---
title: "West Side Story: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/west-side-story-2021/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/west-side-story-2021"
critics_score: 84
critics_reviews: 23
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."
---

# West Side Story (2021): what the critics said

Critics' score 84 from 23 reviews: 21 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative.

Most critics welcome Spielberg’s first musical warmly, and only a couple hold back. The praise gathers around the same things: the camerawork, which more than one review calls his most exhilarating in years; the staging of the big numbers, ‘America’ and the ‘Tonight’ balcony scene chief among them; and the supporting cast. Ariana DeBose’s Anita is the performance singled out most, with Rita Moreno, Mike Faist and Rachel Zegler close behind. Kushner’s changes to the book, the unsubtitled Spanish and the fuller life given to the Sharks, are taken as improvements rather than tampering.

The reservations are consistent too. Several reviews find the central romance short on chemistry, and Ansel Elgort’s Tony is the casting most often questioned. A smaller group finds the film too reverent: Sight and Sound finds it tinged with melancholy, The New Yorker finds it dutiful, and Slant thinks it too remote to catch the story’s urgency. The spread is narrow and nobody dislikes it.

## The Telegraph

Rating 5/5. 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg’s first musical is a dazzling, swooningly beautiful reworking that feels definitive and serves as a timely testament to Sondheim’s genius. It fuses Golden Age musical euphoria with the grandeur of an immigrant epic and is the director’s finest film in 20 years.

[Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2021/12/02/west-side-story-review-spielbergs-magnificent-remake-finest/)

## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen

Rating 5/5. 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg delivers a breathtaking, muscular and terrifically cast version that supercharges the story with new urgency and smart structural tweaks while nodding to the 1961 film. The songs, score, choreography and performances, especially from Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno, make it a standout musical.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/west-side-story-2021)

## Empire — Helen O'Hara

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg delivers a beautiful, emotionally precise first musical that faithfully adapts the story while updating it with sharper details like Spanish dialogue and a lived-in world. The critic singles out the director's command of the camera and the standout performances from supporting players like Mike Faist, Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno for making the film heartfelt and alive.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/west-side-story-2021/)

## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg's brilliantly directed film is his most exhilarating in years, with kinetic camerawork, superb choreography and vibrant performances that breathe fresh life into the classic musical. It balances gritty realism with radiant stylization while thoughtfully addressing cultural representation.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-12-02/west-side-story-review-steven-spielberg-remake)

## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd

Rating A-. 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg delivers a reverently faithful production with panache, excelling in staging and choreography, though it may not eclipse the 1961 version; praises the cast and thoughtful updates.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/steven-spielberg-chases-his-musical-dreams-with-a-gorge-1848152097)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg’s remake is a visually staggering, hyperreal revival of the classic musical that retains the songs and period setting while making smart adjustments to the book. The critic praises the director’s technical mastery and gives their heart to this poignant American fairytale of doomed love.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/dec/02/west-side-story-review-steven-spielberg)

## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole

Rating 3.5/4. 2 December 2021. 

The film is thoughtful with luminous shots and transcendent moments in character-driven scenes like the 'Tonight Quintet,' but feels dispassionate and too zoomed-out overall to fully capture the story's urgency.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/west-side-story-review-steven-spielberg/)

## The Independent — Jake Coyle

Rating 3.5/4. 2 December 2021. 

The critic praises Spielberg, Kushner and Sondheim for reworking the musical from within to deepen characters and clarify themes, giving fuller life to the Sharks and balancing the story while connecting it to contemporary issues. The film is seen as a tasteful, impeccably crafted revival and a strong example of classical big-screen cinema, though it may not quite match the original's raw power.

[Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/sharks-steven-spielberg-tony-kushner-dna-rachel-zegler-b1968770.html)

## Radio Times — Patrick Cremona

Rating 4/5. 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg almost pulls off remaking a classic with an exhilarating, stunningly choreographed spectacle that improves on casting and adds progressive updates like un-subtitled Spanish and gentrification themes. It falls slightly short of the original in emotional intensity and visual magic but remains a major success.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/west-side-story-review/)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg approaches the material with care that gives it modern resonance, creating a solidly entertaining remake with intimacy, emotion and a few transcendent moments while emphasising beloved elements without radical reinterpretation. Greater consideration for the Puerto Rican characters and Rachel Zegler’s radiant Maria stand out.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/west-side-story-review/5165656.article)

## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2021. 

