75
Metascore
41 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 95IGNWilliam BibbianiIGNWilliam BibbianiStan & Ollie muddles up the history a bit, as all biopics do, but it’s a film without any meaningful flaws. Every character is wonderfully realized, every performance is spectacular. You’ll laugh all the way through, you’ll cry by the end, and you’ll see the brilliance of Laurel & Hardy come back to life via the very same cinematic magic that made them legends in the first place.
- 87TheWrapAlonso DuraldeTheWrapAlonso DuraldeIt gives Steve Coogan one of his finest screen roles to date and for Reilly, it’s another triumph right on the heels of “The Sisters Brothers.” Whether you adore Laurel and Hardy or have never seen them in action, this film celebrates both the artist and the tenacity it takes to remain one.
- 80The TelegraphRobbie CollinThe TelegraphRobbie CollinIt is eccentric, sad and stirring to the core. Oh yes – and incredibly funny, too.
- 80Screen DailyDemetrios MatheouScreen DailyDemetrios MatheouFeaturing uncanny and hugely personable performances by Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel, and John C. Reilly as Oliver Hardy, and a smart script by Jeff Pope (Coogan’s co-writer on Philomena) that delivers laughs from both familiar and unexpected quarters, this is a fond, frequently very funny homage to an act that has lost none of its genius.
- 80VarietyGuy LodgeVarietyGuy LodgeThe film’s confidence falters only when it transposes the hapless slapstick of the duo’s screen act to their everyday reality. If a couple of labored gags around hauling luggage don’t fully land, that rather proves how much more art went into Laurel and Hardy’s craft than they ever chose to let on.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyThe Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyEverything the film has to offer is obvious and on the surface, its pleasures simple and sincere under the attentive guidance of director Jon S. Baird.
- 63Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenAt its best, Stan & Ollie shows how the private and personal dimensions of art are achingly inseparable.
- 60The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawThese are brilliant impersonations, the kind that can only be achieved by exceptionally intelligent actors; the superb technique of both is matched by their obvious love for the originals.
- 58The PlaylistOliver LytteltonThe PlaylistOliver LytteltonIt’s not a terrible time at the movies, but after Coogan & Pope’s previous collaboration on “Philomena” proved to be such a genuinely satisfying example of this kind of drama, it’s hard not to feel like there’s something of a missed opportunity here, a film truly deserving of the excellent performances at its centre.