Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
The Bridge
Metascore
58 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 18 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 18
  3. Negative: 2 out of 18
view
per page
  1. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    88
    The film avoids theorizing about why the bridge should exert such a hold over the imaginations of suicides all over the world, but Steel's dramatic cinematography, particularly the distorted telephoto shots that make the bridge loom even larger than it already does in life, provide one answer.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    80
    Both a beautiful film and a disturbing one, and the connection between those two characteristics makes it the most disquieting of documentaries.
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    75
    A serious, wrenching and oddly poetic documentary.
  4. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    75
    The real item under consideration here is the movie itself, and the bottom line is that it lands in a humane place. True, any viewer will go in with a certain curiosity, ghoulish or otherwise, about what it's like to jump off a bridge, and yet the overall effect of the film is broadening. To see it is to dread the bridge jumps and to come away with a feeling of compassion and empathy.
  5. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Ethan Alter
    75
    This is one movie that's guaranteed to linger in your mind after you leave the theater, whether you want it to or not.
  6. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Marc Mohan
    75
    While these interviews are affecting, and the movie talks about suicide in a refreshingly straightforward manner, it's the images of these actual deaths that induce horrified gasps.
  7. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    70
    I still have unanswered moral questions about the film -- unanswered because unanswerable, I suspect -- but it's a beautiful, wrenching, horrifying work of cinema, unlike anything I have ever seen or will see again.
  8. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    70
    This eerie and indelible documentary about suicide juxtaposes transcendent beauty with personal tragedy.
  9. Slate
    Reviewed by: Dana Stevens
    70
    You leave The Bridge with a new appreciation for your (relative) mental stability and a vow to make the most of your brief, ephemeral life.
  10. Variety
    Reviewed by: Dennis Harvey
    70
    Compelling result is handled with enough dignified artistry to quell most fears of exploitation.
  11. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Josh Rosenblatt
    67
    The results are striking: an emotional and aesthetic whirlpool of horror, fascination, beauty (it's hard not to feel a bit guilty – even morbid - enjoying such beauty), and resignation that would probably drown lesser movies but that gives The Bridge an eerie power.
  12. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    67
    The Bridge crosses a disquieting line.
  13. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    67
    The Bridge packs a visceral emotional wallop. How could it not? But along with plenty of difficult questions, Steel's film leaves a sour, disturbing aftertaste.
  14. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    50
    Despite the proficient technique, after a while you may feel you're watching a particularly scenic snuff film.
  15. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: James C. Taylor
    50
    The result is an attractive, well-intentioned film that is surprisingly dull and uninvolving.
  16. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Jim Ridley
    50
    Ghoulish documentary.
  17. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    38
    Eric Steel's documentary has more than a whiff of exploitation about it.
  18. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    0
    This is a new form of obscenity that might be called suicide porn. It's not just the voyeuristic surveillance that's obscene, but the use of suicide footage as counterpoint to other stories as they're told. Steel shows no special insight into the subject, though even that couldn't justify such hideousness.
prev next
Page:
  • 1

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 1 out of 9
  1. Andy
    9
    This is a powerful film. if you want to empathize with people who have severe mental illness and their families and friends then watch it. It's extremely moving. If you can't handle the concept of suicide, are judgmental about those who kill themselves, or are generally reluctant to acknowledge the dark side of the human experience then don't watch it. You won't like it and won't accept its premise.… Full Review »
  2. RonL.
    10
    We need more movies like this one, less Hollywood junk. The sound track was very interesting, clarity and color was very good for a movie shot with digital video camera. The New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle newspapers gave it a very good review.… Full Review »
  3. PaulK.
    9
    This doc is creepy, but I was completely absorbed right up until the end. Equally fascinating as it is disturbing.
See all user reviews »