Brick
User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 114 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 91 out of 114
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 114
  3. Negative: 16 out of 114

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  1. DavidP.
    Feb 22, 2008
    10
    i think it is sad people rate this so low, mainly due to the fact that they have no mental capacity to truly understand the plot and all the little subtle clues. not to mention they speak the way they do because it is a take on a film noir movie neo-noir if you will, the movie is well produced and shot, not to mention the actors delved deep into their characters making the film noir theme show through better.… Expand
  2. EricS
    Feb 5, 2009
    10
    I thought everything about this movie yelled class (dialog, story, ambiance, costumes, direction) even though most of it takes place in a middle / lower-middle class environment.
  3. BradC
    Feb 18, 2009
    10
    Amazing movie. Quite different from other high school or murder mystery movies.
  4. theGuardian
    May 9, 2009
    10
    Brilliant film and an excellent way to bring noir to the kids that are missing out on it.
  5. Deunnero
    May 29, 2009
    9
    A great movie for a Friday night after a gruelling week of work. A throwback to films of old. I thought this had simliar tones to "The Night of the Hunter" personally. Highly recommended.
  6. MatthewF.
    Jun 15, 2009
    10
    My favorite movie of all time.
  7. SethP
    Jul 21, 2009
    10
    A damned good neo-noir.
  8. TarkoB.
    Mar 31, 2006
    9
    Pretty damn amazing when it works.
  9. LenW.
    Apr 4, 2006
    10
    The coolest hard-boiled teen crime drama of this or any year. Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues to turn out astonishing performances.
  10. RitB.
    Apr 10, 2006
    9
    Highschool kids talking and acting like 1940's gumshoes. Silly? --- yeah, maybe --- but it works very nicely and it's preferable to having to listen to teens say 'like' and 'you know' four hundred times an hour. You'll strain your ears trying to follow the smart dialog and your brain will work at hyperspeed in order to grasp and interpret it all but it's all worthwhile. Fun movie that keeps up a good pace --- check it out.… Expand
  11. ChrisK.
    Apr 10, 2006
    10
    This is an extremely entertaining and well-written film highlighted by yet another first-rate performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
  12. RichardW.
    Apr 10, 2006
    10
    Great movie, but you have to pay attention and really think about what you are seeing. If you just loaf along and expect everytihng to be painfully obvious, like on most TV shows, you won't get it, and you won't like Brick. But if you like getting into movies that force you to think, you'll love Brick. I liked it a lot the first time, and loved it the second time and got much more out of it. Gordon-Levitt is amazing. Hard to imagine it's the same actor as on 3rd Rock or Mysterious Skin.… Expand
  13. MaxF.
    Apr 15, 2006
    10
    I'm an age of "hard to please", and this gem pleasured me and two fellow film goers to the brim.. Screen play, direction, acting, and photography excelled. A lack of gutter words and the intro of new lingo added to the pleasure. Still a conversation piece days later.
  14. TrevorB.
    Apr 24, 2006
    10
    Joseph Gordan- Levitt has come along way, from 3rd Rock from the Sun. He's on well on his way to becoming a movie star. Rian Johnson has an uncanny ability with language that you don't hear everyday. I can't wait to see his follow up film.
  15. JulioF.
    May 12, 2006
    10
    Noir to its teeth. It's spectacular, consistent, and compact -- no small feat -- and the whole things plays out very nicely on screen.
  16. M.S.
    Jun 17, 2006
    10
    I've got one word for this film...awsome. This was a superb film I must say. The dialog alone was worth the ticket price and the hype but what is good dialog without an incredibly endearing and believable cast? This cast really pulled their weight, every single one of them acting as a cohesive ensemble and with it, creating an aura of fun suspense and mystery that can only be found in black and white noir mysteries of a similar nature. The camera work was wonderful and the story was incredibly well written. The characters were totally engaging, I even felt a pang of sorrow for Dode when he got killed even though he was a slime bucket! I found it incredibly fresh that they would take the nostalgia of the eighties and highschool culture and food chains and use it as a play ground for a mystery. I also liked how it was all highschoolers in this underground society of misfits who were involved with crimes and investigations and research, it gave the film a refreshing authenticity rarely found in films today. To all of those who scorn it for doing what (literally) no noir mystery has done before...forget you. This was a seriously entertaining and effective film!.… Expand
  17. R.Thomas
    Jul 24, 2006
    9
    If your clever enough to follow the film and understand it, you'll love it. However it can be hard to do so, so don't bother unless your ready to sit down and get absorbed in it.
  18. StacyB.
    Aug 21, 2006
    9
    dramatic montage and killer dialogue. this movie is definitely one of the best i've seen in a while.
