The Sacrifice (1986)

"Certainly makes demands on one's patience, but Tarkovsky is always worth the work."

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

"Saving Private Ryan is an extraordinary experience at many moments, and it deserves to be seen..."

The Scarlet Letter (1995)

"For anyone who's ever wondered why Hawthorne left out the mute servants, red cockatoos, and rolls in the proverbial hay. As Hawthorne himself would say: "Ignominious!""

The Science of Sleep (2006)

"The backloading of the film's intelligence isn't sufficient reward for having made it through 100 minutes of capricious indulgence."

Scorned (1994)

"While the sequel is (unconsciously) a campy delight, the original Scorned is just Cinemax space-filler."

Sebastiane (1975)

"An out-and-proud Spartacus and a pre-AIDS Beau travail, all in one."

September (1987)

Click here to see the review.

Seven Samurai (1954)

"Impressive and ambitious, but seriously - am I the only person alive who finds it overwrought and patience-testing?"

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

"An entertaining but hollow venture, all bark but no bite."

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

"John Madden's first film after the stately but exceptionally closed-off Mrs. Brown is as lively and engaging a comedy as one could want from the inspired material."

Shattered Glass (2003)

"Insanely undercuts exactly the characters we're most curious about, [and] scrupulously avoids the questions that are most pressing within the material."

She's So Lovely (1997)

"Despite some performance moments to savor, the film can't pay tribute to Cassavetes Sr. without disclosing its own vast inferiority."

Sherman's March (1986)

"Piquant, hilarious social tapestry of the American South, warmly and creatively extrapolated from a filmmaker's romantic despair."

Shivers (1975)

"Cronenberg got more sophisticated later, but this is still a gross-out chiller to be proud of."

Short Cuts (1993)

"A banquet of delicious performances, a sharp situational comedy, and an acrid send-up of contemporary mores."

Shrek 2 (2004)

"Reader, I laughed and laughed... It took two tries to get the recipe right, but the Shrek franchise is finally about real beauty."

Silkwood (1983)

"Silkwood achieves impressive credentials as a drama of human character, not just as a screed against intolerable public practice."

Sister My Sister (1994)

"Missable but intriguing expansion of the story that inspired Genet's The Maids."

The Sixth Sense (1999)

"Elegantly shot, admirably acted, and well-scored... but when The Sixth Sense leaves the character-study path, its weaknesses and essential arrogance are most obvious."

Smart People (2008)

"Smart People aims [at] enlisting Quaid's intelligence and self-awareness without denying him the wit and the grins that keep him so likable on screen. He handles the role well, but you couldn't say he owns it or thrives with it."

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

"South Park finds jokes where you cannot possibly expect them and leavens the grossness not with a brain-dead love story but a spirited, smart enough look at its own inspired prurience."

Spartacus (1960)

"Rousing in patches, but kitschy in so many others - a mixed bag."

Spider-Man (2002)

"It's the kind of movie for which words of tepid praise are invented."

Spirited Away (2002)

"Spirited Away exalts the young girl Chihiro's uncanny experiences into an adventure that is as thrillingly ambiguous as it is vividly soundtracked and illustrated."

Stage Beauty (2004)

"At its worst, the film prioritizes its own seriousness (which it never achieves anyway) over any form of audience appeal (which is the best this material can aspire to)."