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Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: All of the kids and their stories are remarkably compelling. Read more
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: One of the many pleasures in Spellbound is watching the reactions of these young brainiacs. Read more
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: ... one of the most entertaining and involving documentaries of the last few years. Read more
Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune: These determined, sometimes-obsessed kids stick with you, presenting a portrait of America as a melting pot unified in determination and a hefty serving of alphabet soup. Read more
A.O. Scott, New York Times: The eight stories entwine to form a fascinating portrait of a group of young people and their families, in which the peculiar, anachronistic spelling-bee subculture becomes a window into contemporary American society. Read more
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Spellbound's raw material is so innately charming that there wasn't much for Blitz to do besides show up. Read more
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: An unpretentious classic of the form. Read more
Michael Booth, Denver Post: When a child stands at the microphone and frantically writes invisible letters on her hand, we can't help but love each and every one of these people. Read more
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: The documentarian keeps his story rooted in battle and suspense, and we cheer wholeheartedly for every nervous warrior. Read more
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: What makes the picture engaging is the extended preamble, where director Jeff Blitz zeroes in on eight contestants and serves up a mini-profile of each. Read more
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: This is a great sports movie that doesn't need a field, a court or a ball. Read more
Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: Blitz's affectionate visual wit and instinctive dramatic flair as he carries us through the finals make this a delightful account of American class ambition, albeit with a dark undertow. Read more
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: Entertaining documentary. Read more
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: Who would have thought that a nonfiction film about spelling bees, for God's sake, would be more mesmerizing than expensive fictional flicks with oodles and oodles of production values and special effects? Read more
James Berardinelli, ReelViews: It's a commendable attempt to bring an overlooked and fascinating subject to the screen, but the approach is surface oriented and perfunctory, and I didn't really find myself moved, edified, or enlightened by the experience. Read more
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: We cheer for all of these kids, because it is so easy to remember the pain of getting something wrong in front of the whole class. Read more
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: Jeff Blitz's delightful documentary on the National Spelling Bee and its grammar-school competitors will win your heart. Read more
Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle: Director Jeff Blitz's riveting, inspiring documentary Spellbound resembles a Christopher Guest movie in that it follows obsessed, socially awkward folks on a seminal journey in their lives. Read more
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Begins with the unlikely dramatic material of a children's spelling competition and turns it into a gripping and inspirational tale. Read more
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: You find yourself not only rooting for the kids to make it from one end of 'heuristic' to the other without incident, but for their parents to make it without keeling over. Read more
Claudia Puig, USA Today: Who would have thought that following eight kids as they prepare for and compete in a national spelling bee could be so riveting? Read more
Ed Park, Village Voice: Each participant has unique appeal. Read more