Sex and Death 101 2007

Joanne Kaufman, Wall Street Journal: Neither particularly dark nor even remotely funny. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: As a writer, Waters is best-known for creating Ryder's sharp black comedy, Heathers, and Bruce Willis' self-indulgent bomb, Hudson Hawk. As a director, he tends to waste actors, and he fails to establish a consistent comic tone. Read more

Amy Nicholson, I.E. Weekly: Despite two necrophilia gags, Sex and Death 101 feels like its feigning its misogyny, cynicism, and philosophical depth (though "karma sutra" is a great pun). Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: While S&D101 is not quite [Heathers], it's a return to something closer to the caustic wit of which [Daniel Waters] is capable. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: What a sorry reunion for Ryder and writer-director Daniel Waters, who scripted her far better dark comedy Heathers back in 1989. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: This film is headed quickly for DVD. In the video store, though, it isn't funny enough to be shelved in the comedy section nor dirty enough to be filed with the smut. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: The best thing that can be said about Sex and Death 101 is that it's not quite as bad as Hudson Hawk. That is not a recommendation. Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: The film has its moments of wit and lucidity, but these are few and far between. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: Even if it badly needs editing, runs almost a half-hour too long and chickens out totally in its final scenes, it's still miles above the Hollywood comedy median. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: It has some seriously subversive ambitions, wanting to take that most popular of genres, the funny romantic romp, and turn it into a black comedy, stripping away the sweetness while keeping the laughs. Nice idea, bad execution, worse result. Read more

Philip Marchand, Toronto Star: Why not simply admit this is cheeseball porn, assembled with a slightly higher brand of cheese and nuts? Read more

Stephen Garrett, Time Out: Read more

Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice: Stupid monikers are just one symptom of a stultifying, overwritten cleverness that substitutes quirk for character. Read more