49
Metascore
40 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75TheWrapAlonso DuraldeTheWrapAlonso DuraldeIt’s a movie that both understands the basic desire to strike it rich and our deep understanding that one person’s wealth often comes at the expense of another person’s well-being. This isn’t a perfect movie, but it’s admirable for its ability to keep more than one thought in its head at a time.
- 70VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeDirected with an odd mix of human compassion and giddy abandon by Stephen Gaghan (“Syriana”), Gold is a lively portrayal of what’s often misidentified as the American Dream, but might be more accurately described as the American Fantasy — where men dream of wealth and success without having to put in the work.
- 70Screen DailyJohn HazeltonScreen DailyJohn HazeltonA bravura performance from Matthew McConaughey as a schlubby, roguish mineral prospector in desperate pursuit of the American Dream is the seam that gives Gold its value.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenAs robust as the lead performance is, though, the movie around it, directed by Stephen Gaghan from a screenplay by Patrick Massett and John Zinman, too often feels serviceable rather than inspired.
- 58The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerThe A.V. ClubJesse HassengerGold is fitfully entertaining, but for a movie that gives itself license to go bigger and weirder than real life, its imagination for excess runs out whenever it isn’t focused intently on its star.
- 42IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichOver time, Gold becomes nothing more than a masterclass in watching a great actor try to build a fortune out of dirt.
- 40The GuardianJordan HoffmanThe GuardianJordan HoffmanThere’s not much that glitters in Gold, a lackluster caper that proves that even the priciest ore can bore.
- 38Slant MagazineKenji FujishimaSlant MagazineKenji FujishimaThe film finds no treasure of gleaming originality in its energetically told but crushingly clichéd anti-capitalist parable.
- 33The Film StageDaniel SchindelThe Film StageDaniel SchindelGold’s twist carries no weight because it comes from the movie being told from precisely the wrong point of view.
- 33The PlaylistRodrigo PerezThe PlaylistRodrigo PerezThe McConaissance finds no purchase here. Mining for something adventurous and coming up empty handed, ultimately the dramatically-challenged Gold digs for something fiery and collects zero treasure along the way.