User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 57
  2. Negative: 5 out of 57

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  1. BillNYC
    Aug 10, 2009
    5
    Utterly obnoxious characters plot, curse and threaten each other in this non stop demonstration of how the US used the Brits to fabricate intelligence justifying the US invasions of Iraq. The speed of the dialog delivery is either "brilliant" or covers up a very weak plot line. I wanted to escape the theater shortly after the opening tirade. The film's dialog fairly screams the thoughts of the authors: "look how very clever we really are" - for the entire duration of the film. Too much, too fast, too loud. Shame about the hundreds of thousands of dead. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. T.M.
    Mar 29, 2010
    1
    This movie may be "true to life", as the documentary-style camerawork was probably trying to say, but considering it's supposed to be a satire, it missed the fact that satire is supposed to be funny. I did not laugh once. Admittedly I only watched 25 minutes of it, but that was as much as I could stand. All the characters were (intentionally?) either hateful creeps, stupid twits, or both simultaneously. Can't believe this script was nominated for an Oscar! It sounded great "on paper", but don't waste your time. It. Was. Not. Funny. Dr. Strangelove it ain't. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. keithw
    Jul 25, 2009
    10
    Smart-Fast-Very Funny-A MUST SEE.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  4. DaveD
    Sep 20, 2009
    8
    The profanity almost made me walk out as well. And I'm glad I stayed. The plot developments in the second half made the movie worthwhile. I recommend it, especially for people interested in politics, the UN, and war mongering.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  5. PhilipB.
    Mar 8, 2010
    9
    Brilliant performances and a razor script full of memorable lines, the film would have still worked just as well with a bit less swearing but I still spent most of the duration in hysterics or at the least captivated amusement. I've not actually seen "In The Thick Of It" yet but it's been bumped up my list now.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  6. CharlieW
    Jul 27, 2009
    9
    Like 'the office' but set in transatlantic politics and everyone has tourettes. This film is so brilliantly offensive you wonder how it was made, let alone released. The dialogue is painfully good and delivered by a cast of commited maniacs that hold your attention even when the plot wobbles. If this is even close to representing our dual systems of government I'm terrified.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  7. GilroyH.
    Jul 29, 2009
    9
    Oh yes! Some prolonged laughter (mine and everyone around me) that actually stepped on what would have been yet more laughs. And what a deep bench for a cast--Mimi Kennedy's mortifying retreat from a meeting deserves mention.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  8. EdS
    Aug 18, 2009
    10
    Loved it, and laughed out loud throughout. "Brilliant," as the Brits would say, in the tradition stretching back to Hogarth and Gillray. And, like all great satire, it doesn't stray far from the truth! Only sour note was the miscasting of Gandolfini, but his bit with the talking calculator more than redeems this faux pas.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  9. HamrikL
    Aug 18, 2009
    8
    I loved this film.So funny with intelligent humour.This is a spin off from the BBC TV series The Thick of it.If you watch that first then you can decide to see the film.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  10. JohnC.
    Aug 22, 2009
    1
    If profanity is the only way to express humor then this movie has it; personally I like a movie with less profanity, more plot, and one that doesn't leave you with the desire that the movie would end soon!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  11. ArmondA.
    Aug 24, 2009
    5
    When I read that a British comedy about the political fools who got the US and the UK into a war with Iraq was showing at the local art house I ran right out to see it. Boy was I disappointed! Comedy is a very iffy thing. A film can have all the right ingredients to suit a person's taste and yet fail to deliver the laughs. That's what happened in this case. The British humor was all there, the political slant matched my own views, the pace was brisk enough to prevent boredom. And yet... and yet I just didn't laugh. Maybe my popcorn was stale. Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  12. MikeW
    Aug 9, 2009
    2
    Went with 6 people. We all hated this movie, walked out in the middle and got our money back. The reviewers presented on this website must have seen a different movie than we did.
    • 0 of 2 users said yes
  13. GeorgeO.
    Jan 21, 2010
    1
    I fully agree with Anthony Lane from The New Yorker... except it only took me 20 minutes to want to get away from this dog.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  14. ChrisS
    Feb 15, 2010
    6
    Peter Capaldi is always a pleasure to watch, but this felt a bit silly and over long. Not as good as The Thick Of It. All this speculation about the Iraq/Afghan war gets rather tiresome after a while. Sometimes I think we give the officials a little bit too much credit when it comes to global conspiracies (something TTOI usually highlights). The government has difficulty keeping minor leaks under control let alone something like this. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  15. StephenD.
