--- title: "Amadeus: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/amadeus-2025/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/amadeus-2025" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 6 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." --- # Amadeus (2025): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 6 reviews: 4 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics find Amadeus a worthwhile reworking of the familiar rivalry, though the spread runs from enthusiastic praise to outright dismissal. Praise centres on the performances, particularly Paul Bettany’s tormented Salieri, and on the extra space given to relationships, personal tragedy and Gabrielle Creevy’s Constanze. Supporters find substance in its treatment of jealousy, faith and the burden of genius, rather than simply another retelling. Reservations concern whether the longer format earns its length and whether theatrical spectacle comes at the expense of depth. Variety admires Bettany and the production design but finds that five episodes dilute the tension, with too little use of the music. The Guardian is the sharpest dissenter, finding the scenes lifeless and Will Sharpe’s Mozart thin; Digital Spy, by contrast, praises his emotional complexity. The central divide is over whether expansion deepens the story or makes its rivalry less compelling. ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 May 2026. The critic calls the miniseries captivating and anachronistic, praising how it reconfigures the rivalry to explore deeper themes of genius as an existential burden, inferiority, and power dynamics. It singles out Bettany’s incredible, tormented Salieri as shaping the series’ rumination on ambition and faith. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/amadeus-review-paul-bettany-will-sharpe-starz-miniseries.html) ## Radio Times — James Hibbs Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2025. The series succeeds as a companion piece to the classic film by expanding on characters and adding depth to relationships and personal tragedies, particularly Constanze's story. It features strong performances from the leads and offers a gritty, complex take that justifies its existence despite the formidable legacy of the source material. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/amadeus-sky-comment/) ## The AV Club — Caroline Siede Rating B. 6 May 2026. The critic finds Barton’s adaptation frequently compelling and occasionally riveting, though never quite essential viewing. It singles out the strong performances, especially Gabrielle Creevy’s Constanze, and the grounded, earthier take on the rivalry with added historical realism and stakes. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/amadeus-review-will-sharpe-paul-bettany-joe-barton) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2025. The series is a pale, petty version of the 1984 film, with flat, airless and banal scenes that reduce the original's themes of envy and genius to lesser forms. The performances, especially Will Sharpe's thin take on Mozart, fail to match the source material's wit and depth. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/dec/21/amadeus-review-mozart-series-pale-petty-version-of-movie) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Angie Han 7 May 2026. The adaptation understands the maddening failure to capture true genius and delivers a thrilling exploration of jealousy and rivalry through strong performances, especially Bettany's Salieri. It makes the familiar story feel complete in its own right while highlighting the limits of sublime art in everyday life. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/amadeus-review-paul-bettany-will-sharpe-starz-1236580131/) ## The Times — Carol Midgley Rating ★★★★☆. 21 December 2025. The reimagining is vivacious and vicious, chronicling Salieri’s jealousy with superbly charismatic performances from Will Sharpe and Paul Bettany that make it a Christmas treat. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/amadeus-review-will-sharpe-paul-bettany-sky-srf2j5v8d) ## Variety — Aramide Tinubu 8 May 2026. Bettany gives a sensational performance and the series looks gorgeous with lavish production design, but stretching the story into five episodes dilutes tension and makes the rivalry feel tiresome and superficial compared to the tighter original. The music is underused and the show struggles to measure up to the classic. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/tv/reviews/amadeus-review-starz-paul-bettany-1236741072/) ## Digital Spy — David Opie Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 21 December 2025. The critic finds it an intriguing, sometimes very special show that falls just shy of greatness, especially compared to the film. It singles out Will Sharpe’s standout, emotionally complex performance as Mozart and the exquisite writing in the tense exchanges between the leads. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a69660488/amadeus-review-sky/) ## Collider — Maggie Lovitt Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 6 May 2026. The critic finds the series visually sumptuous and entertaining thanks to its bold, theatrical style, strong central performances by Will Sharpe and Paul Bettany, and lavish production design. However, it is critiqued for prioritizing spectacle over depth, resulting in a somewhat shallow character study that lacks emotional or historical nuance. [Read the review](https://collider.com/amadeus-tv-show-review-starz-will-sharpe-paul-bettany/) --- © 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/tv/amadeus-2025.md