--- title: "Tusk: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/tusk/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/tusk" critics_score: 58 critics_reviews: 21 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." --- # Tusk (2014): what the critics said Critics' score 58 from 21 reviews: 6 positive, 9 mixed, 6 negative. The reviews split almost evenly three ways, and the consensus settles on a shrug: a strange, personal film that most critics admire for its nerve more than its result. Michael Parks’s performance as the sinister Howard Howe is singled out again and again, by admirers and detractors alike, and the grotesque walrus makeup draws steady approval. Several critics call it a return to form for Kevin Smith, and Variety ranks it among his best work. The reservations cluster on the second act, when the film leaves the horror behind for a manhunt and broad comedy; even supportive reviews concede the detour drains tension. The Johnny Depp cameo divides them: Den of Geek calls it the highlight, while Slant and Collider find a caricature. The spread is wide. The Wrap and the Los Angeles Times find neither the horror nor the comedy works, and The AV Club sees a dare rather than a film. ## Variety — Scott Foundas Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2014. Festival review. Foundas calls the film a bizarre, compelling surprise and ranks it among Kevin Smith’s best work. He especially praises Michael Parks’ performance, while also noting Justin Long’s demanding, emotionally affecting role. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/toronto-film-review-tusk-1201300365/) ## IndieWire — Eric Kohn Rating B+. 7 September 2014. Festival review. Kohn finds the film kooky and entertaining despite its uneven execution and rushed climax. He praises the grotesque makeup effects and the film’s willingness to take its absurd premise to unsettling extremes. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/toronto-review-kevin-smiths-tusk-is-completely-insane-22492/) ## The Guardian — Henry Barnes Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). Barnes presents the film as a successful return to form for Kevin Smith. He particularly praises Smith’s renewed snarky edge. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/series/first-look-review+tusk) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2014. Festival review. The critic finds the film deeply weird and often funny, saying it should please Kevin Smith devotees and some schlock-horror fans. Michael Parks’s commanding performance is singled out for praise, though the film loses momentum when its focus shifts to the manhunt. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/tusk-toronto-review-730810/) ## Evening Standard — David Sexton Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 12 September 2014. Festival review. Sexton finds the film energetic and daftly appealing, though its late shift from horror to broad comedy weakens it. He singles out Michael Parks’s compelling performance as the sinister Howard Howe for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/toronto-film-festival-tusk-film-review-9729359.html) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The accessible page provides no review text, so the critic's verdict cannot be verified. No praise or complaint is available from the blocked page. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tusk-2014) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 8 September 2014. This is a review of the specified film, but the critic’s verdict is unavailable in the page text. The visible content does not reveal anything singled out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/tusk/5077275.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The accessible page contains no review text, so its verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is visible. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/19/movies/kevin-smiths-tusk-horror-with-a-loony-twist.html) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 3/5. 6 September 2014. Rothkopf gives Kevin Smith’s film a qualified verdict. The available description praises Smith’s good-natured, motormouth persona. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/tusk) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2014. Ebiri finds Tusk not particularly good, despite its unusually personal core. He praises the unsettling anxiety of Wallace losing his voice, while faulting the film’s meandering rescue plot and comic tangents. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2014/09/movie-review-tusk.html) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 1.5/4. 10 September 2014. Gonzalez finds the film a grotesquely self-indulgent, one-joke comedy that mistakes flippancy for wit. He praises its attractive cinematography and Michael Parks’s committed performance, but faults its humor and Johnny Depp cameo. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/tusk/) ## Los Angeles Times — Gary Goldstein Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2014. The critic calls the film a gross tonal misfire that undermines its horror with weak tension, scattershot humor, and an unsympathetic hero. They single out the use of Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” as audacious and perfect. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-tusk-movie-review-20140919-story.html) ## The AV Club — Mike D'Angelo Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2014. The critic considers Tusk an unpleasant cinematic dare rather than a successful film. He objects to its provocation and finds little beyond the audacious premise to recommend. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/article-type/reviews?page=66&sort=popular) ## Consequence — Randall Colburn, Michael Roffman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2014. The reviewers find Tusk a bizarre, sharply executed dark comedy-horror and one of Kevin Smith’s strongest recent films. They praise Michael Parks’s fiery performance and the film’s grotesque walrus transformation, while noting that its broad jokes and distracting subplot sometimes falter. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2014/09/film-review-tusk/) ## Digital Spy — Zeba Blay Rating 3. 15 September 2014. Festival review. The critic finds Tusk a twisted, entertaining return to form, despite losing focus in its second act. They praise Kevin Smith’s restraint, which lets the humor stay witty and the horror genuinely creepy. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a596630/tusk-review-kevin-smith-reminds-us-of-his-potential-toronto-2014/) ## Paste — Tom Meek Rating 6.5/10. 22 September 2014. Meek finds Tusk a strange but rewarding return to form, though its different elements do not always cohere. He praises Michael Parks’s performance and the film’s special effects and makeup. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/tusk) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 7 September 2014. Festival review. The URL identifies this as a TIFF review, but the page content is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint is available in the accessible text. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/tiff-review-kevin-smiths-horror-story-tusk-starring-justin-long-michael-parks-johnny-depp-20140907/) ## Den of Geek — David Crow Rating 2.5/5. 17 September 2014. Crow finds the film bizarrely ambitious and personal, but says its central walrus gag overwhelms a better story. He praises Johnny Depp’s comic performance as the film’s highlight. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/tusk-review/) ## /Film — Germain Lussier Rating 5/10. 19 September 2014. The critic finds the film ambitious but ultimately messy, with a major mid-film detour undermining its tension. The review praises the lead performances, especially Michael Parks, along with the dialogue and score. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/533810/tusk-review-kevin-smith/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating D+. 19 September 2014. Goldberg finds the film’s promising horror dragged down by Kevin Smith’s self-parodic writing and weak cinematic storytelling. He praises Michael Parks’s sinister performance, but says Johnny Depp’s caricatured role and the film’s ridiculous culmination undercut its impact. [Read the review](https://collider.com/tusk-review/) ## The Wrap — Alonso Duralde Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2014. The critic finds the film an unsatisfying mishmash, with neither its horror nor comedy working. They single out the overlong Michael Parks scenes and the painfully labored LaPointe comedy for particular criticism. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/tusk-review-kevin-smiths-walrus-monster-horror-comedy-a-baffling-mishmash-video/) --- © 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/tusk.md