Side EffectsMovie Reviews

  • Go Based on 8,086 reviews
    Breakdown:
  • So-so
    Written February 10, 2013

    fine for matinee money, but bad for evening money

    by tommy013

    If you're going to pay a matinee price it isn't a horrible movie, it just isn't very good either. Don't pay evening movie prices to see it.

    Zeta-Jones and Tatum played their characters without any range; perhaps that is what the roles called for but it didn't make them interesting characters. Jude Law was fine and Rooney Mara was fine, none were brilliant, and the whole movie seemed a bit forced. It's hard to say too much without revealing plot details; suffice it to say that you won't hate the movie, but you won't want to buy it on DVD or Blu-Ray down the road.

    I expected better - based on the cast - and left disappointed.

    • 6 out of 8 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • Must Go!
    Written February 10, 2013

    Side Effects

    by Twin Girls

    Great script and acting...a must see! I found Side Effects to be fun, engaging, exciting and provocative. A thriller that makes you think you know what might happen, but surprises you with twist and turns.

    • 7 out of 10 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • No
    Written February 23, 2013

    Really bad movie

    by timkell

    I love Steven Soderbergh. This movie stinks.

    The one redeeming quality is that it's short, so you don't have much of a problem getting through it.

    Other than that it's terrible. It starts off seeming like a potentially interesting examination of the pitfalls of the pharmaceutical/medical industry when it comes to psychiatry. And it ends in some whacked out conspiracy seemingly developed by strangers over a several year period while a husband was in jail.

    Not believable and too shallow. Skip this one.

    • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • Go
    Written February 12, 2013

    Side effects.

    by mlalbrittain

    If I had read the reviews before we went to the show I probably wouldn't have gone. My husband and i both thought the first half was boring but OMG when I finally figuered out the plot, several times actually gasping, I thought the show was actually good.Katherine Zeta Jones played a different role than I've ever seen her play before. Jude Law was fantastic and Channing Tatum looked good and his wife had a great role.
    Depression is a horrible sickness and at first I thought I don't want to see this but I really did enjoy the final outcome and glad we went.

    • 6 out of 8 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • So-so
    Written March 4, 2013

    Movie fizzled at the end

    by

    It's actually a decent movie from the beginning. But it could have concluded better. The writer took the easy way to end this movie. It's still worth seeing though. Just lower your expectation a little bit.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • Must Go!
    Written February 17, 2013

    Fabulous!

    by ronmarlowe

    I was a bit skeptical about this movie -- BH really wanted to see this for some of the "dreamy" actors -- but it was way more than pretty faces. What I thought was going to be a "ho hum" movie caught me off-guard with the multiple plot twists and the great story line.

    This script attracted four top-notch actors for the lead roles. Rooney Mara (recently "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo") shows that her her nomination for an Academy Award for TGWTDT was no fluke. Zeta-Jones is, of course, predictably fantastic. Jude Law gives a performance that may well earn him another Academy Award nomination.

    This is one not to miss.

    • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • Oh No!
    Written February 17, 2013

    sadly disappointed

    by

    first I was disappointed that channing was only in it for 10mins the movie was slow dark depressing and quite a snoozer and rather disturbed by women scene. jude law acted very well didn't like the story all in all not worth my money to see in theatres not even worth a redbox!!!!!

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • So-so
    Written February 17, 2013

    Dark and depressing

    by Shrekagain

    Acting was great. If it weren't for the two hot famous actors, I would have been bored. Very slow but the filming and the suspenseful storyline kept me enthralled, I was not expecting any of the twists and turns. It got a little hectic towards the end otherwise if you like this sort of movie, I would recommend it. There are no laughs or smiles. It got darker and darker as it went. I left the movie not feeling good. I felt really depressed. If a movie can bring out an emotion that strong, the acting must have been pretty darn good. ( note: I don't take medication and I am not depressed normally)

    • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • So-so
    Written February 12, 2013

    I'm just not sure...

    by jlhoover123

    I'm not sure what it was about this movie... The plot line was really good. Maybe it was the acting? I saw Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and thought she was incredible. In Side Effects... not so much. Channing Tatum didn't quite seem to fit. Jude Law was fantastic. I really enjoyed him in this movie. I also really like Catherine Zeta-Jones, but there is one scene (which I will not describe in order to avoid a spoiler) that I just felt was awkward and insincere. It was not remotely believable. I liked a lot of the camera angles and lighting. It promoted the scenes well. There were a few scenes that the camera was really shaky. I liked the outcome of the movie. Maybe a different actor or two and it would have been better. I think it's worth seeing because the plot is good and it has some excellent twists right up until the end. But I wish I would have rented it after it came out on DVD rather than spent the exorbitant amount of money to see it in the theater

    • 6 out of 8 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • Must Go!
    Written April 26, 2013

