Limelight
Metascore
57 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 11
  3. Negative: 1 out of 11
view
per page
  1. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    Oct 13, 2011
    75
    Depending on your age, Limelight could make you nostalgic for those bad old days - and sort of glad you'll never be able to relive them.
  2. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    Sep 21, 2011
    75
    As usual, Corben's style is caffeinated and a little rough around the edges, but he's a tenacious journalist, and his yen for sensationalism gives Limelight an irresistible tabloid pop.
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Jeannette Catsoulis
    Sep 22, 2011
    70
    As a trippy, trifling memorial to a time before its eponymous club was a mini-mall and rave culture a woozy memory, Limelight delivers the messed-up goods.
  4. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
    Sep 23, 2011
    60
    Transporting as it is, this doc leaves a bad taste in your mouth, if just for the ill will it drudges up.
  5. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Seth Colter Walls
    Sep 20, 2011
    60
    Given all this interesting raw material, it's mildly disappointing that the filmmakers tie it together with such cheesy connective tissue.
  6. Time Out New York
    Reviewed by: Keith Uhlich
    Sep 20, 2011
    60
    This is still a fascinating history, especially when Limelight touches on the club scene's dark side: A lengthy dissection of the Angel Melendez murder, complete with an appearance by weathered-looking killer Michael Alig, chillingly shows how the out-all-night lifestyle can take its toll.
  7. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mark Olsen
    Nov 12, 2011
    50
    If all you know about Peter Gatien going in to Limelight is that he is a nightclub owner with legal issues, that's about all you'll know coming out.
  8. Variety
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    Sep 24, 2011
    50
    Watching Limelight, about the rise and politically engineered fall of onetime Manhattan nightclub kingpin Peter Gatien, is like looking through a family album: If you're in the family, you might be interested.
  9. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Stephen Cole
    Sep 22, 2011
    50
    All outrageous stuff. Gatien's story is worth telling. Which makes it all the more unfortunate that director Billy Corben presents it in such a methodical fashion.
  10. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Eric Henderson
    Sep 18, 2011
    50
    Limelight focuses far too much on the club's downfall and not nearly enough on what attracted its denizens there in the first place, managing only to preach to the choir, forgetting to also take it to church.
  11. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    Sep 23, 2011
    38
    Even if Corben hadn't photographed Gatien with lighting that makes him look like a horror-movie villain, he'd hardly come off as innocent.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Awaiting 3 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. filmtrashreview
    7
    Limelight has a great story to tell about the New York club scene in the early 90's. However the documentary tries to cram to much unnecessary information in, leading the viewer to become confused. The amount of amazing subjects and collective characters interviewed for this film, it's no wonder that the doc spilled a little to much information. If they would slow down the pace, work on incorporating the music of the club into the soundtrack and embraced the story that ends the film this doc would have no problem becoming one of the greats!… Full Review »