Catfish
Metascore
65 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 29
  3. Negative: 2 out of 29
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  1. St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Reviewed by: Calvin Wilson
    100
    Nev and the filmmakers prove to be charismatic, and at times hilarious, investigators of the unfolding mystery.
  2. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    88
    There's more killer suspense and shocking intimacy in this one-of-a-kind documentary than you'll find in a dozen thrillers. You'll laugh hard and cry too.
  3. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    88
    To avoid revealing too much and spoiling a fresh and intriguing experience, let's just say this: Catch Catfish.
  4. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Noel Murray
    83
    Catfish is absolutely riveting, and even nerve-wracking as Joost and the Schulmans get progressively closer to learning more about their "friends."
  5. Arizona Republic
    Reviewed by: Bill Goodykoontz
    80
    It is affecting, surprising, heartbreaking.
  6. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    The facts in the film are slippery, but the revelation of a human personality is surprisingly moving.
  7. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    75
    Catfish is fascinating. At the same time, it emits a condescending, pitying odor.
  8. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    75
    There are no "Crying Game" switcharoos or "Sixth Sense" plot twists in store here. But knowing too much about Catfish beforehand ruins the experience.
  9. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    75
    Catfish, made on the cheap with digital video, cell-phone cams, and hidden mikes, raises all sorts of questions - about the imaginary realms that open when you click on your computer screen, about cyber-stalking, but also about journalistic ethics.
  10. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    75
    Even in an increasingly virtual world, the filmmakers suggest, keeping it real still matters.
  11. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Dave McGinn
    75
    Catfish shows that the need to dispel lies isn't nearly as important as how we respond when we finally uncover the truth.
  12. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    75
    To quote a source as authoritative as Francis Bacon -- namely a "New Yorker" cartoon: "On the internet no one knows you're a dog."
  13. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: John DeFore
    70
    Jaw-dropping and surprisingly kind-hearted considering the circumstances.
  14. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    70
    Although Catfish is opportunistic, even borderline exploitive, it gets at-by indirection, through the back door-the magic-carpet aspect of this scary new medium. Real people are so complicated and irreducible, you know?
  15. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Abele
    70
    Catfish was built to charm, not indict, and on that front it makes for a diverting seriocomic wade into the pitfalls of Internet-based immediacy, and by extension, the manipulative mysteries of documentary assemblage.
  16. Slate
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    70
    Of all the twists in Catfish-the most surprising of all is what an honest and thoughtful film it turns out, against all odds, to be.
  17. Variety
    Reviewed by: Peter Debruge
    70
    Though editor Zac Stuart-Pontier assembles the sprawling personal journey into swift and suspenseful shape, it helps immensely that Nev is such a charming screen presence.
  18. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Cliff Doerksen
    70
    There are some creepy chuckles to be had from this allegedly true account of a hip, young New York photographer.
  19. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    63
    I won't reveal the twist -- but the marketing crew is aware that their only chance of selling this non-mind-blowing documentary about the people you might meet on Facebook is by promising a big surprise.
  20. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    63
    It seems to play as vastly different movies depending on who's looking at it.
  21. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    63
    One problem is that none of the characters are interesting and the situation is clichéd.
  22. Boxoffice Magazine
    Reviewed by: Pam Grady
    60
    This is a film of warmth, humor, suspense and surprising grace.
  23. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Karina Longworth
    60
    Whether you think Catfish is fact or fiction, it certainly taps into something true: the basic, common need to believe that what feels like love is real.
  24. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    60
    When the going gets weird, Hunter S. Thompson used to say, the weird turn pro, but these filmmakers never transcend their own amateurism. They turn what could have been a brilliant exploration of the hidden corners of contemporary reality into an opportunity for gawking and condescension.
  25. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    58
    In Catfish, the camera's-rolling readiness to trawl for drama leaves a slimy aftertaste.
  26. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    58
    It must be said that the filmmakers, who profess to be as surprised as we are about how things play out, are being disingenuous at best and underhanded at worst.
  27. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    50
    The film is never less than absorbing to watch. However, in the end, I think Catfish lives up to its namesake's reputation as a bottom-feeder.
  28. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: G. Allen Johnson
    25
    Unlike "Exit Through the Gift Shop," Catfish isn't able to make the leap from odd incident to an indictment of our times.
  29. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Keith Uhlich
    20
    I'll respect the studio's wishes to abbreviate all plot description. God knows, they're marketing it like the second coming of "The Crying Game," though the revelations that await Nev are only shocking if you believe P.T. Barnum was really in possession of a genuine Fiji mermaid.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 75 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 33
  3. Negative: 5 out of 33
  1. sailoraide
    5
    Some may tell you that Catfish is a thriller. Or a mystery. Or many other things, all of which it is not. I'm only mildly convinced of the filmmakers' claim that the documentary included no staging whatsoever. But putting all that aside and taking it for what it is, there is value to be found, especially for any social media addict who has considered taking an online relationship further and meeting a stranger who they've engaged with solely via non-physical means.

    The idea in Catfish is simple - people are not always who they say they are. The filmmakers follow their friend/brother as a relationship grows between he and a woman online (the majority taking place on Facebook). Eventually, lies are discovered and the group sets out to set the record straight by making a surprise appearance at the fibber's home. This is where the so-called "mystery" supposedly kicks in, but I can assure you that if you're the least bit "thrilled" by this film you need to immediately stop watching it and do something crazy. The mystery quickly fizzles and the film settles into a story about forgiveness and understanding.

    I suppose that Catfish could be touching for some. I am not included in that group, though. I found it to be a bit pretentious and mildly entertaining. I do believe the story occurred, but I also feel that the filmmakers without a doubt affected the outcome of the story, and in some ways even took advantage of those they intended to expose. Am I upset that I spent an hour and a half watching it? No. Would I ever watch it again? Doubtful.    … Full Review »
  2. Alyosha
    2
    This is an exceptionally dull film. Dull in concept, dull in execution. It's obvious from the very moment it starts that what you're watching is fake. It starts out looking like it's going one way and then spends the rest of the film doing just that. There is no twist, no great revelation just dull plodding predictability.… Full Review »
  3. Felon
    10
    I could not disagree more with the critics who described this film as "condescending" and "sleazy." I found it riveting, suspenseful (not a thriller, as others have mentioned, but suspenseful nonetheless), heartbreaking, and compassionate. Contrary to A. O. Scott of the New York Times' opinion, I thought it WAS "a brilliant exploration of the hidden corners of contemporary reality." See it before anyone wrecks it for you, and see it knowing as little about it as possible.… Full Review »
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