The Rules of Attraction 2002

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: For casual moviegoers who stumble into Rules expecting a slice of American Pie hijinks starring the kid from Dawson's Creek, they'll probably run out screaming. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: Rules is hard to watch and harder not to, and director Roger Avary gets whatever it is that makes Ellis' cruelly romanticized pop-culture portraiture as fascinating as it is repellent. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: A cautionary tale with one exclamation mark too many, The Rules of Attraction simply tries too hard. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: I hated this movie. Read more

Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune: A bravura exercise in emptiness. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Mr. Avary wants to convince us that his movie's dissipated symbols of late capitalist excess really exist. The harder the movie tries to shock, the shriller it rings. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Actually I quite enjoyed the movie--but how do I get rid of this awful discharge? Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: While he and his capable cast do their best, even decadence gets old if you have nothing else to offer. Read more

Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The bulk of Rules comes off like a cool-hand poser's at the wheel. Read more

Manohla Dargis, Los Angeles Times: Cinematic pyrotechnics aside, the only thing Avary seems to care about are mean giggles and pulchritude. It makes sense that he went back to school to check out the girls -- his film is a frat boy's idea of a good time. Read more

Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle: Like the drug-fueled story, the style is exhilarating and swift; it knocks you off balance, but you don't want it to end. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: A party-hearty teen flick that scalds like acid. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: An almost entirely worthless and pretentious adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's 1987 sophomore novel. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: After a short while, Attraction seems to just drone on like a broken record. Read more

Mark Olsen, L.A. Weekly: Writer-director Roger Avary comes into his own with The Rules of Attraction. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Interminably bleak, to say nothing of boring. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The Rules of Attraction is not mainstream fare, but it is quirky and interesting, and worth a look for those who don't mind movies where you end up despising just about everyone who has a speaking part. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: There is no entry portal in The Rules of Attraction, and I spent most of the movie feeling depressed by the shallow, selfish, greedy characters. Read more

Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle: Why this film was made now is a puzzler, but here's a theory: It lets a couple of WB stars be naughty. Read more

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: The Rules Of Attraction is not just a bad movie, it's a profoundly depressing one. Read more

Geoff Andrew, Time Out: The leads and their accomplices look dead glam, but it's never clear whether their vacuity is a deliberate strategy. Certainly Avary's style seems all for instant gratification. Read more

Scott Foundas, Variety: Avary's film never quite emerges from the shadow of Ellis' book. Read more

J. Hoberman, Village Voice: Avary's crisp adaptation imbues the copious bad sex and general befuddlement of Bret Easton Ellis's solemn, echt '80s Bennington novel with a playfully obnoxious energy that is often funny and ... almost fun. Read more