52
Metascore
17 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The DissolveScott TobiasThe DissolveScott TobiasMuch of the fun of Malice derives from Sorkin, Frank, and director Harold Becker understanding the been-there/done-that formulas of thrillers past and tinkering with them as much as possible. Instead of a little bit of misdirection, they devote a vast swath of the film to one.
- 70The New York TimesVincent CanbyThe New York TimesVincent CanbyThough light of weight, it hugs the road around every hairpin curve in its cruel and twisty narrative.
- 63ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliWhile Malice won't win any awards, it's a cut above the average. The result is a curious mixture that provides one-hundred minutes of entertainment.
- 50Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertMalice is one of the busiest movies I've ever seen, a film jampacked with characters and incidents and blind alleys and red herrings. Offhand, this is the only movie I can recall in which an entire subplot about a serial killer is thrown in simply for atmosphere.
- 50Los Angeles TimesPeter RainerLos Angeles TimesPeter RainerIn an effort to keep the thrills coming the screenwriters scatter about too many loose ends; they don’t provide the precise cat-and-mouse plotting that used to be the hallmark of the well-made thriller but is now virtually nonexistent.
- 50Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversPerhaps director Harold Becker thought flashy acting could distract us from the gaping plot holes. Becker gets so intent on confusing us, he forgets to give us characters to care about, the way he did in Sea of Love with Al Pacino. Malice is way out of that classy league. It’s got suspense but no staying power.
- 50Time OutTime OutA melodramatic thriller which did surprisingly well in the US given its implausible straight-to-video scenario. Undistinguished.
- 42Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanThe only thing that makes this ludicrous botch even borderline watchable is Alec Baldwin’s enjoyably supercilious performance as a leering stud surgeon who thinks nothing of belting back shots of bourbon before going in to perform an operation.
- 40Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAustin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenMore than acting, the real culprit in Malice is the script by Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men) and Scott Frank (Dead Again) which favors florid dramatics over plausible theatrics.