Cry_Wolf
Metascore
39 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 14
  3. Negative: 4 out of 14
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  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    75
    Which is scarier: a maniac in an orange ski mask wielding a hunting knife - or Jon Bon Jovi as a journalism teacher? Cry_Wolf gives us both, and though Bon Jovi is livin' on a prayer if he thinks he's an actor, the movie is a find.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    70
    A clever teen thriller with intricate plotting, deft characterizations, sharp ensemble performances and a darkly ironic twist at the end.
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Robert Dominguez
    63
    The low splatter quotient may not be enough to quell the blood lust of slasher fans, but several neat plot twists - and a surprise ending - make Cry Wolf a cut above the rest.
  4. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    60
    A cut above the usual level of slasher films, with its overly convoluted plot enhanced by an impressive level of cinematic style. It also places a greater emphasis on surprising plot twists than gore.
  5. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Janet Maslin
    60
    First-time screenwriters Jeff Wadlow and Beau Bauman prove more adept at staging mind games than creating chills and thrills for the audience.
  6. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    50
    But clichéd rapid-fire editing and cheap-looking digital-image manipulation drain away every ounce of atmosphere, and overexplanation blows what could have been a darkly ambiguous ending.
  7. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Scott Brown
    50
    Cry_Wolf is underscored with idiot adolescent excitement (and gets extra absurdist points for casting Jon Bon Jovi as an educator).
  8. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Keith Phipps
    50
    Director Jeff Wadlow and his co-writer/producer Beau Bauman throw in a couple of gripping sequences, especially one set in a library sub-basement with an energy-saving lighting system, but for a film that's essentially one big logic problem, there's an unfortunate absence of logic to the way its characters behave.
  9. Variety
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    50
    Almost totally reliant on red herrings and the viewer's nervous reflexes.
  10. Empire
    Reviewed by: Adam Smith
    40
    A second-rate slasher, but it shows the odd bit of directorial promise and a great deal of ambition.
  11. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Tim Grierson
    30
    Cry Wolf is one of those movies that's rated PG-13 not because the producers wanted to get the broadest audience possible, but because no one 17 or older would be sucker enough to fall for it.
  12. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Luke Y. Thompson
    30
    This was a better movie back when it was called "Gossip" . . . oh, wait, no -- that one sucked too.
  13. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    20
    Despite an ambitious script from Wadlow and Beau Bauman, it's extremely difficult to care, seeing as how these tropes have already been recycled enough to make Greenpeace proud.
  14. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Michael Ferraro
    0
    Cry_Wolf has nothing going for it.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.8 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 13
  3. Negative: 6 out of 13
  1. asylumspadez
    5
    It doesnt really get interesting until the final half hour but it was a pretty good half hour. It was an ok horror film. Solid acting by the cast and it had an interesting twist at the end, I enjoyed it but only the last half hour or so.… Full Review »
  2. Jewels
    8
    After reading many other reviews for this movie, it's apparent that this movie suffers from poor marketing. It is not a horror movie or your generic slasher; it is more a conservative thriller with an intricate and convoluted plot that keeps your mind on edge even more so than the characters themselves. It may have what some consider a seemingly stereotypical ensemble whom utilise current technology as a platform for communication and interaction, but those aspects, along with the expectation of an intense bloody murder-filled horror, are the red herrings of alleged negativity spouted by many reviewers. Focusing on Jon Bon Jovi for any reason other than his character or capabilities as an actor does a further disservice to the underrated quality of the film's presentation. Whilst it may have its technical flaws and a lack of any real suspense, it is a solid movie deserving of merit.… Full Review »
  3. DevonS
    7
    What at first seems like a typical, teenage slasher film with nothing going for it, actually molds into a psychological wonder that makes you want to watch the entire film again, just to figure out how they did it.… Full Review »
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