Critic Reviews

Rent (2005) Rank 2 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give Rent (2005) a score of 2.5734 out of 4
based on (257) reviews
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Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for IGN Movies (Brian Zoromski)IGN Movies (Brian Zoromski)
If you are a fan of the show, you will very likely enjoy the film. ...read the complete Rent movie review at IGN Movies (Brian Zoromski)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
Columbus' vibrant musical version of Larson's play is a triumph, considering the tough subject (AIDS, poverty, homelessness), outsider charcaters (gays, lesbians, transvestites), rock score, and sung dialogue. ...read the complete Rent movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Variety (David Rooney)Variety (David Rooney)
Director Chris Columbus has pasted the grungy "La Boheme" update onto film with slavish respect for the original material but a shortage of stylistic imagination and raw emotions. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Variety (David Rooney)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Moviehole (Clint Morris)Moviehole (Clint Morris)
Even more universally entertaining than "Chicago"....the performances are sensational..you'll be definitely humming some of its tunes in the car ride home ...read the complete Rent movie review at Moviehole (Clint Morris)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Boxoffice Magazine (Annlee Ellingson)Boxoffice Magazine (Annlee Ellingson)
Onscreen, the musical numbers at times feel episodic and the narrative loses momentum. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Boxoffice Magazine (Annlee Ellingson)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for CinemaBlend.com (Lexi Feinberg)CinemaBlend.com (Lexi Feinberg)
Seeing this musical journey reduced to a screen with speakers is like staring at the Mona Lisa through a layer of glass. It just doesn't have the same impact. ...read the complete Rent movie review at CinemaBlend.com (Lexi Feinberg)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for New York Times (A.O. Scott)New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Chris Columbus's film affirms that Rent belongs in the pantheon of immortal musicals celebrating the self-dramatizing and resilient spirit of youth. ...read the complete Rent movie review at New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Mark Collette)Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Mark Collette)
In a stagy way, Chris Columbus' adaptation captures this Generation-X attitude toward relationships with pinpoint accuracy -- even if it captures little raw emotion. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas) (Mark Collette)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
Rent falls betwixt and between the odd intimacy of theater and the glorious bigness of film -- and vice versa. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
If Columbus had a concept for the movie, it's not evident, and many of his decisions feel random. ...read the complete Rent movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for jackiekcooper.com (Jackie K. Cooper)jackiekcooper.com (Jackie K. Cooper)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Atlantic City Weekly (Lori Hoffman)Atlantic City Weekly (Lori Hoffman)
Rent features an attractive cast, sharp lyrics, bright music and a storyline that has passed muster for over 100 years ...read the complete Rent movie review at Atlantic City Weekly (Lori Hoffman)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
The film should please fans who helped make the play a hit and its soundtrack a bestseller -- but it is unlikely to spread the love to many new converts. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)
Without the immediacy you get from live theater, you're always going to feel at arm's length listening to people sing simple bits of dialogue like 'I'm so mad I don't know what to do,' or, um, 'Hello.' ...read the complete Rent movie review at South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Zap2it.com (Dan Fienberg)Zap2it.com (Dan Fienberg)
"Rent" needed to be directed by a Martin Scorsese or a Spike Lee, a director with both a gift for gritty material and a confidence and familiarity with shooting New York City. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Zap2it.com (Dan Fienberg)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Boulder Weekly (Thomas Delapa)Boulder Weekly (Thomas Delapa)
The outre flip side of Friends ... Larson's Big Apple is smaller and seedier than most, and ripe for parody. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Boulder Weekly (Thomas Delapa)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)
In a lot of ways the film treatment many fans have envisioned for years, and that's the problem; it doesn't quite communicate how special and affecting the material is to those unfamiliar with it. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Mr. Brown's Movies (Michael Dequina)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
Rent has two meanings. One is to lease; the other is to rip to shreds. In this case of this film, I choose the latter. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Reno Gazette-Journal (Forrest Hartman)Reno Gazette-Journal (Forrest Hartman)
Beautiful cinematography and great acting assure an enjoyable experience for fans of the musical, but there are better options for people who don't already love it. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Reno Gazette-Journal (Forrest Hartman)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
