Dare 2009

A.O. Scott, New York Times: Dare feels a bit unfinished, at once overreaching and underrealized. But there is a lot of intelligence, and considerable daring, in the basic conceit. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: Adam Salky's high-school soap offers a virtual Spumoni of caricatured adolescent hand-wringing. When subtlety equals a drama-class performance of A Streetcar Named Desire's rape scene, expect a bumpy ride. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The actors, all great camera subjects, help give director Adam Salky's overly pat movie a trace of confessional conviction. Read more

James Greenberg, Hollywood Reporter: What elevates Dare above the usual high school fare is the quality of the writing by David Brind, crisp direction by Adam Salky and a uniformly attractive and compelling cast led by the delightful Emmy Rossum. Read more

Gerrick Kennedy, Los Angeles Times: The film lacks the comedic charm of American Pie, but with its dark, hyper-sexualization of teens, it offers an engrossing if not soap opera-esque tale of self-discovery. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: Dare is a high school coming-of-age film that dares to push the envelope. It doesn't always succeed, but that's not for lack of trying. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: Brind's screenplay is pregnant with fascinating questions of identity and social anxiety. And Salky knows how to create a mood. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: Though minor arcs play out in each piece, Dare lacks an overarching narrative to propel the entire film, so overall pacing feels uneven and long at just 90 minutes. Read more

Andrew Schenker, Village Voice: Zach Gilford's game performance is still no match for the film's catalog of easy ironies, awkward framings, and advice on how to play Blanche DuBois cribbed from season 4, episode 2 of The Simpsons. Read more