56
Metascore
28 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The GuardianJordan HoffmanThe GuardianJordan HoffmanWhat’s terrific about The Duff is that Casey and Jessica may not have intentionally befriended the less attractive Bianca as a way to make themselves look better, but they don’t exactly deny that she serves that purpose.
- As misspent of an opportunity as The DUFF may be, it’s hard to completely dismiss a film that gives someone as talented as Whitman her long-overdue spotlight.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreA snappy, sweet-spirited teen comedy about a smart girl who tries to fight high school labeling with wit and words. And the occasional punch.
- 63New York PostKyle SmithNew York PostKyle SmithSlightly radical in portraying high schoolers as human beings of normal niceness and intelligence. That means this winsome comedy is a little low in the stakes department, not to mention predictable, but it gets an “A” for charm.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenMore a middle-of-the-road rom-com than a teen-spirit sendup, the pic weaves its lighthearted mix of silly and serious with increasingly heavy-handed spiels on self-esteem.
- 60New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanFortunately, the cast — featuring Allison Janney as Bianca’s scattered mom and Ken Jeong as her sympathetic mentor — is savvy and silly. Really, though, most of the credit goes to Whitman, who stands in, and stands up, for the DUFF in all of us.
- 60The DissolveGenevieve KoskiThe DissolveGenevieve KoskiFor all its potential pitfalls, The DUFF manages to keep its head above water, thanks to Whitman, Amell, and a willingness to engage with teen-movie clichés in a relatively thoughtful way.
- 50Village VoiceAmy NicholsonVillage VoiceAmy NicholsonThere's freedom in facing the truth. There would be even more freedom in a heroine finishing the film in her favorite ugly overalls, but we haven't gotten there yet.
- 33The PlaylistKevin JagernauthThe PlaylistKevin JagernauthDirector Ari Sandel, working with a script by Josh A. Cagan, doesn't have the deftness to really convey how Bianca's personality turns conventional wisdom into her own unique, attractive qualities.
- 20Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesAustin ChronicleKimberley JonesAn adaptation of Kody Keplinger’s YA novel, The DUFF is exponentially dumb.