    Feb 2, 2010
    10
    The very foul dialogue usually doesn't fair well with me like movies like the Coen Brothers make (which are all good anyways besides the cussing), but you cant help but to laugh all the way through. The plot was not weak, it was a huge satire that they pulled off perfectly. Only way not to love this movie is if your a fan of the Scary Movie type movies.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  16. PaulD
    Feb 22, 2010
    9
    This is some of the best satire in ages. A terrific comedy for anyone who's into politics on either end of the pond. What a great script - there are so many classic lines in here!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  17. GerardZ
    Nov 25, 2009
    4
    The foul language does nothing for the plot. It really gets tiresome. An interesting plot that needs 90 minutes at best. I kept wishing it would end.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  18. KidFrame
    Oct 13, 2009
    9
    This is the kind of dialogue I was expectiong from Tarantino´s Inglourious Basterds. If only someone could mashem up...very clever satire. Great editing and directing.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  19. DavidD
    Aug 17, 2009
    9
    Perfect for political junkies and fans of West Wing-style intrigue. 'In The Loop' offers tons of laughs but leaves you with a bitter truth: the greatest evil stems not from masterminds, but from the sum totality of a thousand slavish thoughts and craven actions.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  20. JaneN
    Aug 21, 2009
    10
    Bloody brilliant!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  21. KenG
    Aug 21, 2009
    7
    This movie never really convinced me it knew what it was talking about (which the very best satires do), and it really doesn't give you much insight on how government runs (other then the idea that critical decisions and policies are made and run by people who shouldn't be doing so), but still it's an amusing and clever story which I guess is based on the fimmakers concept of how these things work. And on that level, the movie works. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  22. NormG
    Aug 2, 2009
    9
    Obviously inspired by the fact U.K. "intelligence" helped support the Bush administration's plan for invading Iraq, In The Loop, is a fast paced super funny comedy that will be over the heads of 92% of the average young American movie going public. Lotsa curse words, looks of foul jokes but still very intelligent. It can work if you write a will rounded comedy which covers all the bases. Which is what In The Loop is. Because of the rapid fire British accents I missed some of the dialogue. I am looking forward to the DVD and subtitles. If you think The Hangover is the gold standard of comedy skip In The Loop. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  23. DarrenL
    Aug 22, 2009
    9
    Funniest movie I've seen this year. Banality of evil, indeed. I loved "The Thick Of It" (thanks, You Tube!) and it was great to see Malcolm and Jamie back to their old tricks again. Unlike "The Thick Of It", however, the other characters were a little less interesting, and some of the scenes dragged on a bit.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  24. nickj
    Sep 13, 2009
    9
    The funniest movie in a very long time. A sharp, extremely witty script that draws brilliant parallels to the Iraq war. Very well done.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  25. TomM.
    Jul 27, 2009
    9
    Extremely enjoyable. Portrays a believable universe where statecraft is more influenced by subterfuge than facts. Also hilarious.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  26. Aug 26, 2010
    10
    anyone who likes to indulge in the lighter side of politics will LOVE this movie. those giving bad reviews are simply too thick to understand!
  27. Nov 4, 2010
    1
    The problem with this movie is it has 4 writers.. and probably 3 of them are funny. The fourth is a pretentious wanker and their influence taints all of the otherwise funny cracks with a sort of pompous self importance that renders them boring. You will sit and acknowledge each joke one by one while not raising so much as a chuckle, but recognising that underneath, they had something. It's a shame. Some people say this movie's too smart for most people and you have to be intelligent to 'get it'. The irony is, if you're really intelligent, you're past getting it. You've had it. Here's an example of a joke: Him: "You look beautiful", her: "Oh thank you, I bet you say that to all the girls.", him: "I do. And some of the soldiers, too." ha ... ha? Expand
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 31 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 31
  2. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. 70
    In the Loop is clever and lively, but it isn't sharp or nasty enough to cut very deep; at best it's just a peppery trifle.
  2. Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    90
    Britain's diplomatic corps may be as clueless and impotent as In the Loop suggests, but British comedians are fully capable of taking over the world.
  3. The language is brilliant, and the laugh lines come so quickly that you'd probably have to watch the movie twice to get them all.