August 2013. Brody finds the film stirring and politically resonant, though one filmmaking choice jolted him. He praises its attention to the dignity of ordinary work and highlights the power of its visual details. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/richard-brody/the-butler-and-philip-roth) ## Evening Standard — The Standard Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2013. The review finds the film sentimental and uneven but ultimately compelling, with its myths about American freedom sharply challenged. It especially praises Forest Whitaker’s restrained, affecting performance as Cecil Gaines. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-butler-film-review-8941509.html) ## The AV Club — Ben Kenigsberg Rating B-. 15 August 2013. Kenigsberg finds the film sentimental and reductive, yet ultimately satisfying. He praises the powerful interlude crosscutting a sit-in with the butler setting the White House table. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/lee-daniels-the-butler-1798177674) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2013. McCarthy finds the film emotionally effective and often engaging despite its schematic storytelling and middle-of-the-road approach. He especially praises Forest Whitaker’s finely tuned, ultimately stirring performance. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/lee-daniels-butler-film-review-601991/) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 August 2013. Edelstein finds the film crudely powerful despite its blunt direction and signpost-heavy script. He especially praises Forest Whitaker’s finely tuned performance, which conveys the grief and intelligence beneath Cecil’s deferential mask. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/08/movie-review-the-butler.html) ## The Guardian — Mark Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2013. Kermode finds the film sentimental and over-polished, but says it retains genuine passion. He especially praises Oprah Winfrey’s energetic, complex performance as Gloria, whom he sees as the drama’s heart. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/nov/17/the-butler-forest-whitaker-oprah-winfrey-review) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict is unavailable. No praise or complaint can be reliably identified from the provided text. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lee-daniels-the-butler-2013) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2013. The page identifies this as a review, but the review text is unavailable. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined from the accessible content. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/lee-daniels-the-butler/5058929.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 16 August 2013. The page content is unavailable, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be verified from the accessible text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/16/movies/lee-daniels-the-butler-stars-forest-whitaker.html) ## Time Out — Trevor Johnston Rating 3/5. 12 November 2013. The review's verdict and specific points of praise or complaint are not available in the accessible page text. The page identifies this as a three-star review but provides no further review details. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-butler) ## Total Film — Tony Horkins Rating 3/5. 8 November 2013. The review finds the film an Oscar contender despite feeling rushed and flimsy as it moves through history. It praises the excellent performances, especially Forest Whitaker’s understated, commanding portrayal. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/lee-daniels-the-butler-review/) ## Variety — Scott Foundas Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2013. Foundas finds the film both clumsy and overly sentimental, yet ultimately genuinely rousing. He singles out David Oyelowo’s electrifying performance and the father-son conflict as its most compelling elements. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/lee-daniels-the-butler-review-forest-whitaker-oprah-winfrey-1200575215/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 2013. Turan finds the film significant and strongly acted, but ultimately undermined by contrivance and unsubtle excess. He praises the chemistry between Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey, while criticizing the implausible plotting around the presidents and the civil rights movement. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-review-the-butler-story.html) ## Empire — Simon Braund Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 21 August 2012. The critic finds the film earnest but overly preachy and sentimental, ultimately more worthy than enjoyable. Forest Whitaker’s quiet, sensitive performance is singled out for balancing the melodrama. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/butler-review/) ## Radio Times — Dave Aldridge Rating 2/5. Aldridge finds the drama sprawling and soapy rather than a safe fit for director Lee Daniels. He criticizes Cecil Gaines’s portrayal as a Forrest Gump-like figure, standing stock-still through history. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-tu9fes/the-butler/) ## Eye for Film — Anne-Katrin Titze Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 August 2013. The critic finds the film compelling and emotionally persuasive, tracing the Civil Rights Movement through a White House butler’s family. She especially praises Forest Whitaker’s nuanced lead performance and David Oyelowo’s portrayal of the son’s transformation. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/lee-daniels-the-butler-2013-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating B-. 15 August 2013. Goldberg calls the film a solid story of a father and son divided by history, despite its heavy-handedness and distracting detours. He praises Forest Whitaker and especially David Oyelowo for their restrained, quietly expressive performances. [Read the review](https://collider.com/lee-daniels-the-butler-review/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2013. The critic finds the film a powerful, accessible survey of racism’s legacy, but says it falls short of the sweeping tearjerker it aims to be. They single out the relationship between Cecil and Louis, especially a parallel dinner-service and sit-in sequence, as its most affecting material. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/butler-review-civil-rights-saga-heats-when-it-leaves-white-house-109316/) ## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones Rating 3/5. 15 November 2013. The critic finds the film emotionally moving and historically engaging, despite contrived writing and distracting casting. Forest Whitaker’s dignified lead performance is singled out as its greatest strength. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a531026/the-butler-review-whitaker-and-winfrey-excel-in-uneven-drama/) ## HeyUGuys — Stefan Pape Rating 3/5. 11 November 2013. Pape finds the film emotionally effective despite its uneven tone and sometimes unsubtle approach. He especially praises Forest Whitaker’s absorbing, nuanced performance as Cecil Gaines. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-butler-review/) ## Den of Geek — Alia Haddad Rating 2/5. 15 August 2013. The critic finds the film passable at best and criticizes its conventional, inaccurate treatment of race relations. Forest Whitaker’s performance is singled out as excellent, despite reservations about his portrayal of Cecil Gaines’s speech. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/lee-daniels-the-butler-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-butler.md