--- title: "The Crying Game: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-crying-game/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-crying-game" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 9 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 Crying Game (1992): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 9 reviews: 8 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to The Crying Game, with praise centred on Jordan’s direction, the screenplay and the performances, particularly Stephen Rea’s. The reviews find its combination of political thriller and romantic drama persuasive, crediting the film with emotional depth as well as confident pacing. Across the positive notices, its willingness to tackle questions of identity, loyalty and desire matters chiefly because the relationships remain compelling rather than becoming illustrations of those themes. The reservations concern how convincingly the story holds together, though the spread runs from strong enthusiasm to qualified approval, with no wholly negative assessment. Time Out finds the structure clumsy and the reliance on twists excessive, while still judging that the film works. The Independent is more guarded than most about its power to convince, but praises the pacing and staging; the broader consensus treats its risks as largely justified by the skill and humanity of the telling. ## The New Yorker — Terrence Rafferty Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 November 1992. Rafferty commends the film's sure grip, unstoppable momentum, and the hero's emotional metamorphosis, highlighting the jaw-dropping surprise and knightly grace achieved. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1992/11/16/knight-in-armor) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 1992. Festival review. McCarthy calls it Jordan's best, an astonishingly good and daring film that takes giant risks rewarded with skillful handling of surprises and compelling relationships. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1992/film/reviews/the-crying-game-2-1200430618/) ## Empire — Barry McIlheney Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The review hails the film's haunting quality, powerful screenplay and Stephen Rea's performance as Fergus, calling it a rare gem that dares to tackle taboos with wit and flair. Minor flaws like accents are outweighed by its emotional depth and originality. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/crying-game-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 25 November 1992. Turan finds it an unusually satisfying offbeat emotional thriller that is intricately constructed, surely directed, and splendidly acted, skillfully mixing politics with affairs of the heart. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-11-25-ca-958-story.html) ## Radio Times — John Ferguson Rating 4/5. The offbeat tale is a beguiling blend of romantic drama and political thriller with a charismatic central performance from Stephen Rea; it marked a return to form for Jordan after Hollywood flops. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-tfndjf/the-crying-game/) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 26 September 1992. Festival review. Canby praises Jordan's elegant film as a tale of a love that couldn't be but proudly is, along with its rare sensibility that redeems it from trash or camp. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/26/movies/review-film-festival-an-irish-terrorist-in-human-terms.html) ## The Independent — Adam Mars-Jones Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 October 1992. The critic finds the film only almost terrific, praising its blend of political thriller, love story and meditation on sexual identity while noting it may not fully convince all viewers. Jordan's confident pacing and staging stand out despite production challenges. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-crossing-boundaries-adam-marsjones-on-neil-jordan-s-the-crying-game-1560411.html) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 2016. The critic notes the film's clumsy structure and over-reliance on twists but finds that it works overall and raises questions about loyalty, violence and desire while summing up recurring themes in Jordan's work. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-crying-game-1) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2009. The critic praises the film's shift from thriller to a touching portrait of two lonely people connecting across differences, highlighting its humanity and Jordan's handling of themes around identity and terrorism. She singles out the lead performances and the way the story challenges prejudices for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-crying-game-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-crying-game.md