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The Cooler
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Metascore
69 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 36 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    Look for realism, and you'll find The Cooler disappointing. Look for a far-fetched yarn that's as unpredictable as a throw of the dice, though, and you'll find it engaging fun.
  2. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Duane Byrge
    90
    A refreshing throwback to another era of moviemaking: This movie was poured from the bottle, not one of those bar regulator machines. It's got the kick, style and flavor of a straight-up story, before movies were watered down with the opinions of marketers, lawyers and committee heads.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    60
    Strong performances -- Baldwin's smoothly vicious Shelley is a revelation -- and Kramer's eye for the striking detail give the familiar material its own distinctive flavor.

See all 36 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 25
  3. Negative: 4 out of 25
  1. MatthewB.
    4
    Awful film. While Leaving los vegas was revolutionary, this pursues the same situation, if not the same story, with little realism or panache. Alec Baldwin's actin is good, and won a few awards, but William Macy seems off-key in his attempt to portray lovable loser Bernie. The romance seems improbable to say the least, and the dialogue is both boring and entirely predictable- add to that the offense of a main character with seemingly supernatural unluckiness, and you have a near-disaster. If it weren't for the sex scenes- which were brave, if overly improbable again - I wouldn't've felt the slightest amount of thrill at this unhappy loser of a dvd. Good luck would be to avoid it.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. Riren
    4
    The leftovers of Casino, served up with a side of morose independent movie spirit. Its so-called love story is half-hearted, an excuse for some uninteresting and brazen sex scenes. William Macy is an amazing actor who I'd watch doing anything, but doing a blonde and frowning at a poker table are a waste of his talents. The movie seals its fate by throwing a dozen false endings at you, none more creative or plausible than the last. I guess they thought they were being clever. They were wrong.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. PValentine
    2
    The whimsy is undercut by the violence and the sex and while it got the whole aura of a dusty casino and dusty people down what was interesting about it? The "love" story was NOT believable to me at the "I'm willing to lose my life for him" level.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 25 User Reviews

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