80
Metascore
34 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100PremiereBrooke HauserPremiereBrooke HauserWhile it may be excruciating to watch a speller miss a word by a letter, it's just as exciting to watch another kid jump the hurdle.
- 90The New York TimesDana StevensThe New York TimesDana StevensEnough drama, humor and unfiltered nail-biting suspense to put all the thrill-mongering screenwriters in Hollywood to shame.
- 90Washington PostAnn HornadayWashington PostAnn HornadayJust might be the most action-packed suspense thriller of the summer.
- 90SlateDavid EdelsteinSlateDavid EdelsteinThe movie becomes a nail-biter, the audience hanging on every letter. Who could have anticipated that a spelling competition would yield such a heartbreaking thriller?
- 89Austin ChronicleSarah HepolaAustin ChronicleSarah HepolaAs good, old-fashioned dorkfests go, it doesn't get much better than the National Spelling Bee, with its arcane words, bespectacled competitors, and stinging little bell.
- 88Chicago TribuneMark CaroChicago TribuneMark CaroBoasts all of the drama and suspense of any reality TV show, but it actually stars smart people. And they're kids.
- 80Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternWall Street JournalJoe MorgensternMore to the point of this marvelous film, who knew there were kids as heroic, in their various ways, as these valiant super-spellers?
- 70New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerNew York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerEntertaining documentary.
- 70TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghAn enthralling, suspenseful documentary about spelling bees.
- 50New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickMany of the kids seem to be social outcasts of one kind or another, but Spellbound, which will show on cable later this year, doesn't dig deep enough to disturb the movie's relentless feel-good tone.