The Best of Enemies
STXfilms | Release Date: April 5, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
49
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
9
Negative:
5
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The Hollywood ReporterCaryn JamesApr 4, 2019
While it lacks the ambition to turn its obvious plot into a film that feels new, it also avoids the pitfalls of moral smugness and stereotyping. It flows along easily, bolstered by Taraji P. Henson’s and Sam Rockwell’s vibrant performances. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzApr 12, 2019
Luckily, Henson finds just enough in this thin movie to chew on, and every moment that the actress is on screen feels like we’re glimpsing the promise of a better, different movie to come. Read full review
50
Original-CinJim SlotekApr 10, 2019
The “beats” in the story where hearts are supposed to swell are so telegraphed as to render The Best of Enemies emotionally flat. There are no surprises, no change-ups, no setbacks in this collision of sensibilities. Read full review
50
New York PostSara StewartApr 5, 2019
As actor pairings go, you couldn’t hope for better than Oscar winner Sam Rockwell and nominee Taraji P. Henson. So why is The Best of Enemies such a slog? Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyApr 4, 2019
Bissell’s fudging of the facts (which includes completely making up the reasons behind the charrette) doesn’t create a story that’s more insightful or dramatically cohesive than the real thing; the only thing it reveals, if indirectly, is liberalism’s longstanding discomfort with the relationship between civil rights and labor movements. Read full review
50
TheWrapCandice FrederickApr 4, 2019
The Best of Enemies tries to remind us that simple solutions might exist if we could open our minds, but it undercuts itself by shortchanging its black female lead and ending on a very maudlin note that lacks punch. Read full review
50
The New York TimesA.O. ScottApr 3, 2019
Rather than illuminating the politics of the present by examining the struggles of the past, Bissell lurches from folksy comedy to clattering melodrama, producing the opposite of enlightenment. To quote an old protest song: When will we ever learn? Read full review
42
The PlaylistCory WoodruffApr 8, 2019
The Best of Enemies has good intentions, and some potent things to say, but its novice direction and limited perspective fail it from becoming anything other than this season’s Green Book. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshApr 4, 2019
Bissell has needlessly manipulated the real story, completely missing what makes it significant. Read full review
More From This Movie

49 Critic Reviews

6.5 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 82 The Northman
2 81 Everything Everywhere All at Once
3 78 Top Gun: Maverick
4 75 The Bob's Burgers Movie
5 72 Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL