Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 60 Ratings

  • Starring: Chris O'Donnell, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson
  • Summary: This film turns the microscope on Alfred Kinsey (Neeson) in a portrait of a man driven to uncover the most private secrets of a nation. (Fox Searchlight)
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 40
  2. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. One of the year's most satisfying films.
  2. 100
    The strength of Kinsey is finally in the clarity it brings to its title character. It is fascinating to meet a complete original, a person of intelligence and extremes.
  3. Reviewed by: Pete Vonder Haar
    80
    It is Condon's adroit handling of the subject matter and the caliber of performances within that carry it above the norm.
  4. Reviewed by: Ethan Alter
    60
    By focusing on one period in his life, this film chronicles the bulk of Kinsey's experiences while barely scratching the surface of his personality.

See all 40 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 39
  2. Negative: 2 out of 39
  1. TonyS.
    10
    Moving, complex, educational, and fully satisfying. Neeson and Linney head up as good a cast as you can get. Compelling both as a tribute to the modern scientific spirit and as a critique of pre-modern moralistic rigidity. Expand
  2. AbbyL
    9
    Very complex and interesting view.
  3. FrankO.
    9
    Better than I expected, like the use of color and blk/white...great sequence learning their interview process...Neeson and Linney were very good. Peter Sarsgaard is underrated actor; plot kept moving, Bill Condon did great job just as he did with Gods and Monsters - another good flick you should see. Collapse
  4. This movie seeks to explain the roots of American 20th century prudence towards sexuality, also showing how this kind of (non-)education lead to the emotional and physical suffering of many. Kinsey includes topics such as feminism, homosexuality, and problems of scientific research. Kinsey seeks to liberate sexuality, but also shows that social constraints regarding sex (ranging from adultery to zoophilia) do have the purpose of preventing that someone gets hurt. Eventually the film compares marriage to a happy tree. The tree is not free due to being rooted, but having roots is a nice thing in itself for we humans strive to overcome nihilism with love. Expand

See all 39 User Reviews

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