Don Jon
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 40
  3. Negative: 3 out of 40
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  1. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Odie Henderson
    Sep 27, 2013
    38
    A sex comedy that just lays there and expects you to do all the work. Gordon-Levitt's direction is repetitive and dry, and his screenplay is a collage of badly cut out pieces from other movies.
  2. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Andrew Schenker
    Sep 11, 2013
    38
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut does for porn-dependence what Shame did for sex addiction by offering a surface-level look at the effects of its specific pathology on its lead male character.
  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Todd McCarthy
    Apr 11, 2013
    30
    Crude, repetitive and rigorously single-minded, the popular actor’s writing and directing debut lays it all on a bit thick, as the few points the film has to make are underscored time and time again.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 23
  3. Negative: 3 out of 23
  1. Chazd3
    Sep 27, 2013
    1
    As a mature male that enjoys movies, attending 1-2 every week, I blanched every time I saw the preview to the upcoming Don Jon. All I got from it was a movie about porn addiction, period. Mentally I wrote it off. Today I made a critical mistake. I normally don’t read the reviews of movies I know don’t give me a single spark of interest, only the sparky ones. Alas, the reviews were surprisingly acceptable and I went to a morning matinee. What a waste. It was a movie about porn addiction of course, but I assumed from the reviews there were many redeeming qualities and growth in the characters included. WRONG! Joseph Gordon-Levitt & his father Tony Danza were simply vacuous, crude, foul-mouthed and valueless all the way to the closing credits. There was zero empathy or sympathy and not a hint of anyone being a protagonist. I not only did not care about the males in this film, I was repulsed by them. The Catholic sacrament of “confession” was treated like an irrelevant waste basket for immoral behavior rather than anything sacred or religious and demanding of sincere repentance as it does in real life. Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore performances were very good actually. This movie had one theme and one theme only…promiscuitypornpromiscuityporn. I spent the last 30 minutes mentally flipping a coin on whether to just get up and leave. I stayed because I wanted to write an honest review on a complete product. On the way out a group of five in front of me complained out loud about their waste of time and money on that piece of trash. I chimed in with them as we left the theater.… Full Review »
  2. Thegodfatherson
    Sep 27, 2013
    10
    In the end, Gordon-Levitt offers something that is funny, witty, honest and eventually heartfelt, without having to pander to the saccharine fantasies or gross-out raunch humor that have become the two main lanes of rom-com cinema. This is a date movie whose boldness, edge and careful handling of some volatile material truly makes it balanced and engaging to both sides of the gender spectrum. By the time the credits roll, you won’t just leave the theater feeling entertained you’ll leave with something to talk about. And for a first-timer, crafting a film that gets people talking is quite an accomplishment.… Full Review »
  3. peacefire
    Sep 27, 2013
    5
    I honestly couldn't tell if I was watching a bad softcore porno or jersey shore. There were some laughs, but most of it was just watching some guys hit on girls and curse/bust each others balls, jacking off to porn, working out, and praying forgiveness for his sins. There were some laughs, and some serious notes about porn addiction, but other than that the movie was very meh. Worth seeing if you like Jersey Shore, otherwise maybe a visit to the red box (or alternative sources of movies)… Full Review »
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