73
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The New York TimesWesley MorrisThe New York TimesWesley MorrisNothing here’s overthought or pumped up. To invoke the words of a different beacon of catchiness, “Wham!” is a teenage dream. You could drink it from a coconut.
- 80NMENick LevineNMENick LevineThis feature-length documentary makes for affecting viewing because it tells the duo’s incredible success story through the lens of their rock-solid friendship.
- 80The Observer (UK)Wendy IdeThe Observer (UK)Wendy IdeThe beauty of Wham!, a key part of the appeal of the band, came from the perception that they were a self-contained unit, a guaranteed good time seemingly impervious to negativity. And for a while, that was true.
- 80Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganScreen DailyFionnuala HalliganWhat emerges is the story of an extremely close and profoundly charming boyhood friendship – but one where the junior partner couldn’t, or wouldn’t, put the genie of his extraordinary talent back in the bottle once his pal had coaxed it out of him.
- 80Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayLos Angeles TimesNoel MurrayEven beyond the lessons learned though, “Wham!” is a treat for fans of ’80s culture. There haven’t been as many eras so filled with big personalities producing enduring work. Wham! walked among those giants, matching them stride for stride.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperChicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperThere’s no overreaching attempt to paint the band as anything more than they were, no roster of professors and music experts and somber social commentators weighing in.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleWham! tells a sweet story, but also a goofy and entertaining one, because these guys were more ’80s than anybody, more even than “Miami Vice” and Duran Duran.
- 75Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreSmith has made a film that’s not unlike Wham!’s hits — bouncy, light and frothy, nothing that demands anything of the viewer and listener other than a smile.
- 60The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawIt’s an enjoyable spectacle, and a madeleine for the 1980s: but there was something more to say about friendship, sexuality and the music itself.
- 40The TelegraphRobbie CollinThe TelegraphRobbie CollinDirector Chris Smith builds the film around Ridgeley’s mother’s scrapbooks of photographs and memorabilia – and perhaps partly because of that, it ends up feeling like little more than a leaf through the milestones. It’s been made for the fans, but they’ll know every last detail already: it’s pop history as singalong.