49
Metascore
43 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 67Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattEntertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattLive by Night is clearly Affleck’s love letter to classic pulp, and almost no noir touchstone goes unturned in its two-hour-plus run.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyLive By Night is solid enough entertainment, but it lacks the nasty edge or narrative muscularity to make it memorable.
- 60VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanThe film is sharply written and crafted, lavishly photographed, impeccably acted, with lots of twists and turns — yet for all that, it somehow lacks zing.
- 60Time OutTime OutThere’s a lot of cinema to admire here. And being reminded of the directorial talents of Affleck—undeniably a more accomplished filmmaker than an actor—is no minor event.
- 50New York Daily NewsStephen WhittyNew York Daily NewsStephen WhittyAlthough Affleck's been a decent director - capturing real local color in "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town," building tension nicely in "Argo" - his work here is dim and dull. Live by Night may be about rum, but the pacing is like molasses.
- Overstuffed and disappointing, Live By Night wastes a strong supporting cast. It's not a total loss, but it doesn’t hold up against the rest of Affleck’s filmography.
- 40Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonThis Prohibition-era drama deals limply with themes of loyalty, love, power and redemption, but not in any unique way, its emotional punch as vague as its cipher of a main character.
- 35TheWrapAlonso DuraldeTheWrapAlonso DuraldeThe period detail is rich and worth watching, and there’s a deep bench of strong character actors to give the movie occasional jolts of life. Overall, however, the usually charismatic Affleck never manages to bring gangster Joe Coughlin to life.
- 33The PlaylistRodrigo PerezThe PlaylistRodrigo PerezLabelling Live By Night a disaster is a little uncharitable; the baggy drama is perhaps more painfully mediocre than full-blown folly, but it’s close.