---
title: "The Greatest Showman: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-greatest-showman/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-greatest-showman"
critics_score: 57
critics_reviews: 27
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 Greatest Showman (2017): what the critics said

Critics' score 57 from 27 reviews: 11 positive, 8 mixed, 8 negative.

## IndieWire — David Ehrlich

Fi1m's normalised score 84/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The review calls it a joyfully insane spectacle and sonic boom of musical cinema that sells the magic of the movies. They single out Hugh Jackman shining in an empty but energetic spectacle worthy of Barnum’s name.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/the-greatest-showman-review-hugh-jackman-musical-1201906828/)

## Little White Lies — Manuela Lazic

Rating 3/4/4. 20 December 2017. 

The critic praises Hugh Jackman’s boundless energy and the film’s irresistibly life-affirming enthusiasm and romanticism, calling it a crowd-pleasing circus musical that deserves to become a Christmas classic.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-greatest-showman)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating ★★★★. 20 December 2017. 

The film delivers pure musical entertainment of a sumptuous vintage with visual resplendence, stylish choreography and solid gold magic; Hugh Jackman’s thrilling musicality is the dynamo that glitzes up the screen.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/the-greatest-showman-review-pure-musical-entertainment-of-a-sumptuous-vintage/)

## RogerEbert.com — Sheila O'Malley

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The critic praises the film as an unabashed piece of pure entertainment with memorable songs and strong performances, especially from Hugh Jackman and Keala Settle. She singles out the inclusive spirit celebrating diversity and misfits for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-greatest-showman-2017)

## Variety — Owen Gleiberman

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The critic calls it a crowd-pleaser and wholesome musical that soars with energy, romantic spirit, and flashy razzmatazz. He singles out the dance-pop numbers and Hugh Jackman's effervescent performance for praise.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/the-greatest-showman-review-hugh-jackman-1202644784/)

## Empire — Helen O'Hara

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The film is an unabashed throwback musical carried by Hugh Jackman’s commitment and catchy songs, though it occasionally stumbles into mawkishness and over-relies on CGI. It ultimately delivers old-school musical thrills with heart.

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

## The Guardian

Fi1m's normalised score 71/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The critic finds the film a cheerful, middle-of-the-road fantasy musical that is cheesy and sugary while loosely basing Barnum on the real showman and portraying him as a body-positive evangelist for diversity. Hugh Jackman is singled out as perfectly cast, bringing muscular heft, musical-theatre chops and approachable charm to the role.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/dec/20/the-greatest-showman-review-pt-barnum-hugh-jackman)

## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen

Rating 3/5. 20 December 2017. 

It is a big, brassy, over-the-top circus musical with gusto and verve; Hugh Jackman steals the show but the story is frustratingly slight and low on nuance.

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

## The Independent — Geoffrey Macnab

Rating ★★★☆☆. 20 December 2017. 

The critic finds it a strange, patchy musical biopic that mixes Dickensian elements with anachronistic song-and-dance routines. Hugh Jackman carries the film with energetic optimism and spectacle, but the songs lack memorability and the sentimentality dampens the mood.

[Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/film-reviews-round-up-the-greatest-showman-pitch-perfect-3-jumanji-welcome-to-the-jungle-hugh-a8119191.html)

## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger

Rating C. 20 December 2017. 

The film is seen as having stupid yet sometimes sweet ideas about Barnum, recast as a scrappy visionary with vague dreams, and thin characters overall. They single out the production numbers for their visual ideas and the director’s sense of using the frame in musical sequences.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/hugh-jackman-follows-some-very-stupid-dreams-in-his-new-1821389321)

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The critic describes the film as a fitful hoot and upbeat con job with bright colors and hard-to-resist songs but ultimately lacking in conviction. She singles out the dispiriting lack of faith in the audience's intelligence and aesthetic hypocrisy for complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-greatest-showman-review-20171220-story.html)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The critic finds the film an ersatz, substance-free portrait of P.T. Barnum that works too hard at its magic with overproduced generic pop songs and shallow characters. They single out the insistently prompted excitement that fails to land and the sanitized, flat entertainment.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/greatest-showman-film-1067827/)

## The New York Times — Jason Zinoman

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The critic finds the film a standard-issue holiday biopic that steers clear of meaty themes and fails to deliver true joy or fun despite its ingredients. She singles out the awkward fit of the songs and synthetic style for complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/movies/the-greatest-showman-review-hugh-jackman.html)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The strained musical is an all-out assault of sentiment, pop songs and dime-store psychology that is content to play to the cheap seats, though Hugh Jackman’s likably shameless portrayal holds it together somewhat.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-greatest-showman-review/5125091.article)

## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The film’s spectacle is overshadowed by archaic and misguided notions of American exceptionalism, mythologizing Barnum in a revisionist hagiography that ignores exploitation. They single out the Ayn Randian tribute to ingenuity and the way characters exist only to support his dream.

