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Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 7.4/10
Reviews Counted: 180
Fresh: 142 | Rotten: 38

Odd, touching, and unique, Punch-Drunk Love is also delightfully funny, utilizing Adam Sandler's comic persona to explore the life of a lonely guy who finds love.

Average Rating: 7.4/10
Critic Reviews: 36
Fresh: 29 | Rotten: 7

Odd, touching, and unique, Punch-Drunk Love is also delightfully funny, utilizing Adam Sandler's comic persona to explore the life of a lonely guy who finds love.

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Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 125,093

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Movie Info

Adam Sandler and Emily Watson star in Punch-Drunk Love, an odd romantic comedy from gifted young director Paul Thomas Anderson. Sandler plays Barry Egan, a shy sad-sack with a great deal of repressed anger that occasionally bursts forth in sudden violent outrages, who falls in love with Lena Leonard (Emily Watson), a co-worker of one of Barry's seven sisters. After calling a phone-sex line, Barry is extorted by bad-guy Dean Trumbell (Anderson regular Philip Seymour Hoffman), who eventually sends

R, 1 hr. 35 min.

Drama, Romance, Comedy

Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson

Written By: Paul Thomas Anderson

In Theaters: Oct 11, 2002 Wide

On DVD: Jun 24, 2003

Box Office:$17.8M

Columbia Pictures

It's a romantic comedy on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

November 1, 2007 Full Review Source: Newsweek

| Comment

David Ansen

Newsweek

Top Critic

It is quite a vision.

November 2, 2002 Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

| Comment

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Top Critic

The journey toward redemption feels more like a cinematic experiment than a full-blown movie.

October 26, 2002 Comment

Robert Denerstein

Denver Rocky Mountain News

Top Critic

Despite its title, Punch-Drunk Love is never heavy-handed. The jabs it employs are short, carefully placed and dead-center.

October 25, 2002 Full Review Source: USA Today

| Comment

Mike Clark

USA Today

Top Critic

In the end, Punch-Drunk Love is one of those films that I wanted to like much more than I actually did. Sometimes, that's enough.

October 25, 2002 Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee

| Comment

Joe Baltake

Sacramento Bee

Top Critic

Easily one of the best and most exciting movies of the year.

October 25, 2002 Comment

Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Top Critic

Odd romantic journey for adults and older teens.

December 28, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

While certainly sweet, Love is more compelling as a veiled threat, with Anderson jerking the audience around, wielding abrasive characters and hostile situations in a manner I've come to adore.

December 28, 2009 Full Review Source: Modamag.com

| Comment

Brian Orndorf

Modamag.com

Shots, such as when Sandler and Watson kiss in silhouette, are truly memorable -- but Punch-Drunk Love is never more than this: a series of chocolate-box moments, PT-style.

May 28, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

...Punch-Drunk Love is (and always will be) the crowning achievement within Anderson's filmography.

January 3, 2008 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews

| Comment (1)

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

It's clear by now that whatever characterization skill Anderson showed in his lean, mean debut, 1997's Hard Eight, was a fluke.

September 22, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com

| Comments (10)

Rob Gonsalves

eFilmCritic.com

A trifle at 89 minutes with a genuine, heartfelt performance by Mr. Sandler, and not much else.

July 14, 2007 Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound

| Comment

Joe Lozito

Big Picture Big Sound

The film looks good and has its funny moments, but too often one senses Anderson straining to impress...

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Derek Adams

Time Out

Paul Thomas Anderson used Sandler for a very specific purpose -to convey a sense of tough-luck awkwardness and smile-masking-frown frustration, and it worked perfectly.

January 4, 2006 Full Review Source: Bangitout.com

| Comment

Jordan Hiller

Bangitout.com

Anderson is simply punch-drunk on the possibilities of cinema, and sophisticated film lovers will be more than willing to go wherever he goes -- yes, even to an Adam Sandler movie.

December 6, 2005 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com

| Comment

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

What really makes this movie so special, apart from the revelation that Adam Sandler can act, is the direction.

September 30, 2005 Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs

| Comment (1)

Scott Nash

Three Movie Buffs

Punch-drunk Love reminds me of why I go to movies in the first place. To be challenged, surprised, transported, inspired, and exhilarated.

January 15, 2005 Comment

Jeffrey Overstreet

Looking Closer

The elements of tragedy aren't life and death issues in this movie, and Anderson's film wisely contains itself to the microcosm of this one man's beleaguered existence.

February 1, 2004 Full Review Source: FilmStew.com

| Comment

Todd Gilchrist

FilmStew.com Source: FilmStew.com

[I]t's no secret that... certain films [are] critic's darlings... leav[ing] moviegoers vowing never to trust a critic again. This season [it's] Punch-Drunk Love.

January 1, 2004 Full Review | Comments (7)

Daniel M. Kimmel

Worcester Telegram & Gazette Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Punch-Drunk Love

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I'm late to the game in seeing this one from Paul Thomas Anderson. I love his work, and I'm always eager to seek out other films that he's done. He hasn't done too many, as of this writing, but I always look forward to more. Punch-Drunk Love is probably the most curious film he's ever made. It stars Adam Sandler, who I

December 24, 2007

Tim Salmons

Super Reviewer

Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Punch Drunk Love' is not an easy film to watch. It is probably PTA's most artistically driven film. Sandler provides a surprisingly good performance with his extreme bouts of rage and honest emotion. Hoffman adds a nice comedic touch to the film as well. Fans of PTA's other work will be

December 6, 2011

Kase Vollebregt

Super Reviewer

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