--- title: "Vanilla Sky: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/vanilla-sky/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/vanilla-sky" critics_score: 55 critics_reviews: 12 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." --- # Vanilla Sky (2001): what the critics said Critics' score 55 from 12 reviews: 4 positive, 4 mixed, 4 negative. The critics split three ways on Vanilla Sky, and the middling overall number comes from that split rather than from any shared lukewarmness. Where praise lands, it lands on the surface: John Toll’s camerawork, the club scene, the empty Times Square and Cameron Crowe’s use of pop music are all picked out. Cameron Diaz is the performance most often singled out, with Jason Lee mentioned as a smaller pleasure. Several reviews also credit the film with ambition, calling it an audacious, puzzle-like construction that asks the viewer to keep up. The reservation most reviews share is the comparison with its Spanish source. Most critics find the remake softer, less suspenseful and less provocative than the original, and some find it plainly confusing. The Guardian calls it cumbersome and bombastic, and Eye for Film finds the shifting realities tiresome because the rules keep changing. Tom Cruise draws some complaint for lack of depth. The spread is wide, from warm to hostile. ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 25 February 2002. The review praises the film as an intelligent, thrilling psychodrama that successfully reworks the original. It singles out Cameron Crowe’s deft blend of pop-culture touches with the strong story structure, while noting occasional pacing and exposition issues. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/vanilla-sky-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 3/4. 14 December 2001. Ebert gives the film a positive but qualified verdict. He praises its audacious, puzzle-like construction, while finding it short on time for its characters. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/vanilla-sky-2001) ## Empire — Angie Errigo Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Errigo finds the film ambitious, unsettling and emotionally engaging, though it demands close attention. She particularly praises its visual design, strong performances and evocative use of music. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/vanilla-sky-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 3.5/5. 18 May 2002. Gonzalez finds the film a reductive, self-centered pop-culture thriller that is less compelling than its source. He praises Crowe’s mise-en-scène and John Toll’s camerawork, especially in the club scene. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/vanilla-sky-dvd/) ## Screen Daily — Emanuel Levy Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2001. The review's verdict cannot be determined from the accessible page. No praised or criticized element is visible in the paywall shell. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/vanilla-sky/407720.article) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2001. The accessible page does not reveal the critic’s verdict. Its article text is blocked, so no specific praise or complaint can be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/14/movies/film-review-plastic-surgery-takes-a-science-fiction-twist.html) ## Time Out — TCh Fi1m's normalised score 63/100 (inferred from the text). The page presents the film as a very straight remake of the Spanish-language original. Its metadata suggests the original merits another viewing, but the critic’s full verdict and specific praise or complaint are unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/vanilla-sky) ## Radio Times — Jason Caro Rating 2/5. Caro finds the remake glossy but disappointing, faulting it for losing the original’s psychological suspense. He singles out Jason Lee’s amusing performance and Cameron Diaz’s lively turn as pleasures. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ngky50/vanilla-sky/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2001. McCarthy finds the film lively and well made but ultimately muddled and less provocative than its source. He praises the cast and craftsmanship, while criticizing the softened characterizations and excessive musical references. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2001/film/awards/vanilla-sky-2-1200552338/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2002. Bradshaw finds the film cumbersome, bombastic and less distinctive than its Spanish predecessor. He objects to its pseudo-futuristic ideas and treats it as a poor Hollywood remake. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/jan/25/culture.reviews) ## Den of Geek — Carley Tauchert Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 27 January 2010. Tauchert gives the film a mixed but somewhat appreciative retrospective, finding it an ambitious and visually effective remake that has gained a cult following. She singles out Cameron Diaz’s performance and the empty Times Square scene for praise, while criticizing Tom Cruise’s limited depth and the film’s close copying of its source. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/revisiting-cameron-crowes-vanilla-sky/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2001. The critic finds the film confusing and ultimately tiresome. He objects that its shifting realities abandon the rules needed to make the central conceit work. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/vanilla-sky-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © 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/vanilla-sky.md