The music and direction feel generic but the cast deserves credit for squeezing every possible drop of emotion out of the material. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Why is it that struggling artists who sing, paint or write about their struggles usually seem to produce the worst art? ...read the complete Rent movie review at Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) (Josh Larsen)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
There's a moment in which Roger (Adam Pascal), the burnout rocker, singingly accuses Mimi of looking 16. She could have easily retorted, "You look 40." ...read the complete Rent movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Newsday (Jan Stuart)Newsday (Jan Stuart)
No amount of confident theatrical pedigree will carry a movie musical in the wrong directorial hands. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Newsday (Jan Stuart)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)
If you have any appreciation for the art of the movie musical, Rent is pretty much a washout. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
"Rent" is a wet blanket musical compared to the likes of "West Side Story" or "Cabaret." ...read the complete Rent movie review at ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)Bangor Daily News (Maine) (Christopher Smith)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for New York Post (Kyle Smith)New York Post (Kyle Smith)
Rent showcases the hipster trend of getting nostalgic about grime and crime: it's slumtimental. ...read the complete Rent movie review at New York Post (Kyle Smith)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
In terms of its music and lyrics Rent flickers more than it flames. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Internet Reviews (Steve Rhodes)Internet Reviews (Steve Rhodes)
[How is it?] Loud and shrill. Bring earplugs. Seriously. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Internet Reviews (Steve Rhodes)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
The scourge of rock-opera, a musical mutation that manages to combine the least savory elements of both with the advantages of neither. ...read the complete Rent movie review at San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Contra Costa Times (Randy Myers)Contra Costa Times (Randy Myers)
[Columbus] launders the grit right out of Rent, choosing to give the movie the glossy and faux shadowy look of a Bud Light commercial. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Contra Costa Times (Randy Myers)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
This is a well-constructed and achingly earnest movie that should be put in a time machine and sent back a decade, when it was relevant. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Most of the musical numbers aren't stylized (a natty tango number is an exception) but based in a Hollywood-gritty reality that at times feels silly. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Too often seems like a late-season American Idol episode that's all Abdul encouragement without any Simon snarkiness. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Toronto Star (Susan Walker)Toronto Star (Susan Walker)
Director Chris Columbus has done what any smart filmmaker would do with a musical and let the songs dictate his movie. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Toronto Star (Susan Walker)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for ReelViews (James Berardinelli)ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Memo to director Chris Columbus: In most cases, it's a bad idea for a movie to be a direct representation of a play. "Opening up" the setting is sometimes not all that's necessary to make a stage production into something cinematic. In a theater, an intim ...read the complete Rent movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for USA Today (Mike Clark)USA Today (Mike Clark)
With heavy HIV subtext and a couple of actors who have scored in other films, this La Bohème spinoff about fatal illness, drug addiction and eviction ought to be less of a slog than it is. ...read the complete Rent movie review at USA Today (Mike Clark)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Washington Post (Nelson Pressley)Washington Post (Nelson Pressley)
Onstage, Rent is a series of power surges, but in the movie the songs leave you flat. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Washington Post (Nelson Pressley)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for The Onion (A.V. Club) (Nathan Rabin)The Onion (A.V. Club) (Nathan Rabin)
Yes, Rent is the movie about AIDS, heroin addiction, homosexuality, strippers, marijuana, cross-dressing, and bisexuality audiences can take their grandparents to go see safe in the knowledge that any lingering trace of danger or authenticity has been ...read the complete Rent movie review at The Onion (A.V. Club) (Nathan Rabin)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Village Voice (Jorge Morales)Village Voice (Jorge Morales)
Instead of bringing a universal love story to the living present, the film traps it in a frozen past like a prehistoric bug in amber, as removed from moviegoers' experience as a dusty diorama at the American Museum of Natural History. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Village Voice (Jorge Morales)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for New York Post (Kyle Smith)New York Post (Kyle Smith)
The screen version's Drama Club dorkiness is going to ruin the Rent brand of alleged downtown cool for everyone. If anything can re-shevel the disheveled multitudes of Alphabet City and chase the hipsters into pleated khakis and sweater sets, it's this ...read the complete Rent movie review at New York Post (Kyle Smith)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for LA Weekly (Scott Foundas)LA Weekly (Scott Foundas)
