--- title: "The Count of Monte Cristo: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-count-of-monte-cristo/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-count-of-monte-cristo" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 13 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 Count of Monte Cristo (2024): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 13 reviews: 12 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like this a great deal. Twelve of thirteen reviews are positive, and the praise gathers in the same places: a nearly three-hour runtime that moves quickly, a screenplay that trims Dumas’s novel without losing its shape, and sets and photography on a scale several reviewers compare to a Hollywood blockbuster. Pierre Niney’s Edmond Dantès is singled out again and again, described as intense, haunted and more psychologically interesting than the part usually allows. Several critics add that the film takes the moral cost of revenge seriously rather than treating it as a lark. The reservations are mild and few. The Guardian and Screen Daily both find it less mischievous than the same team’s recent Three Musketeers films, a costume spectacle played straighter than it might have been. The one mixed notice, from The Hollywood Reporter, calls it watchable but unremarkable, all intrigue and handsome backdrops with not much underneath. Nobody else agrees, and the spread is narrow. ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2024. This grand, enjoyable epic condensation of the Dumas novel is a model of streamlining that zips through its three-hour runtime like a binge. Superb casting, especially Pierre Niney’s intense lead performance, and lush period detail make it a sumptuous, crowd-pleasing French import. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-12-20/the-count-of-monte-cristo-review-france-epic) ## Sight and Sound — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2024. The critic describes the film as a grand, robustly entertaining spectacle and rollicking French blockbuster that stays true to the source novel's swashbuckling spirit through lavish production design and a barrelling narrative drive. Pierre Niney's haunted, fey performance as Edmond Dantès is singled out as a modern, sympathetic touch in otherwise familiar territory. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/count-monte-cristo-latest-adaptation-alexandre-dumass-novel-grand-robustly-entertaining-spectacle) ## The New York Times — Jeannette Catsoulis Rating Critic’s Pick. 19 December 2024. This stirring, gorgeously filmed swashbuckler leaves previous versions of the Dumas revenge saga in the dust. The directors give the story nearly three hours to breathe while maintaining frisky pacing and elegant editing, delivering a big, cinematic adventure with heart and style. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/movies/the-count-of-the-monte-cristo-review.html) ## The Times Rating ★★★★☆. 29 August 2024. The adaptation is called an indecently spectacular romp that is compelling, coherent, and visually stunning, turning Dumas’s tale into a thrilling modern spectacle that looks like a Hollywood blockbuster despite its French origins and modest budget. It succeeds as entertaining popular cinema without needing to be a deep class-system dissection. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-count-of-monte-cristo-review-58px300f8) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2024. Festival review. The critic calls the film a robust and very enjoyable retelling that is epic in scale, from its lavish sets and orchestral score to its bold performances and hefty running time. It is praised as a devilishly handsome old-school adventure and top-tier entertainment that zips through its nearly three hours effectively, though it lacks some of the mischief of the recent Musketeers films. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-count-of-monte-cristo-cannes-review/5193962.article) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2024. The critic praises this big-budget French adaptation of Dumas as a boisterous and very enjoyable epic directed with verve and acted with gusto by the team behind the recent Three Musketeers films. It delivers an old-fashioned costume spectacle of revenge and retribution, though it lacks the comic flair of those earlier swashbucklers. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/sep/01/the-count-of-monte-cristo-review-highly-enjoyable-french-costume-spectacle) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2024. The critic finds the film a compelling modern update full of violence and eroticism that justifies its long runtime. They single out its refreshingly psychological take on the classic revenge story and the lead actor's intense performance. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/count-of-monte-cristo-review-3247427) ## RogerEbert.com — Jason Bailey Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2024. The French adaptation is a handsome, energetic swashbuckler that foregrounds the moral complexity and ethical cost of revenge. It succeeds through strong performances, particularly Pierre Niney’s pivot from idealist to antihero, and skillful storytelling that preserves the novel’s twists without sacrificing clarity or emotional stakes. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-count-of-monte-cristo-film-review-2024) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2024. This expansive, handsomely mounted French adaptation delivers Dumas’ tale of betrayal, self-improvement, and revenge while serving as a reminder of the kind of rip-roaring period action-adventure Hollywood no longer makes. It indulges the satisfying cruelty and moral corrosion of vengeance through spectacle, disguises, and a 21st-century badass hero. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/review-the-count-of-monte-cristo-from-alexandre-dumas.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Jordan Mintzer Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 8 July 2024. Festival review. The adaptation condenses the sprawling novel into a watchable but unremarkable three-hour epic full of whiplash intrigue and conniving. It benefits from sumptuous backdrops and efficient pacing yet lacks depth or staying power beyond its revenge-tale entertainment value. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/the-count-of-monte-cristo-review-pierre-niney-1235939717/) ## HeyUGuys — Linda Marric Rating 5/5. 30 August 2024. It is a masterful adaptation and one of the best renditions of Dumas' work to date. The film is praised for its visually stunning production, exceptional performances (especially Pierre Niney's), precise direction, and fidelity to the novel's spirit while making it accessible. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-count-of-monte-cristo-2024-review/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2024. Festival review. The critic calls this lavish new French adaptation a sumptuous and thrilling version of the classic revenge tale that feels fresh all over again. It excels in its expert condensation of the sprawling novel into an engaging three-hour film with outstanding production values. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2024/05/the-count-of-monte-cristo-review-sumptuous-thrilling-french-version-classic-book-cannes-film-festival-1235928600/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2024. This is perhaps the most impressive version to date of the classic tale. The directors trim the story effectively while keeping central themes intact, delivering wide appeal through excellent casting, meticulous production values, spectacular action, and beautiful cinematography. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-count-of-monte-cristo-2024-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © 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-count-of-monte-cristo.md