Lights Out: reviews

What the critics say average 6.2 from 14 outlets

• 8.8 The Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan For a movie that relies so heavily on a single, not especially groundbreaking visual effect ? now you see the bogeyman, now you don?t ? Lights Out is crazy scary. Read
• 8.3 The PlaylistJordan Ruimy The difference between 'Lights Out' and any other mainstream horror movie is that it actually uses the dark as the center of its plot, organically drawing out the majority of its jump scares in the process. Read
• 7.0 New York TimesJeannette Catsoulis Psychosis begets substance in 'Lights Out', a shameless piggyback ? at least in apparition design and deployment ? on the popularity of 2014?s terrifyingly effective Australian movie 'The Babadook'. Read
• 7.0 Los Angeles TimesJustin Chang Bello gives a tremulous wacko-mom performance from which she has eliminated every whisper of camp. She?s both sympathetic and infuriating. Read
• 6.7 Entertainment WeeklyChristian Holub This movie purposely inspires viewers to think about serious topics, and then disregards the consequences of doing so, undermining the whole enterprise. Read
• 6.3 Rolling StonePeter Travers Predictable stuff, energized by some spiffy scare effects from cinematographer Marc Spicer who works wonders with underlighting. But the on/off tricks would grow tiring without actors. Read
• 6.0 The Hollywood ReporterJustin Lowe Coming in a few notches below the terror factor of Wan?s most exemplary material, this somewhat less-satisfying variation of an ill-fated haunting nonetheless represents a solid debut for Swedish filmmaker David F. Sandberg. Read
• 6.0 The WrapRobert Abele That the film occasionally succumbs to certain rudimentary hallmarks of industrial studio horror is regrettable, but for the most part it?s agreeably suspenseful, date-night arm-squeezing genre fare. Read
• 6.0 VarietyAndrew Barker Very obviously a first feature, 'Lights Out' is full of camp (most of it clearly intentional, some perhaps not), and its underlying mythology is confused and often ridiculous. Read
• 6.0 Time OutJoshua Rothkopf The central idea here is as durable and effective as a well-told fireside ghost story, but in the cold light of day, the film fades. Read
• 5.0 The A.V. ClubA.A. Dowd The film is blatantly, unmistakably about mental illness, and that makes it hard to ignore or forgive what it ends up saying (hopefully by accident) on the subject. Read
• 5.0 IndiewireKate Erbland Sandberg unquestionably has an eye for a great horror motif ? and, given the frequent use of absolutely gut-churning ambient sounds and hair-raising scratching noises, an ear for it, too. Read
• 5.0 Roger EbertPeter Sobczynski 'Lights Out' has been made with a certain degree of style?enough to make you want to see what Sandberg might be capable of with a better screenplay. Read
• 4.0 The GuardianJordan Hoffman 'Lights Out' is yet another half-baked, PG-13 scare-em snoozer centered on an underdeveloped supernatural concept that won?t even give kids a good nightmare. Read