Parkland
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Metascore
51

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critics What's this?

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5.3

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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 32
  3. Negative: 4 out of 32
  1. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Stephen Farber
    Sep 16, 2013
    80
    Engrossing, quietly revelatory, and often profoundly moving as it retells a story we only thought we knew.
  2. Movie Nation
    Reviewed by: Roger Moore
    Sep 30, 2013
    75
    Parkland is a fascinating insider’s view of those fateful two days in November of 1963, when a president was murdered, his assassin was gunned down in custody and generations of conspiracies were born.
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    Oct 3, 2013
    63
    All of this is secondary, even tertiary material, even if much of it is interesting and even wrenching to behold.
  4. The Dissolve
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    Oct 2, 2013
    60
    Parkland finds a new angle on an exhaustively chronicled and debated subject by focussing on the grim practicalities of the situation.
  5. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Godfrey Cheshire
    Oct 4, 2013
    50
    Parkland expends lots of energy and expertise on re-creating these infamous events, yet it is so lacking in narrative purpose that many viewers are likely to leave muttering, "Okay…but so what?"
  6. NPR
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    Oct 4, 2013
    45
    Awkward, incoherent and plodding.
  7. The Playlist
    Reviewed by: Oliver Lyttelton
    Sep 16, 2013
    16
    There's a pleasing egalitarianism to the film's history-through-the-eyes-of-the-ordinary-man concept, but the script rarely makes the case that their versions are compelling enough to warrant a film.

See all 32 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. TVJerry
    Oct 9, 2013
    8
    This drama follows several perspectives around events in Dallas after JFK was assassinated. Among them: the hospital where Kennedy and Oswald were rushed, Zapruder and his famous film, the travails of Oswald's family, the FBI and Secret Service in the aftermath. It blends a hand-held documentary style and hectic pacing to tell a compelling story. The large cast is peppered with notable actors, including Paul Giamatti, Zac Efron, Billy Bob Thornton and Marcia Gay Harden, and they help focus the impact. This is not a straightforward narrative, but a montage of events. Still, it proves a fascinating (and for me, informative) look behind the scenes of one of the most memorable days in 20th century America.… Expand
  2. man
    Oct 13, 2013
    7
    It's certainly no "JFK", but "Parkland" manages to be not just intelligent, but also very informative and confident with its subject matter. Rather than being filmed in the style of a documentary for a portion of the film (which worked very well with "JFK"), this film instead gives insightful reenactments of the aftermath of Kennedy's assassination with the help of a strong, solid cast that gives solid performances. Zac Efron, Billy Bob Thornton, and Paul Giamatti to name a few all give great performances and really add to the film's depth. The events that take place are portrayed in such a great and detailed fashion, that they feel and look convincingly accurate. Despite the short hour-and-a-half run time of the film (I would have preferred for it to be at least a little bit longer), the film's strongest aspects of a great all-star cast and accurate plot depiction are what really makes this film stand out. A very well-done docudrama!… Expand
  3. Thegodfatherson
    Oct 15, 2013
    1
    Parkland ISNT JFK. So, don't go in the theatre expecting an Oliver Stone expreriance. First of all, Billy Bob Thornton is the main thing that makes this movie, his excellent and speechless performance is compelling to the film and helps its cheesy cast. Zac Efron sucks, we know that right guys? In this movie he does bad and bad. That's all I have to say about this douche. Parkland is about the assasination of John. F. Kennedy, and how a guy named Zapruder filmed the brutal shooting. Oliver Stone's JFK was great but this movie based on the same substance and fails to succeed. More like a documentary, Parkland emerges into the killing into a horrible way and pukes at its story and direction. Zac Efron sucked but Paul Gimmati was good and Thornton was da bomb. This movie could have been handled but failed. The ending is sober and bitter and doesn't help either. Parkland is the worst president films ever made and fails at the box office. It's very rushed with a lot of stories. Not refreshing.… Expand

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