Death Note

“Wingard’s Death Note moves like a bullet and doles out practical gore and overheated melodrama in equal measure.”

Zach Budgor, Paste Magazine · 72

“What’s frustrating is that with better lead performers and a tighter script, Wingard could have made a great adaptation. Instead it settles when it should have soared.”

Blair Marnell, IGN · 70

“Whereas the more grounded scenes of Death Note anchor a startlingly bloody fantasy of power run amok, the scenes that fixate on super powers and code-busting seldom manage to rise above the realm of serviceable YA fiction.”

Clayton Dillard, Slant Magazine · 63

“Perhaps stifled by the cultural and commercial clout of its source material (a multimedia juggernaut of books, movies, television shows and a stage musical), Death Note feels rushed and constricted.”

Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times · 60

“The result is perversely watchable, which puts it a cut above the average inane wannabe franchise-starter. With no likable characters or internal suspense to keep it in check, Wingard’s direction sputters out into a cloud of slickness and pastiche.”

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, The A.V. Club · 58