American History X: Critic Reviews

97%

MovieWeb: 9 reviews

81%

RottenTomatoes: 50 reviews

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly (Top Critic)

75

Riveting!
Full Review » 12 years ago
Jay Carr Boston Globe (Top Critic)

An intelligently provocative film!
Full Review » 12 years ago
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times (Top Critic)

75

The film is always interesting and sometimes compelling, and it contains more actual provocative thought than any American film on race since Do the Right Thing.
Full Review » 12 years ago
Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune (Top Critic)

Shockingly powerful!
Full Review » 12 years ago
John Petrakis Chicago Tribune (Top Critic)

A very good film with some dazzling moments and one truly outstanding performance!
Full Review » 12 years ago
Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader (Top Critic)

75

Kaye wants to say something about what produces a skinhead today, and though he doesn't succeed fully in this endeavor, he does take us a significant part of the way.
Full Review » 12 years ago
Susan Stark Detroit News (Top Critic)

50

The tone is so muddled that there's a whiff of exploitation to this movie that's unsettling at best.
Full Review » 12 years ago
Todd McCarthy Variety (Top Critic)

This jolting, superbly acted film will draw serious-minded upscale viewers interested in cutting-edge fare and the latest outstanding performance by Edward Norton.
Full Review » 12 years ago
Norman Green Film.com (Top Critic)

American History X pulls open the wound of American racism and peers inside!
Full Review » 12 years ago
Liam Lacey Globe and Mail (Top Critic)

63

What partly redeems American History X from its most preachy excesses -- and makes it worth seeing -- is a brilliant, career-high performance by actor Edward Norton.
Full Review » 10 years ago
James Berardinelli ReelViews (Top Critic)

75

American History X may be flawed, but it's not easily forgotten.
Full Review » 12 years ago
David Hunter Hollywood Reporter (Top Critic)

This journey to unpleasantville is too often manipulative and strains to maintain tension.
Full Review » 12 years ago
Richard Corliss TIME Magazine (Top Critic)

60

A confused, randomly compelling family melodrama.
Full Review » 12 years ago
Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times (Top Critic)

50

Though well-intentioned, turns out to be a simplistic and unconvincing look at a serious problem.
Full Review » 11 years ago
Charles Cassady Common Sense Media

40

This dark drama is not for kids.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Peter Canavese Groucho Reviews

88

If didactic and overwrought at times, it's also powerful and persuasive. [Blu-ray]
Full Review » 3 years ago
John J. Puccio DVDTown.com

70

...a violent film on a weighty topic...frank and honest, its characters, actions, and ideas compelling the viewer to look further and become involved.
Full Review » 3 years ago
Rob Gonsalves eFilmCritic.com

20

Any idiot can make us wince at the ugliness of beatings and shootings.
Full Review » 5 years ago
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com

60

Well-intentioned and well-acted but unconvicning, this saga provides an instructive example to the simplistic approach taken by movies when tackling the social problem of racism.
Full Review » 6 years ago
Pablo Villaca Cinema em Cena

100

Pesado e incomodo, discute o racismo com inteligencia e conta com uma interpretacao absolutamente impecavel de Edward Norton.
Full Review » 8 years ago
Ron Wells Film Threat

80

Derrick's journey to hell and the one back are portrayed organically and gradually.
Full Review » 9 years ago
Manohla Dargis L.A. Weekly

The problem is that Kaye, who's used to selling cars on TV, shoots Derek the Hater as lovingly as he would a new Volkswagen.
Full Review » 10 years ago
Andrew O'Hehir Sight and Sound

A work of impressive scale and craft and not a movie that's easy to dismiss in the end.
Full Review » 10 years ago
Louis B. Hobson Jam! Movies

The film works because Norton's performance is so rivetting and uncompromising.
Full Review » 10 years ago
Jorge Avila Andrade Moviola

88

Con soberbias actuaciones, ejemplifica como el racismo es una de las ideas mas huecas y estupidas que tiene el ser humano
Full Review » 11 years ago