---
title: "The Ides of March: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-ides-of-march/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-ides-of-march"
critics_score: 65
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 Ides of March (2011): what the critics said

Critics' score 65 from 23 reviews: 10 positive, 10 mixed, 3 negative.

The reviews lean towards qualified approval, with praise clustering around the cast rather than the political insights. Ryan Gosling draws particular attention, while Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti earn repeated praise for making campaign manoeuvring convincing and entertaining. Critics also credit George Clooney’s controlled direction, tense pacing and attention to small exchanges of professional power. Even several mixed reviews find the film intelligent and watchable.

The main division concerns how much its account of political corruption has to offer. Little White Lies finds unsettling moral accuracy and an intelligent script; Variety regards the cynicism as familiar and the tone as heavy-handed. Across the reservations, predictable plotting, implausible turns and doubts about the protagonist’s naïveté recur. The spread is broad: admirers see a gripping morality thriller, while detractors find its seriousness disproportionate to its insights. Some favourable reviews also question how much of it stays with us afterwards.

## IndieWire — Eric Kohn

Rating B+. 9 September 2011. Festival review. 

Kohn finds the film a darkly entertaining, lean political allegory, though its plot runs on political-intrigue autopilot. He praises the cast’s performances and Clooney’s skillful use of close-ups and stretches without dialogue.

[Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/toronto-review-the-ides-of-march-is-george-clooneys-monster-movie-52417/)

## Little White Lies — Jonathan Crocker

Rating 4/5. 27 October 2011. 

The critic finds it a superb, dark political drama with unsettling moral accuracy. He particularly praises the intelligent script and the performances, especially Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-ides-of-march)

## Radio Times — Stella Papamichael

Rating 4/5. 

Papamichael calls it a gripping thriller, with Ryan Gosling enthralling as the press secretary. She singles out his performance as the film’s standout strength.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-667vkc/the-ides-of-march/)

## Total Film — Neil Smith

Rating 4/5. 25 October 2011. 

Smith finds the film sleek, thoughtful, and likely to endure, despite some doubts about its protagonist’s naïveté. He praises its strong supporting performances and its smart nod to classic political thrillers.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-ides-of-march-review/)

## Slant Magazine — Jaime N. Christley

Rating 3/4. 5 October 2011. 

The critic finds the film’s confident, understated rhythm appealing, though its conventional melodrama does not always mesh with its subtler approach. They praise Clooney’s patient, nuanced direction and the film’s attention to small professional power dynamics.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-ides-of-march/)

## Evening Standard

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. 

The review finds the film a well-directed, splendidly acted political parable, though it never reaches great heights. It especially praises Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti, whose performances give the film a convincing feel for politics’ grubby business.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-ides-of-march-review-7427328.html)

## The AV Club — Noel Murray

Rating B-. 6 October 2011. 

Murray finds the political drama slick and watchable but ultimately slight and full of old news. He praises its strong cast and third-act twist, while faulting its lack of fresh dramatic energy.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-ides-of-march-1798169872)

## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2011. Festival review. 

The review finds the political thriller engaging but softened by predictable turns and a familiar shift into film noir. It singles out the superb ensemble cast and tense pacing for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/ides-march-film-review-229806/)

## RogerEbert.com

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

The page displays a browser-check message, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. No praise or complaint is visible in the provided text.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-ides-of-march-2011)

## Screen Daily — Lee Marshall

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2011. 

The page identifies this as a review, but the paywall hides the critic’s verdict. No praise or complaint is visible in the supplied text.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-ides-of-march/5031377.article)

## The New York Times

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

The page could not be accessed, so its verdict cannot be established. No praise or complaint from the review is available to report.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/07/movies/the-ides-of-march-with-george-clooney-review.html)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2011. 

Turan finds the film intelligent and involving, but says its plot becomes overly familiar and unconvincing. He praises the sharp dialogue and the cast’s spirited performances, especially the verbal sparring between Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-oct-07-la-et-ides-of-march-20111007-story.html)

## Time Out — Dave Calhoun

Rating 3/5. 25 October 2011. 

Calhoun gives the film a middling rating. The page highlights its look behind the scenes of a modern American political campaign, a territory familiar from Clooney’s work.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-ides-of-march)

## Empire — Angie Errigo

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 17 October 2011. 

Errigo finds the film entertaining and intelligently made, but ultimately burdened by its own seriousness and less substantial than it appears. She praises the direction and ensemble cast while criticizing implausible plot turns and abrupt character reversals.

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

## The Guardian — Xan Brooks

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. 

Brooks finds the campaign thriller energetically idealistic at first, but somewhat too commercial for a Venice festival opening. He singles out its crusading zeal before noting that commercial quality as a drawback.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/series/first-look-review+the-ides-of-march)

## The New Yorker

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

The critic finds the film an unconvincing political thriller, likely to satisfy viewers who see politics as conspiratorial murk. They fault its implausible plotting and its focus on campaign insiders over the voters they court.

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

## Variety — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 31 August 2011. Festival review. 

Chang finds the drama intriguing but overly portentous, with familiar political cynicism presented as revelation. He praises Clooney’s casting of himself as a Democratic-values spokesman, while faulting the film’s implausible subplot and heavy-handed tone.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/the-ides-of-march-1117945918/)

## Vulture — David Edelstein

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 20 August 2018. 

Edelstein finds the film’s political cynicism tiresome and its trajectory predictable. He praises Clooney’s compelling portrayal of an idealistic Democratic candidate.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2011/10/movie_review_ides_of_march.html)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating B+. 7 October 2011. 

Goldberg finds the political drama smart and well-crafted but ultimately lacking a lasting impact. He praises the performances, especially those of Gosling, Hoffman, and Giamatti.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/the-ides-of-march-movie-review/)

## Den of Geek — Ron Hogan

Rating 4/5. 10 October 2011. 

Hogan finds the political drama well handled, tense, and elevated by its ensemble, though the ending feels frustratingly abrupt and ambiguous. He especially praises the script’s balance of idealism and the sleaze of campaign politics.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-ides-of-march-review/)

## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael

Rating 4/5. 19 October 2011. Festival review. 

The review finds the political morality thriller gripping, though its dilemmas are too extreme and Stephen’s vanity is underdeveloped. It praises Ryan Gosling for conveying heartbreak as Stephen’s beliefs unravel.

[Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/bfi-london-film-festival/a343586/the-ides-of-march-review-london-film-festival-2011/)

## Paste — Jonathan W. Hickman

Rating 6.0. 6 October 2011. 

Hickman calls the film an entertaining but forgettable, middling thriller, recommending it mainly for the appeal of its lead actors. He praises the gifted cast, especially the scenes where Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti explain political maneuvering, while criticizing the contrived story.

[Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/the-ides-of-march)

## NME — Owen Nicholls

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 26 October 2011. 

The critic calls it a solid effort that falls short of Clooney’s earlier masterpiece, while suggesting it may have lasting value as an ethics study. They praise Clooney for keeping the focus on Gosling, but say the central plot turn lacks enough weight.

[Read the review](https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/the-ides-of-march-film-review-761802)

---
© 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-ides-of-march.md