The critic notes Spielberg makes it a true movie with dynamic camera work and makes smart narrative tweaks for sociopolitical depth, though the leads lack chemistry; it surpasses the original for some despite the critic's prior reservations.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/movie-review-steven-spielbergs-west-side-story.html)

## RogerEbert.com — Brian Tallerico

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2021. 

Spielberg and Kushner deliver an eloquent, graceful and often mesmerizing restaging that stays loyal to the original while adding fresh vitality through strong performances and staging. The standout is Ariana DeBose's showstopping 'America,' though Ansel Elgort's casting as Tony is a notable weak spot.

[Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/west-side-story-movie-review-2021)

## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2021. 

The critic praises the sumptuous reimagining with inclusive casting and timely depiction of racial intolerance, noting it pulses with fresh vitality though it won't replace the 1961 version.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/west-side-story-steven-spielberg-1235056068/)

## The Times

Rating ★★★★☆. 10 December 2021. 

Spielberg buoyantly reboots the classic with reverence, deft changes and standout performances (especially from Zegler), delivering a peerless cinematic homage that is typical Spielberg but perhaps too perfect and reverential.

[Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/west-side-story-review-spielberg-buoyantly-reboots-bernsteins-classic-n99n9xhff)

## Sight and Sound — Guy Lodge

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2021. 

The critic finds the remake tinged with melancholy from gentrification and nostalgia for the original, with thoughtful updates that boost secondary characters like Ariana DeBose’s Anita. However, the central romance between Tony and Maria lacks convincing chemistry and emotional pull.

[Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/west-side-story-2021-musical-reboot-is-tinged-with-melancholy)

## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2021. 

Spielberg's version aims for greater earthiness and authenticity than the 1961 film but feels dutiful overall despite its handsome production and panache. Rita Moreno's rendition of 'Somewhere' stands out as the most moving and daring moment.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/12/20/an-earthier-sweatier-west-side-story)

## Collider — Matt Goldberg

Rating A. 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg launches into this new adaptation that feels fresh and immediate while retaining the classic feel, with politically pointed script updates and stunning camerawork and choreography. The cast shines, especially breakout talents like Zegler, Faist and DeBose, making this easily one of his best recent works.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/west-side-story-review-steven-spielberg-musical/)

## /Film — Chris Evangelista

Rating 9.5/10. 2 December 2021. 

The critic praises Spielberg's vibrant and exuberant reimagining as a knockout and one of his best films, highlighting the lively musical numbers and modern sensibilities. They single out the energy and life in the performances and direction for praise.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/674685/west-side-story-review-steven-spielbergs-big-vibrant-take-on-the-classic-musical-is-one-of-his-best-films/)

## Deadline — Pete Hammond

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg delivers a stirring and necessary new take on the classic musical, honoring the original while updating it for today. The critic singles out the deepened emphasis on themes of racism, division and the possibility that love can still prevail amid intolerance.

[Read the review](https://deadline.com/video/west-side-story-review-steven-spielberg-remove-term-ansel-elgort-rachel-zegler/)

## Den of Geek

Rating 5 out of 5. 2 December 2021. 

Spielberg delivers a masterful musical that improves on the original with a provocative take on America's soul, using the material's themes of bigotry and cultural divides to striking effect. The critic singles out the film's visual craft, particularly the inventive 'Tonight' balcony scene and overall cinematic energy.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/west-side-story-steven-spielberg-musical-war-for-america/)

## Polygon — Tasha Robinson

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2021. 

Spielberg respects the original but makes the story his own through ambitious script tweaks, authentic Latinx casting and unsubtitled Spanish dialogue, plus dynamic camerawork that immerses viewers in the action. He has managed a remake that justifies its existence artistically as an act of fervent fandom.

[Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/22827455/west-side-story-review-steven-spielberg)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 9 December 2021. 

Spielberg and Kushner revere the source material but are not afraid to tinker with it, resulting in an electrifying and satisfying version. The critic singles out the fresh staging of numbers like 'America' and the strong ensemble, especially Ariana DeBose as Anita.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/west-side-story-review-2021-steven-spielberg/)

## The Ringer — Manuela Lazic

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 2021. 

Spielberg offers a realist correction of the original with better contextualization of racial and economic dynamics, authentic casting and language use, and cinematic integration of dances into narrative. The result amplifies the story's relevance and timeliness through blunt attention to racism, misogyny and disparity.

[Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2021/12/10/movies/west-side-story-review-steven-spielberg)

---
© 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/west-side-story-2021.md