--- title: "Tyrannosaur: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/tyrannosaur/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/tyrannosaur" critics_score: 74 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." --- # Tyrannosaur (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 21 reviews: 17 positive, 2 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics find Tyrannosaur a punishing but compassionate drama, with praise centred on Paddy Considine’s assured direction and the performances of Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman. Colman receives particular attention for making Hannah’s suffering affecting, while Mullan earns praise for giving depth to a man struggling with violent instincts. The favourable reviews argue that careful character work and moments of human connection keep the film from becoming an exercise in misery. Several also admire the restrained visual approach to such volatile material. The spread is wide, though positive reviews dominate. Reservations concern the accumulation of brutality and whether the film earns its moments of hope; even some admirers find it excessive or sentimental. Slant Magazine sees manipulation where others find emotional force, while IndieWire disputes the claim that Considine escapes familiar working-class miserablism. Collider offers a harsher dissent, finding little purpose in the violence despite the actors’ efforts. ## Radio Times Rating 5/5. British actor Paddy Considine's directorial debut is a bleak but brilliant tale that would rival Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth for grimness. The critic singles out Olivia Colman’s terrific, powerhouse performance as the standout. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-cbx90q/tyrannosaur/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2011. Festival review. Paddy Considine makes a powerful and intense directorial debut with this hard and at times harrowing though ultimately redemptive story. The critic singles out the outstanding performances by Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman as driving the thoughtful, uncompromising film. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/tyrannosaur/5022613.article) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Rating A-. 17 November 2011. The review commends the film for avoiding clichés of British working-class miserablism through deep character work and strong performances, particularly from Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman. It highlights Considine's confident direction that balances bleakness with slivers of hope and human connection. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/tyrannosaur-1798170521) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 October 2011. The critic praises the film's powerful, painful dissection of rage, violence, abuse and dysfunctional relationships, noting it avoids miserablist clichés through visceral storytelling and strong performances. It highlights the excellent work by Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan as creating a compelling human drama and calls the film an impressive directorial debut from Considine. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/oct/06/tyrannosaur-film-review) ## Empire — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 July 2011. The critic praises the film as a gripping character study of psychological damage and redemption, highlighting Peter Mullan's powerful performance as a man fighting his violent instincts and Olivia Colman's career-making turn. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/tyrannosaur-review/) ## Little White Lies — Matt Bochenski Rating 4/4/3. 17 October 2011. Tyrannosaur is a hugely confident and accomplished debut from Paddy Considine, vivid, bruising and electrifying. The critic praises the restrained assurance of the direction and the raw emotional power but notes a sentimental undertone that some may question. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/tyrannosaur) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2011. This is a punishing, battering story of two broken lives that leaves viewers exhausted, but its searing writing-directing debut and wrenching performances from Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman make the ordeal worthwhile. The almost documentary style and muted palette deepen the tragedies of damaged people seeking connection. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-nov-18-la-et-tyrannosaur-20111118-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2011. The film centers on damaged, angry men in a cycle of violence and drinking, with Joseph as a flawed protector figure. It offers no easy redemption or message, only raw reality of wounded personalities, powered by Peter Mullan's muscular, unrelenting lead performance. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tyrannosaur-2011) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2011. Festival review. The review praises the intense exploration of violence and its corrosive effects, highlighting Peter Mullan's terrifying yet morally centered performance and the credible bond with Olivia Colman's character. It notes that the emotional arc is rich and earned, leaving viewers shaken but with a whisper of atonement. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/sundance-review-peter-mullan-packs-94189/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2011. The debut feature is a grim, intense drama of violence, abuse and unlikely connections in a Yorkshire town, with Peter Mullan giving a granitic performance as the volatile Joseph. It observes the bleak lives of its characters with a still, composed style that underscores their emotional turbulence. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/movies/tyrannosaur-with-peter-mullan-review.html) ## Variety — Charles Gant Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2011. Festival review. Paddy Considine's strong feature debut recycles his short film's setup for a gritty tale of rage, pain and refuge, with fine performances from Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman and Eddie Marsan that suggest deep interior lives. It favors situation over story but delivers a satisfying narrative payoff amid the grimness. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/markets-festivals/tyrannosaur-1117944334/) ## Sight and Sound — Trevor Johnston Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). Paddy Considine’s sober, composed treatment of masculine violence and self-destruction marks an auspicious debut feature. The critic singles out Olivia Colman’s brave, affecting performance as the standout element that draws viewers in. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/6503) ## Time Out Rating 3/5. With this impassioned and unrelentingly bleak directorial debut, Paddy Considine reveals himself as a strong director of actors. The critic singles out Olivia Colman’s astonishing turn as Hannah for special praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/tyrannosaur) ## Slant Magazine — Simon Abrams Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 25 March 2011. The review acknowledges the effective intensity of some violent scenes and the film's sympathy for flawed characters but criticizes its over-the-top brutality and manipulative approach that prevents emotional complexity. It finds the drama crude and sensationalized despite moments of truth about inescapable rage. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/tyrannosaur/) ## IndieWire — Erik McClanahan Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2011. Festival review. The review describes the film as an uneven portrait of a damaged man, noting strong performances but criticizing its failure to convincingly justify a pessimistic worldview on gender and class violence. It finds the working-class miserablism conventional and the redemptive turn unconvincing. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/news/general/viff-11-paddy-considines-directorial-debut-tyrannosaur-an-uneven-portrait-of-a-damaged-man-115727/) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Rating 4/5. 30 September 2011. The critic calls it a harrowing yet brilliantly made debut in the tradition of downbeat British realist dramas, praising its sharp writing, confident direction, and standout performances from Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/tyrannosaur-review/) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Rating 4/5. 1 February 2011. Festival review. Considine's debut is a grim, visceral tale of damaged souls and unrelenting violence that occasionally wallows too much in brutality. The towering performances, especially from Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman, make it worth seeing. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/tyrannosaur-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) ## The Skinny — Philip Concannon Rating ★★★★. 7 October 2011. The critic notes the film's initial suffocating bleakness but highlights its deep compassion, harsh beauty, and the revelatory, emotionally powerful performances by Colman and Mullan that make it more than mere misery. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/tyrannosaur) ## Paste — David Roark Rating 6.5. 22 November 2011. The film is a gritty, difficult story of human violence with glimmers of hope; praises the powerful performances by Mullan and Colman that make the characters relatable despite the bleakness. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/tyrannosaur) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2011. The film centers on perseverance amid brutality and damaged relationships in a tough Yorkshire setting, with strong turns from Mullan and especially Colman providing the emotional core. It occasionally doubles up on tragedy in its third act. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-tyrannosaur-gets-to-the-heart-of-perseverance-in-the-face-of-brutality-20111117/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating D. 23 January 2011. Festival review. The critic finds the film grim and brutal without purpose, with strong performances but flat characters and a predictable, annoying narrative. Praises the actors' efforts but complains about the overcooked violence and lack of meaningful story. [Read the review](https://collider.com/tyrannosaur-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/tyrannosaur.md