    Edge-of-your-seat thriller

    by el guero

    wonderful acting, a strong screen-play, and terrific character development are the hallmarks of this terrific film. Roony Mara is spellbinding in her role as a severely depressed housewife coping with the recent return from prison of her husband after a four year absence and the attempts to re-connect and give meaning to a life interrupted.
    Jude Law is wonderful as a seriously concerned psychiatrist attempting to help the young hose wife cope with her depression and challenges. The delectable Catherine Zeta-Jones is wonderfully smarmy and sinister as a colleague of Law's in their shared profession of psychiatry and the coincidence of having had the young Mara as a patient previously.
    The tension mounts to a fascinating and truly unexpected conclusion that will keep you thinking long after you have left the movie theater. This is a terrific film; don't wait, go see it!

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • So-so
    Written February 17, 2013

    Interesting, plodding

    by

    The movie was OK. It's slow moving and a little bit predictable with the exception of a few important plot twists. Soderberg's style is on full display, both it's good and bad qualities. and like most of his movies you'll probably be bored and depressed when it's done if you're not in the mood for it.

    That said, the movie can be engrossing and it's subtleties and nuance is really add to the realism. This is a very grey world, both the cinematography and the character's personas. As the movie progresses you're left wondering who the hero is and who you should be rooting for. Many people will appreciate this ambiguity while others will be frustrated. The movie is worth seeing, but had I to do it over again I'd see Life of Pi instead and wait for this to come out on cable.

    • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • Must Go!
    Written February 17, 2013

    The commercials give nothing away !

    by DoogieHeather

    I love to be in a theater when the entire audience gasps at once. This movie was only what I expected on a very basic level. From the commercials you can tell that someone is on medication and they may or may not have murdered someone. Yep, that much was true. What actually happened in the movie was a big surprise to me. Neither the good guy nor the bad guy were who I thought they'd be, based on what I'd seen in trailers. I definitely want to see this again. There were a couple things I've been thinking about since I saw it last night and I'd just like one more look at them.

    I highly recommend this, if you're into psychological thrillers.

    • 6 out of 8 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • Go
    Written February 19, 2013

    Side Effects

    by brianmed5

    Once again Rooney Mara steals the screen in the much anticipated film Side Effects. Playing the role of Emily, Rooney Mara showcases her acting genius as a mentally unhinged patient desparate to find a pharmaceutical remedy for her sporadic episodes of depression. After a failed attempt to commit suicide, her character becomes the subject of a new experimental treatment dubbed Ablixa. With her spirits at an all time high, her character appears miraculously cured by the miracle drug until a cruel act of fate turns her world upside down. It's a film ingrained with explosive plot points and heart wrenching sequences that is sure to entertain moviegoers of all ages.

    • 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • Go
    Written February 9, 2013

    Smart, Suspenseful, Thoroughly Entertaining.

    by Alon Patterson

    This film builds slowly, at first leading the audience to question its point, in addition to its plot. Turns out, that is the point, precisely. Skillfully, methodically, the writer steadily brings focus to what becomes one of the smartest plays on screen for some time. While this movie may not appeal to those with short attention spans or ones who must have constant stimulation, the rest should be pleasantly entertained. Adults only of course. This screenplay is absolutely masterful and well worth experiencing. Both Zeta-Jones and Mara execute their roles with precision and near perfection. Jude Law provides a balanced believability to this plot as well. The one deficit, if it can be called that, is that Tatum wasn?t given enough with which to work. However, with each new film he grows as an actor. It seems at long last he learning his chops. At the current rate, his will be a commanding presence on the screen during middle age. See this film. You won?t be disappointed.

    • 6 out of 8 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No
  • Must Go!
    Written March 9, 2013

    Side Effects

    by jburroughs41

    Loved the movie. Couldn't figure out what was happening but really got the premise of it when it ended. Tooooo bad Channing had to die so early in the movie.

    • 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
    • Was this helpful to you? 
    • Yes
    • No

Tweets About Side Effects

86% positive
Join the conversation

javoroo Side effects is too good. I was hoping I'd drift off during the movie but its too good!!!

1 hours ago.

mich122 watched side effects -- always love me a good sociopath movie -- good, though i was rooting for rooney to win in the end

1 hours ago.

misha912 Side effects was a good movie. idk why I didn't see it earlier

3 hours ago.

ChillWill1804 Side Effects was a good movie

5 hours ago.

Doctor_Fil holllyyy just saw the toughest movie ever. everyone watch side effects its fire

5 hours ago.

Side Effects Featured Trailers + Video Clips

Watch All Videos

Exclusive Features

Cast Interviews Exclusive Cast Interviews Channing Tatum and Rooney Mara talk about the twists in the film, Jude Law on playing a victim and Vinessa Shaw on her character's role being flipped upside down.