Critics Scoreboard
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Average Critic Score:
70
(26 sources)
70
(26 sources)
-
100
Washington Post
It's a celebration of young American women, finding them smarter, tougher, shrewder, more rigorous, more persistent and more honest than any movie in many a moon. Read Full Review » -
100
New Times (L.A.)
A small-scale, slight undertaking, but its pleasures are unexpectedly rich. It has become a habit in our movies to portray the exploits of high school characters as shocking and depraved. Ten Things allows its teenagers their innocence and a quality that is even rarer these days, something like nobility. Read Full Review » -
100
Los Angeles Times
Lutz's dialogue is consistently sharp and snappy, and the large cast forms a sparkling ensemble under Junger's adept direction. Read Full Review » -
90
LA Weekly
It goes straight to the top of the class. O can there be such a thing as too keen a guilty pleasure, particularly when the whole genre is knowingly pitched to audiences as a trashophile's delight? No, there cannot. Read Full Review » -
90
Film.com
Kat's English assignment, which provides the movie's title, is a sweet finish to an entertaining movie -- and makes 10 Things I Hate About You quite likable. Read Full Review » -
80
Chicago Reader
Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith's script has its witty moments, and some of the secondary characters--such as Larry Miller as the father and Daryl "Chill" Mitchell as an irritable teacher--are every bit as quirky as the leads. Read Full Review » -
80
Film Threat
Of all the teen films released this year, this one is, by far, the best. Read Full Review » -
80
Salon.com
What really elevates it, though, is the film's sharp wit and tender heart, both of which are conveyed beautifully by the fresh-faced cast. Read Full Review » -
80
-
80
Newsweek
Pure formula. But thanks to charming performances, particularly from its two stars, the winsome Stiles and a hunky Heath, it gets the recipe right, and the result is surprisingly sweet. Read Full Review » -
75
Entertainment Weekly
The film's crank-case snappishness doesn't break any molds, but it certainly gives you a lift. Read Full Review » -
75
ReelViews
What sets this apart from its many competitors for teen dollars is that not only does the movie feature a surprisingly edgy and intelligent script, but it offers a group of characters capable of holding an audience's interest for more than 90 minutes. Read Full Review » -
75
Chicago Tribune
A mostly charming comedy that could probably win over even the crustiest English literature professor. [31 Mar 1999] Read Full Review » -
70
Village Voice
Anyone who hates '80s pop will find this movie awfully tiresome, but Stiles and her underage Petruchio (Australian actor Heath Ledger, as hunky as his name) are charismatic and bold enough to carry any romantic comedy. Read Full Review » -
70
The New Yorker
First-time feature director Gil Junger gets a lot of laughs in the long setup, but the story eventually reverts to an almost typical high-school romance. Not quite "Clueless." Read Full Review » -
67
Austin Chronicle
Junger has a deft touch with light comedy such as this; he manages to keep the film's convoluted plot spinning without resorting to too much gimmickry or descending to the level of so many teen comedies. Read Full Review » -
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
With her high forehead, pale eyebrows and solemn face, Stiles could have understudied Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth -- another dignified smart girl surrounded by conniving idiots. Read Full Review » -
63
Chicago Sun-Times
And yet ... gee, the movie is charming, despite its exhausted wheeze of an ancient recycled plot idea. Read Full Review » -
60
Variety
10 Things doesn't take much time before ditching its pitch idea in favor of a mishmash of newer formulas, never quite settling on a cogent game plan or directorial tone. Read Full Review » -
60
The New York Times
If it's all very clever for a teen-age film, it also feels terribly forced. Read Full Review » -
60
Film.com
Unfailingly energetic, 10 Things is like a puppy that can't stop wagging its tail, begging for attention...Even more than "Cruel Intentions," this movie plays like an awkward high-school production of a classic. Read Full Review » -
50
Christian Science Monitor
Junger spins hilariously written scenes with split-second timing, although the story sags during its long middle portion. Read Full Review » -
50
San Francisco Examiner
The movie's afraid of [Stiles], turning Kat from riot grrrrl to Solid Gold dancer in the time it takes to drop one Notorious B.I.G. song at that house party - which is why it's the Spam of processed teen movies. Read Full Review » -
50
USA Today
While the attractive cast is willing, the translation into '90s teen culture is weak -- like a clueless adult's notion of cool. Read Full Review » -
50
TV Guide
This teen-oriented gloss on Shakespeare's tale is cute and occasionally quite funny, but it's undermined by slack direction. Read Full Review » -
25
San Francisco Chronicle
It wimped out by blanding down the story and the characters to the point where she isn't really a shrew and he isn't really a maniac. Read Full Review »
You Say
click on a star to rate
