--- title: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/buffy-the-vampire-slayer/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/buffy-the-vampire-slayer" critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 8 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." --- # Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997): what the critics said Critics' score 81 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like this series a good deal, and the ones writing years after its 1997 premiere like it more than the ones who saw the pilot go out. The praise clusters on the writing: dialogue that is quick and funny, plots that run long and pay off, and the habit of using monsters to stand in for grief, bullying, addiction and the ordinary misery of being sixteen. Sarah Michelle Gellar’s performance is singled out more than once, and several critics credit the show with rethinking who a television hero could be. The reservations come almost entirely from 1997. Variety finds the pilot sagging in its second half and pitched at younger teenagers; The Hollywood Reporter is warmer but treats it as Clueless with fangs. The AV Club, revisiting the first three episodes, notes clichéd action and uneven early dialogue while praising the mother-daughter scenes. Otherwise the spread is narrow, and no one is negative. ## Radio Times Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 April 2020. The critic describes Buffy the Vampire Slayer as the best monster-of-the-week TV series ever made and a peerless pop-culture watermark. They single out its sharp wit, brutality, cleverness, and ahead-of-its-time storytelling for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/lockdown-binge-1-buffy/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2017. The critic hails the series as a brilliant, funny and tragic synthesis of genres that was doing extraordinary things on television before The Sopranos. They single out its feminist sensibility, dense plotting, witty dialogue and emotional depth across seven seasons. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/mar/10/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-at-20-the-thrilling-brilliant-birth-of-tv-as-art) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 October 2021. The piece is a personal retrospective celebrating the series' enduring impact since its 1997 premiere. The critic singles out Sarah Michelle Gellar's layered performance as Buffy and the show's fresh subversion of expectations around women, heroism, and coming-of-age for praise. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2021/10/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-twenty-years-greatest-legacy.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Michael Farkash Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 1997. The series is Clueless meets Dracula, with emphasis on the hip angst of high schoolers coupled with vampire danger and apocalyptic prophecies. Gellar proves sympathetic as the super heroine who just wants to lead a normal life. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/buffy-vampire-slayer-first-episode-816651/) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating B+ / B+ / B. 5 June 2008. The critic finds the first three episodes a solid, fleet introduction to the premise, characters, and high-school-as-dangerous themes despite some clichéd action and uneven dialogue. He singles out the mother-daughter dynamics and witty character moments for praise while noting the show's early roughness. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-welcome-to-the-hellmouth-1798204478) ## Variety — Todd Everett Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 1997. The series plays like an uneasy cross between The X-Files and Clueless, with a slightly harder edge than the original film but less gore. The story sags a bit in the second half of the pilot, though it has potential for early-teen viewing. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1997/tv/reviews/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-3-1117342344/) ## Collider — Carolyn Jenkins Rating 10/10. 23 March 2026. The critic hails the series as a near-perfect cult classic and television masterclass that remains relevant decades later. She singles out its innovative use of supernatural metaphors to explore real-life themes such as grief, domestic violence, bullying, and addiction. [Read the review](https://collider.com/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-cult-classic-masterpiece-series/) ## Paste — Amy Glynn Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 September 2014. The critic reflects on rewatching the series in her forties and finds it offers new insights into dealing with life's challenges and personal growth. She praises Whedon's clever writing and the show's ability to metaphorically capture the hell of everyday struggles. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/article/buffy-the-mid-life-slayer) --- © 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/buffy-the-vampire-slayer.md