Metascore
19 out of 100

Overwhelming dislike - based on 8 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 7 out of 8
  1. Reviewed by: Gary Goldstein
    70
    Manages to be appealing, poignant and inspiring in ways that are gentle and quite real. This smartly calibrated film also pulls off something rare by presenting religious commitment as something that's not only potentially healing and elevating, but also kind of cool.
  2. 38
    Overlong and entirely too ambitious in the number of "issues" it tries to cover, To Save a Life wanders all over the place before reaching its very predictable conclusions.
  3. Reviewed by: Andrew Barker
    30
    Just as representations of human sexuality on film are often unpleasantly twisted by the grotesqueries of the porn industry, so, too, are filmic representations of religious conversion homogenized by the faith-based entertainment industry. Case in point: Debutante director Brian Baugh's To Save a Life.
  4. Reviewed by: Ian Buckwalter
    25
    Miles ahead in terms of production values and a conscious avoidance of overt proselytizing. It will likely be an enormous success with the evangelical communities at which it's targeted. That doesn't save it from being an utter failure outside that narrow context.
  5. 25
    Produced with the best of intentions by a California church and directed without distinction by first-timer Brian Baugh, To Save a Life would be bland and boring even as a half-hour after-school special.
  6. To Save a Life wants to rescue kids from the Satanic messages of "Gossip Girl"--a benign, even worthy enough objective, but must alternatives to empty, materialistic adolescence require baptism in the Pacific?
  7. Reviewed by: Andy Webster
    10
    The film would be a mere nuisance if not for its shameless exploitation of school shootings to advance its agenda.
  8. A well-meaning but ineptly made message movie.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 34 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 2 out of 16
  1. TomI
    0
    An instant cult classic. Think "Left Below" with the cast of "Saved by the Bell". I caught this after it showed up on Metacritic because I knew the users section would be flooded with irate apologists. A form of backlash I saw popping up almost immediately on the NYTimes review. Here it is in a nutshell: Everything is broken down into the simplest, after-school special, watered down, Hallmark card terms. Don't be fooled, anyone giving this above a 3 or so without being ironic is suffering from the delusion that these reviews weren't entirely objective and free of bias. All that said, and I say this without any anti-Christian agenda; if you don't mind throwing the money down for Rocky Horror level unintentional laughter then you'll have a good time. Full Review »
  2. AllisonS
    10
    This movie really changed my life. After looking at the critic reviews it is clear that they completely missed the whole message of the movie. It challenged me to include everyone around me. So many times people are overlooked around us. This was a reminder to me that just a simple "hello" can mean a lot to someone and may even save a life. This is not all about Christianity like the critics make it out to be. Full Review »
  3. this movie is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sad. I mean its a good move but i almost cried 3 times during the movie. i just saw it at youth group. its sooooooooooooooooooooooo good but it will make u cry if u cry during sad movies Full Review »