If the great movie musicals are the ones that transport us to some heady superreality, the only place Rent takes us to is the Nederlander Theatre. ...read the complete Rent movie review at LA Weekly (Scott Foundas)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for TV Guide's Movie Guide (Angel Cohn)TV Guide's Movie Guide (Angel Cohn)
Ultimately, the emphasis on flash disengages viewers from the story's emotional core, which is the exact opposite of what Larson intended. ...read the complete Rent movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Angel Cohn)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Christianity Today (Lisa Ann Cockrel)Christianity Today (Lisa Ann Cockrel)
For all the big themes Rent deals with -- love, death, injustice, community -- it still seems a bit superficial ...read the complete Rent movie review at Christianity Today (Lisa Ann Cockrel)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
[Afield] from its off-Broadway origins, but the intimacy afforded by the camera and...most of the original cast occasionally restore the emotional vitality of the piece. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)
Although it is indeed an entertaining and noble attempt to bring the hugely popular Broadway musica Rent to the big screen, something is unfortunately lost in the translation. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Hollywood.com (Kit Bowen)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
'Rent' has come to the screen too late to have any real impact... ...read the complete Rent movie review at Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Movie Habit (Matt Anderson)Movie Habit (Matt Anderson)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for ReelViews (James Berardinelli)ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Mediocre and recommended only to those who can claim a familiarity with the play. ...read the complete Rent movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)
Despite the grating, workmanlike direction of Chris Columbus (he's no Robert Wise, and Rent is nobody's idea of "West Side Story"), this boisterous adaptation is both a vivacious, wiseacre musical and an inarguable morality lesson: Love is all you need. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
I wasn't sure a movie musical could be worse than last year's styrofoam-and-gilt swan-boat travesty "Phantom of the Opera," but I'm afraid Rent proves me wrong. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Salon.com (Stephanie Zacharek)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 1.75 out of 4 stars for BBC FilmsBBC Films
Puccini's opera La Bohème inspired the Broadway musical Rent and on the big screen, director Chris Columbus stays true to the precedent of grit over glamour. Unfortunately, he fails to achieve any real sense of pathos with his soft-rock treatment of ...read the complete Rent movie review at BBC Films
Rent (2005) scores a combined 1.68 out of 4 stars for Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)
In the movie, the unconverted will hold their ears as the banal tunes blare out in multichannel sound. And they'll wince as the camera closes in on every heart-tugging moment. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Baltimore Sun (Michael Sragow)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Fans of the original stage production won't be disappointed, but as a film it's frequently tedious and way too long. ...read the complete Rent movie review at ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for 7M Pictures (Kevin Carr)7M Pictures (Kevin Carr)
It seemed to be what a modern Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney musical would turn into if the characters were hooked on heroin and AZT. ...read the complete Rent movie review at 7M Pictures (Kevin Carr)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for efilmcritic.com (Dan Lybarger)efilmcritic.com (Dan Lybarger)
Yes, they may warble about poverty, AIDS and rebellion, but it's hard to care. ...read the complete Rent movie review at efilmcritic.com (Dan Lybarger)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for Empire (Angie Errigo)Empire (Angie Errigo)
Given that Chicago is the only movie musical in years to have made a significant profit, it's unlikely many will give this ragged rock revue a second glance, despite pleasing moments and fiercely committed performances. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Empire (Angie Errigo)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
They're saying Rent was of its moment. They're saying that moment has passed. So the point of making the movie is . . . ? ...read the complete Rent movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
There were times where I was convinced that '525,600 minutes' wasn't a lyric, but the actual running time of the film. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) (Ken Hanke)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for Des Moines Register (Jeffrey Bruner)Des Moines Register (Jeffrey Bruner)
Get a job for God's sake, people, and bring back some better songs while you're out. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Des Moines Register (Jeffrey Bruner)
Rent (2005) scores a combined 1.50 out of 4 stars for Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)
The play may have felt fresh nearly ten years ago, but the film version is about as edgy as Pat Boone covering Nirvana. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema (Mark Pfeiffer)
 
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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
2.6468
Rent (2005) is ranked overall as  out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
2.5734
Rent (2005) is ranked overall as  out of 4 stars
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