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

## Evening Standard — Matthew Norman

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 16 January 2018. 

The reviewer calls it a phoney, manipulative and transparently sentimental film that fails to realise its ambitions despite a strong cast and cheeriness. It is dismissed as big-top baloney and reality-TV cliché that lacks the subject's genius for bamboozling the public.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-greatest-showman-review-a-load-of-big-top-baloney-a3724811.html)

## Vulture

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The critic calls it the fakest show on earth, a disingenuous, mealy-mouthed musical full of lyrical, dramatic, and social fakery that turns Barnum into a standard-issue misfit story. They single out the generic, nondescript pop-factory songs and the empowerment metaphor as aggravating.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2017/12/the-greatest-showman-review.html)

## HeyUGuys — Emily Breen

Rating 4/5. 20 December 2017. 

The critic praises Hugh Jackman's charismatic lead performance and the sensational musical numbers as a dazzling spectacle well worth festive viewing. They single out the film's failure to acknowledge historical truths about Barnum's exploitation of performers as the main complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/greatest-showman-review/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The critic calls it a joyous fantasia of song and dance and a rare original movie musical made for holiday crowds, praising the lively musical numbers, likable characters, and Hugh Jackman's star turn as P.T. Barnum. They single out Keala Settle's show-stopping performance of 'This Is Me' as a highlight while noting it is not as sophisticated as La La Land but fits its entertaining bill well.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/2017/12/greatest-showman-review-hugh-jackman-zendaya-zac-efron-p-t-barnum-1202230371/)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating B-. 20 December 2017. 

The critic finds the songs mediocre and the story tepid and hagiographic, though director Michael Gracey’s debut shows impressive energy and the cast elevates the material through strong performances and direction.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/the-greatest-showman-review/)

## Digital Spy — Hugh Armitage

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The critic describes it as an undemanding family spectacle with few surprises but plenty of visual appeal and emotional moments from the cast. It singles out the catchy original songs and strong performances from the ensemble, particularly Michelle Williams, Zac Efron and Zendaya, as highlights of an impressive debut for the director.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a845799/greatest-showman-review/)

## The Playlist — Will Ashton

Rating C+. 20 December 2017. 

The critic sees the film as a glossy but shallow musical biopic that prioritizes spectacle over depth or honesty about Barnum's life. They single out the energetic performances and standout songs like 'This Is Me' and 'The Other Side' for praise amid the overall lack of substance.

[Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/greatest-showman-review-20171220/)

## Den of Geek — David Crow

Rating 2.5 out of 5. 21 December 2017. 

The critic finds the film a glossy but toothless star vehicle for Hugh Jackman that emulates modern pop without the subversive edge of its inspirations. It singles out the musical numbers for their glossy production and camera work, while noting the music often misses the mark except for standout tracks like 'This Is Me' and 'Never Enough'.

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

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2017. 

The critic finds the film confused in style, neither fully embracing musical fantasy nor grounding its serious themes effectively. They single out the strong performances and Ferguson's crystalline voice for praise while noting the songs feel samey and the approach lacks the pure escapism of classic musicals.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-greatest-showman-2017-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## /Film — Karen Han

Rating 5/10. 20 December 2017. 

The critic views the film as a charming but problematic con that sanitizes Barnum's exploitative history into family-friendly entertainment. They single out Hugh Jackman's appealing performance and the catchy Pasek and Paul songs, especially the opening number, as the main sources of its appeal.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/555168/the-greatest-showman-review/)

## The Ringer — Miles Surrey

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2017. 

The film is not the greatest show, with unmemorable songs, weak lyrics, and only the young couple’s chemistry standing out as a highlight; it is merely adequate for filling time on a flight.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2017/12/21/movies/the-greatest-showman-deep-analysis)

## The Wrap — Robert Abele

Fi1m's normalised score 39/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2017. 

The critic finds it a fidgety, shallow musical with forgettable songs, ADHD pacing, and cardboard characters that feels like an insecure, empty tent of plastic flash and ersatz positivity. They single out the overproduced anthems and missed opportunity with Hugh Jackman's charisma as major complaints in this first-time director's effort.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/the-greatest-showman-film-review-hugh-jackman-pt-barnum-zendaya/)

---
© 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-greatest-showman.md