  19. PeteM.
    Aug 26, 2006
    10
    Brick is an intense and powerful noir piece with such riveting performances and stellar writing that it resonates well beyond its slightly gimmicky
  20. JeffS.
    Sep 11, 2006
    9
    Effortlessly guides the viewer into its own high concept and once hooked, the film is a pleasure to scrutinize. Not a film for easy viewing, but sure to be a repeat offender on cult-friendly dvd players. Easily one of the best films of 2006.
  21. DavidB.
    Sep 12, 2006
    10
    Yes. It's a ten. But then Dashiell Hammett is a favorite author, and Houston's Maltese Falcon a desert island movie. Rian Johnson captures the voice and tone of the American hard-boiled detective story perfectly. A couple of times I laughed with sheer pleasure how note-perfect the acting (Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Nora Zehetner are simply outstanding) and dialog were. This is the best detective story since Chinatown… Expand
  22. LeahB.
    Oct 5, 2006
    10
    This film was purely entrancing.
  23. AlexS
    Dec 10, 2006
    9
    Being a fan of film noir hardboiled styles Brick came as a nice surprise when I was expecting a simple high-school drama. It's fast and well planned pacing draws you in, and you soon realise this is so much more than it seems. The characters seem entirely realistic; there being no real villain (I wouldn't classify the Pin as a villain), and a dark protagonist, seem like real people you might find around any high-school social scene. The brilliant acting also brings the story to life as a film noir work. It can sometimes be a little hard to follow considering it's speed, but once you're on the level, it's a great story through-and-through.… Expand
  24. KipM.
    Dec 19, 2006
    10
    What a feat. Rian Johnson is shaping up to be one of the best directors out of the mainstream today. His debut "Brick" is completely new take on both the detective and high school genres and blends them mostly seamlessly. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, miles away from his alternative teen idol days on "3rd Rock" and "10 Things I Hate about You," is absolutely brilliant as Brendan, alone by choice, who is smarter than anyone in the room and uses that to his advantage. The labyrinthe plot (involving an ex-girlfriend's murder and a giant web of drug dealers and users) is never too confusing or unnecessary. You learn every detail along with Brendan, piecing it together in search of closure and justice. The noir dialogue doesn't take you out of the plot; it envelops you into its world.… Expand
  25. JS
    Jan 2, 2007
    10
    Brick bleeds Dashiell Hammett and it amazes me how seamlessly the filmmakers brought hard-boiled detective fiction to a high school setting.
  26. xiti
    Jan 26, 2007
    10
    I saw it by chance and I think it's very very interesting, it has a very intelligent script and a very good rhythm
  27. JW
    Feb 11, 2007
    10
    In my mind, the noirisms hit their stride when the character of Brain is introduced and he utters the line: "Lunch? Lunch is difficult...." A better summation of high school I've never heard. And NO LAPTOP! He got the reputation as "Brain," not by being a geek computer whiz or building robots, but by his detailed knowledge of social strata and teenage communication. In fact, aside from a loner cell phone, most communication in the movie is done longhand - either person-to-person or in symbollic notes, etc. I love all of it. The Brat Pack movies have at last been put under.… Expand
  28. DomenicP.
    May 3, 2007
    10
    This is a great take on the traditional noir. The actors all deliver surprisingly great performances for people their age, and Johnson's direction is pitch-perfect.
  29. DonalM.
    Sep 1, 2007
    10
    Absolutely fantastic film. Brilliant storyline, well told. Very little special effects, adds to the effect. Also found it witty at times.
  30. Vltra88
    Jun 29, 2011
    10
    Well written, Well acted, solid artful piece. The Film Noir/Hard boiled "who dunnit" feel fits really well in the director's childhood California high school setting while only feeling forced for brief moments. It's in my top ten films for sure. The pace is for the patient, and the entire vibe requires an understanding or appreciation of Film Noir. Maybe not for everyone, but I saw it as an incredibly well written script with an obvious intended goal for the film.… Expand
  31. cabrita
    Oct 20, 2012
    9
    It's a very fun unique film. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Rian Johnson's screenplay carry this film the distance. The dialogue is so well written and so emblematic of 40's crime novels and films it can but only put a smile on your face. And the actors are true to the premise from beginning to end. Not once winking at the audience.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
  1. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Jeremy Mathews
    90
    With brilliant dialogue out of the 1940s and graceful visuals that add depth to the dark comedy, Johnson debuts with a smart, self-assured feature that portrays adolescence like no other film has.
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  2. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    70
    Writer-director Rian Johnson gives the usual teen angst an entertaining kick. But the joke wears off, and what's left is as convoluted and monotonous as any conventional hard-boiled mystery.
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  3. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    75
    "Sensational" is the word for Joseph Gordon-Levitt (equally striking in Mysterious Skin), who stars as Brendan, the teen outsider who becomes a budding Bogart.
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