46
Metascore
26 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75San Francisco ChronicleBob GrahamSan Francisco ChronicleBob GrahamIt's got unpredictable plot twists and unexpected laughs coming out of dark corners. The sharp-edged film also looks terrific.
- 70Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanUpon this fine mess shines Janeane Garofalo like a ray of sarcastic sunlight as FBI agent Shelby...With her gift for sweet bile, the sardonic Garofalo makes every second on screen a treasure to be cherished.
- 63Chicago TribuneMark CaroChicago TribuneMark CaroThe movie seems so convinced of its own entertainment value that it has neglected to factor in the elements that make a comedic thriller more than just a facile exercise -- i.e., suspense, tension, heart. Being amused by plot turns is not the same as caring, and Clay Pigeons never inspires you to grab your armrest or catch your breath. [25 Sept 1998]
- 63The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyWhere it stumbles is in the script by Matt Healy, which is often clever, but never quite takes hold.
- 63Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertWithin Clay Pigeons is a smaller story that might have involved us more, but it's buried by overkill.
- 63San Francisco ExaminerSan Francisco ExaminerThe cast's control and Dobkin's assured pacing keep most of the funny things funny and make most of the scary things scary - while maintaining the tricky balance between humor and fear.
- 60Film.comJohn HartlFilm.comJohn HartlAn OK debut effort, but like so many "Pulp Fiction" wannabes, it lacks freshness and energy.
- 60SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirI wanted to take these two characters somewhere else and make a real movie about them...But Vaughn provides so many spooky, hilarious, unhinged moments, you won't mind sitting through it.
- Perhaps this will seem fresh and interesting years down the road, when the self-aware-thriller genre has long played out, but for now, it's a tired horse that should have been put down in the pitch meeting.
- 25Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumIt's young-Hollywood-driven business as usual in this derivative, nasty, and ultimately empty drama.