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Pressure Cooker
Metascore
72 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
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  1. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    88
    A heart-grabbing, awe-inspiring work that needs no embellishment.
  2. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Matthew Sorrento
    80
    We witness many of Stephenson's inspirational moments during class, but miles more exist behind her students' skills and execution.
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    75
    That rare commodity: a film with only good things to say about public schools.
  4. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Lewis
    75
    Succeeds by placing us in an interesting world with characters who are impossible not to root for.
  5. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    75
    The movie's sense of inspiration is realistic. It never implies a future of glamour, only hard-won success.
  6. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Michelle Orange
    70
    The intersection of food and identity is briefly explored, and the prep/exam sequences have a tension and charm that keeps the film moving toward its literally rewarding climax.
  7. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Gary Goldstein
    70
    Stephenson's a true original, worthy of her own reality TV show. As Pressure Cooker proves: Anything is possible.
  8. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    70
    Pressure Cooker belongs to the honorable if overpopulated genre of inspirational films (both documentaries and features) dedicated to the proposition that one committed, passionate teacher can make all the difference in the lives of disadvantaged students.
  9. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Jan Stuart
    70
    Pressure Cooker may not get the royal, Conde Nast-magazine hype accorded that upcoming Julia Child movie (starring, who else, Meryl Streep), but it merits a place of honor at the table.
  10. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Justin Lowe
    60
    The culinary setting gives this familiar formula an appetizing twist.
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