---
title: "The Pelican Brief: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-pelican-brief/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-pelican-brief"
critics_score: 61
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 Pelican Brief (1993): what the critics said

Critics' score 61 from 9 reviews: 2 positive, 5 mixed, 2 negative.

Most critics land in the middle on this one, and what warmth there is goes almost entirely to the two leads. Roberts and Washington are singled out repeatedly, even by reviewers who think little of the film around them; Turan at the Los Angeles Times, no admirer of the picture, still likes their rapport. The dense plotting and legal detail carried over from Grisham earn credit, as does the supporting cast. Variety stands alone in calling the execution close to flawless.

The reservations cluster on pace and structure. Several reviews find the plot murky and the film slow to catch fire, and Empire notes that Washington is kept off screen too long, a complaint the Guardian sharpens into a wasted part. The spread is wide, from outright enthusiasm to two dismissals, with a later home-video notice calling it plainly mediocre. The consensus is a competent, star-led thriller that few critics defend with much energy.

## Variety — Brian Lowry

Fi1m's normalised score 91/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 1993. 

Lowry gives the thriller an enthusiastic verdict, praising its taut, intelligent adaptation and near-flawless execution. He especially singles out Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington, whose performances anchor the film.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/the-pelican-brief-1200434789/)

## Radio Times — John Ferguson

Rating 4/5. 

Ferguson describes the film as following a formula established by earlier Grisham adaptations. He singles out its dense plotting, legal detail, charismatic leads and star-studded supporting cast.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yr295w/the-pelican-brief/)

## Empire — Angie Errigo

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

Errigo finds the adaptation solid, intelligent and entertaining, though ultimately unspectacular. She praises the casting and highlights its nail-biting set pieces, while noting structural shakiness that keeps Denzel Washington off screen too long.

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

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 27 December 1993. 

Anthony Lane’s Current Cinema column reviews The Pelican Brief alongside Philadelphia. The available page does not show his verdict or what he singles out for praise or complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1993/12/27)

## The New York Times — Janet Maslin

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 1993. 

The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be verified. The headline frames the film as a contemporary Nancy Drew story, but the review’s specific praise or complaints are unavailable.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/17/movies/review-film-presenting-nancy-drew-for-the-90-s.html)

## Time Out — TCh

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

The accessible page provides no verdict. It does not reveal what the critic singled out for praise or complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-pelican-brief-1)

## The Guardian

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

The critic finds Pakula’s adaptation lightweight and ultimately unimpressive. They criticize Washington’s wasted role while noting Roberts’s familiar startled-fawn performance.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/movie/51190/pelican-brief)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 17 December 1993. 

Turan finds the thriller a fizzle, with a murky plot and a sluggish pace that keep it from catching fire. He praises Roberts and Washington’s pleasant on-screen rapport, though he says the supporting cast gives them little help.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-17-ca-2773-story.html)

## Den of Geek — Louis Turfrey

Rating 2 out of 5. 16 April 2009. 

Turfrey finds the film mediocre and the Blu-ray release disappointing. He praises the clean, crisp picture transfer but criticizes the lack of extras.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-pelican-brief-blu-ray-review/)

---
© 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-pelican-brief.md