Film

1. J. Hoberman
The Village Voice
Senior film critic at the Voice since 1988; author of several books, including Midnight Movies (with Jonathan Rosenbaum) and The Dream Life: Movies, Media, and the Mythology of the Sixties.

“Thrilling to read, deeply moral about the possibilities of the image. Resists the quick and facile snarkiness that is a crutch for so many critics. It’s unfortunate that his influence and readership have declined.”…“Few critics can touch his inspired, richly contextualized prose, or his knowledge.”…“The best of a dying breed—makes you feel smart even when you are the dumbest one in the room.”

2. Dennis Lim
freelancer
Ousted by new management at the Voice in October; now regularly writes features for the Arts & Leisure section of The New York Times. Edited the Voice’s forthcoming Film Guide.

“Extremely bright writer and thinker who challenges readers. A critic whose opinion matters and who is aware of the whole world of cinema.”…“I can’t always predict his take.”…“Terrific, knowledgeable and witty—which makes it all the more unfortunate that the new Voice regime fired him.”…“The best taste, champions great films.”

3. A.O. Scott
The New York Times
Joined the Times as a film critic in 2000; now shares chief film critic title with Manohla Dargis; formerly on editorial staffs of Lingua Franca and The New York Review of Books.

“Less adventurous than Dargis, but writes with an assured voice, in an easy, elegant style. It’s refreshing to read reviews of kids’ films by a man who actually takes his kids to see them.”…“Smart, smart, smart.”…“Good guy, good writer, bad at communicating with anyone but his editors.”…“A smart, insightful writer, but Dargis has more fireworks.”

4. Anthony Lane
The New Yorker
This Brit has reviewed film for The New Yorker since 1993; a collection of his writing, Nobody’s Perfect, was published in 2002.

“More of an entertainer than a critic. Very talented, but often glib and show-offy. He treats the films he’s reviewing as if they’re secondary to his writing about them.”…“The most readable and superficial critic in New York. His pithiness masks any significant, nuanced thoughts on the films he’s reviewing. An unfortunate legacy of Tina Brown.”

5. Manohla Dargis
The New York Times
Joined the Times as chief film critic (sharing the title with A.O. Scott) in 2004; was formerly film critic for the Los Angeles Times and film editor of LA Weekly.

“Has developed into an excellent critic—she has learned how to review not just the movie but the industry that made it.”…“Smart, funny, exacting and critical. An interesting addition to the small canon of vital women film critics.”…“Tends to fling the sharpest barbs at small foreign films and independents, while giving Hollywood dreck a pass. Hardly as rigorous or as thoughtful a critic as she fancies herself.”

6. Andrew Sarris
The New York Observer
Film critic for the Observer since 1989; criticat The Village Voice from 1960 to 1989; known for explaining the “auteur theory” to the English-speaking world, leading to decades-long feud with Pauline Kael.

“Sarris is a legend, and thank goodness the Observer has those long columns to fill. Can be a joy to read, refreshing in an old-school, pre-postmodern way, by which I mean he lacks snarkiness.”…“Was great, doesn’t seem so great in his contemporary work.”…“One of the city’s living treasures.”

7. Stephen Holden
The New York Times
On staff at the Times since 1988; became one of the paper’s three first-string reviewers in 2000; also covers cabaret.

“A serviceable critic, but not an inspiring one. Reviews go heavy on the synopsis, often without seeming to engage with the emotions of the film.”…“Too often he regurgitates the plot, giving away key pieces of information.”…“I love it when Holden loves a movie, and feel sympathy when he must review a mediocre one.”…“Although he champions terrific documentaries and foreign films, having a critic at the key paper in the U.S. who is not a through-and-through film person is frustrating.”

8. David Denby
The New Yorker
Joined The New Yorker as a film critic in 1998; author of Great Books (1996), about rereading the literary canon, and American Sucker (2004), about his porn addiction and bad investment choices.

“Grumpy curmudgeon, often covers smaller films after others have shown interest.”…“Loves film—and writes what I want to read.”…“He’s not ignorant, but hopelessly mainstream. Could write about more interesting work but sticks close to big releases or canonical or safe work.”…“An everyman for befuddled Manhattanites of a certain age.”

9. Gene Seymour
Newsday
At Newsday since 1990; two-time winner of the New York Association of Black Journalists Award for distinguished criticism.

“A wonderful person who loves movies. I like Gene a lot.”…“Fine, but I rarely read him.”

10. Joe Morgenstern
The Wall Street Journal
Became the film critic for the WSJ in 1995; won a Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 2005; wrote the script for The Boy in the Plastic Bubble.

“Smart, eloquent writer.”…“Does anyone really read his reviews?”

11. (tie) David Edelstein
New York
Joined New York as movie critic this year; had been film critic for Slate for nine years.

“Pedantic reviews. Sticks to obvious blockbusters and major ‘indies.’ If you were to read only his column, you’d never know that foreign-language films and independent documentaries were opening.”…“A fine critic for first-run films. I wish he was able to write more about off-the-beaten-path films.”

11. (tie) Jack Mathews
Daily News
Before joining the News in 1999, wrote about film for Newsday, the Los Angeles Times and USA Today; author of The Battle of Brazil, about director Terry Gilliam’s fight with Universal Pictures.

“Strangely obsessed with pegging Oscar odds.”…“Overall: positive. Wish the editors at his paper would get him another critic to work with.”…“Hamstrung by his editors and their assessment of how low the collective brow of their readership falls.”

13. Armond White
New York Press
Has been reviewing for the Press for ten years; author of The Resistance: 10 Years of Pop Culture That Shook the World and Rebel for the Hell of It: The Life of Tupac Shakur.

“The only critic who actually motivates me to go to the movies.”…“Unwilling to follow the party line. Glad he doesn’t tone it down. Most interesting when he really loves something. Personality counts!”…“A strange critic—likes what others dislike—but I love to read his reviews.”…“I avoid his rants […] in the way I’d avoid walking by the crazy-old-man neighbor who’s screaming at kids to stay off his lawn.”

14. Lou Lumenick
New York Post
The chief film critic at the Post; has written for the paper since 1999.

“Glass-half-empty guy when it comes to marginal films, but he is not afraid to go out on a limb.”…“Works his butt off.”…“Rarely read him.”

15. Rex Reed
The New York Observer
Before joining the Observer, wrote about film for Vogue, GQ, Women’s Wear Daily and the New York Post.

“Some people have problems dealing with him, but he is one of the last of a dying breed.”…“He often makes me laugh out loud.”…“Bitchy reviews and feeble insight.”

TONY’s own

Melissa Anderson
Film editor since 2005.

“Excellent overall; knows her audience well.” “Reviews are accessible and unpretentious, and her section’s coverage is incredibly thorough. Great attention paid to NY film series, festivals and retrospectives.”

David Fear
Staff film critic since 2004.

“Vast knowledge and curiosity about a wide range of films. Writes intelligent reviews with authority and verve.”…“A bit too generous. I’d love to see more rigor.”…“I think of him as a populist champion of the cool. We share a passion for great horror movies.”

Joshua Rothkopf
Staff film critic since 2004.

“Sassy and bright writer. One to watch.”…“Loves film! But sometimes too critical.”…“Open-minded critic with an enthusiasm for world cinema, documentaries and independents as well as Hollywood.”…“Not my taste; not up to my standard.”