‘A bomb-tastic comedy of errors’ – critics can’t make up their minds on Bullet Train

• August 2, 2022

The first reviews for the Brad Pitt-starring Bullet Train have surfaced online – and critics are fairly unanimous in their appraisal of director David Leitch’s high-speed action romp. 

Based on the novel Maria Beetle (published in English as Bullet Train) by Kōtarō Isaka, the movie follows Pitt’s quick-witted assassin, Ladybug, as he fights off a group of mercenaries all vying for the same prize aboard the fictional Nippon Speed Line.

Joining Pitt on the treacherous locomotive are Michael Shannon, Sandra Bullock, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Zazie Beetz, Hiroyuki Sanada and many more A-listers – making Bullet Train one of the most anticipated new movies of 2022. It’s scheduled to hit theaters globally on August 5, and the reviews are beginning to pour in. 

Let’s kick off with Variety (opens in new tab)’s Peter Debruge, who described Bullet train as “a cartoonishly over-the-top action movie, in which half a dozen assassins shoot, stab and otherwise perforate each other’s pretty little faces in pursuit of a briefcase stuffed with cash.”

Total Film (opens in new tab)’s Paul Bradshaw echoed that sentiment, writing that the movie has “too many twists and tropes to let it sneak into first class, but the mix of cast, comedy and carnage ensure a zippy, enjoyable ride.”

Collider’s Maggie Lovett was a little more complimentary in her assessment, tweeting (opens in new tab) that Bullet Train is a “bomb-tastic comedy of errors designed to invigorate, entertain, and astound. Heart-pumping (and stopping) action is set to a kickass soundtrack that will leave you vibrating with excitement.”

IndieWire (opens in new tab)’s chief film critic, David Ehrlich, was quick to denounce the film’s overall quality, but praised Pitt’s turn as its charismatic and surprisingly funny lead: “Bullet Train is not a good movie,” he wrote, “but the fun that radiates off Brad Pitt is magnetic enough to convince you that you’re having fun, too.”

“Not a good movie” rings similar to the opinion of Empire (opens in new tab)’s Ben Travis, who said of the film: “Style over substance feels like the whole point here, but Bullet Train only ever operates on a surface level […] Worth a one-way ticket, if not a return journey.”

And finally, notable film critic Courtney Howard summed up (opens in new tab) Bullet Train with a simple but vivid comparison, describing the movie as “Pulp Fiction on a train with a few leftover bits from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.”

So there you have it, folks. Sony’s Brad Pitt star vehicle sounds like an undoubtedly enjoyable but largely unremarkable time at the movies. No John Wick – but no Morbius, either. Bullet Train speeds into theaters worldwide on August 5.

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Audio player loading… The first reviews for the Brad Pitt-starring Bullet Train have surfaced online – and critics are fairly unanimous in their appraisal of director David Leitch’s high-speed action romp.  Based on the novel Maria Beetle (published in English as Bullet Train) by Kōtarō Isaka, the movie follows Pitt’s…