--- title: "The Ladykillers: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-ladykillers/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-ladykillers" critics_score: 83 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 Ladykillers (1955): what the critics said Critics' score 83 from 9 reviews: 8 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics find The Ladykillers a sharply constructed black comedy, with praise centred on its balance of genteel manners and threatened violence. The reviews repeatedly credit the handling of shifts between sweetness, absurdity and menace. Katie Johnson’s proper, stubborn landlady draws particular admiration, while Alec Guinness’s grotesque characterisation and comic timing attract substantial praise. Several reviews also single out the pacing and visual style, including the expressive use of architecture, light and shadow. The spread is largely between enthusiasm and qualified approval, rather than outright dissent. The New York Times finds the premise slightly laboured but still regards the comedy as sprightly and successful. Variety is less persuaded by Guinness, finding that he overacts, while praising Cecil Parker. These reservations concern particular performances and the strain of the premise; they do not amount to a broader rejection of the film’s macabre humour. ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 5/5. The critic praises the film as British comedy at its best, blending the seedy with the sinister. He singles out Katie Johnson’s eccentric landlady and the gang of memorable misfits. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-5fj8kw/the-ladykillers/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Rating 5/5. 23 October 2020. Bradshaw finds the film still subversive, hilarious and superbly effective as a comedy. He praises its precise construction and tonal balance between genteel Englishness and impending violence. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/oct/23/the-ladykillers-review-a-comic-caper-that-still-kills) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Abele Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 July 2021. Abele celebrates the restored original as a brilliantly macabre, genteel farce. He especially praises Alec Guinness’s grotesque false teeth and the film’s deft blend of character humor, cinematic style, and tonal audacity. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-07-02/review-the-ladykillers-alec-guiness-peter-sellers) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 July 2006. Nathan praises the film as one of the finest Ealing comedies, balancing sweetness with comic horror. He singles out Mackendrick’s handling of that contrast and the gang’s hapless confrontation with their diminutive landlady. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ladykillers-2-review/) ## The New York Times — Bosley Crowther Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 27 February 1956. Crowther finds the film an easy, sprightly comic success, though its premise can feel slightly labored. He especially praises Katie Johnson’s portrayal of the proper, stubborn widow who throws the villains into disarray. [Read the review](https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/97/08/24/reviews/guinness-ladykillers.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1954. The review finds the film amusing hokum, a macabre farce blending gangster parody with whimsy. It praises Cecil Parker’s performance but says Alec Guinness overacts and nearly disappears into the role. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1954/film/reviews/the-ladykillers-2-1200417796/) ## Time Out Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The page identifies this as a film review, but its verdict is unavailable in the accessible text. The available description notes Mackendrick and William Rose collaborated again, without enough detail to identify what the critic praises or criticizes. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-ladykillers) ## Collider — Andre Dellamorte Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2010. The critic praises the film as a finely paced black comedy and calls its Blu-ray release an excellent viewing experience. He singles out Alec Guinness’s comic timing and the transfer’s sharpness and color. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-ladykillers-blu-ray-review/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2015. Wilkinson considers the film an enduringly excellent comedy whose shifting tone balances the absurd, dainty and mordant. She especially praises the performances of Katie Johnson and Alec Guinness, alongside the expressive use of architecture, light and shadow. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-ladykillers-1955-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © 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-ladykillers.md