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The Skulls (2000)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 3.1/10
Reviews Counted: 85
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 77

The Skulls is full of nonsense and empty of good script and plot.

Average Rating: 3.1/10
Critic Reviews: 29
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 26

The Skulls is full of nonsense and empty of good script and plot.

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Average Rating: 2.8/5
User Ratings: 55,648

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Movie Info

In this suspense drama, a college student finds himself immersed in forces beyond his control. Born and raised in a working-class Connecticut community, Luke McNamara (Joshua Jackson) made it into an Ivy League college, where he's done quite well; his dream is to be accepted into Harvard Law School, but he knows that it will take more than a good report card to beat out the competition. When an upper-crust secret society called the Skulls asks Luke to join, he eagerly accepts, thinking that the

PG-13, 1 hr. 46 min.

Mystery & Suspense, Horror

Directed By: Rob Cohen

Written By: John Pogue

In Theaters: Apr 1, 2000 Wide

On DVD: Oct 24, 2000

Universal Studios Home Video

The Skulls Trailer & Photos

Cast

Joshua Jackson
Luke McNamara
Paul Walker
Caleb Mandrake
Hill Harper
Will Beckford
Leslie Bibb
Chloe
Christopher McDonald
Martin Lombard
Steve Harris
Detective Sparrow
William L. Petersen
Ames Levitt
Craig T. Nelson
Litten Mandrake
David Christo
Shawn Packford

Critic Reviews for The Skulls

All Critics (86) | Top Critics (29) | Fresh (9) | Rotten (77) | DVD (11)

Initially tolerable but increasingly stupid.

March 5, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

In an otherwise boneheaded hour and a half of intrigue and silliness, The Skulls does offer one of the more memorable lines of dialogue in recent movies.

March 22, 2002 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail

| Comment

Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

Top Critic

It's so ludicrous in so many different ways it achieves a kind of forlorn grandeur.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times

| Comment

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

The Skulls plummets into the realm of ludicrous failure.

January 1, 2000 Comment

Jay Carr

Boston Globe

Top Critic

It's hard to get outraged about a movie this bad.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Detroit News

| Comment

Tom Long

Detroit News

Top Critic

The Skulls is shot and edited with enough verve to make you forget what a load of junk it is.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution

| Comment

Steve Murray

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Top Critic

The usually dependable Rob Cohen directs from a ludicrous script.

August 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review

| Comment

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

It's amazing that so many viewers were still seated by the time the end credits began to roll.

March 10, 2007 Full Review Source: Cinemaphile.org

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David Keyes

Cinemaphile.org

The movie's unintentionally played like a comedy all the way.

February 9, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

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Trevor Johnston

Time Out

...above-average teen thriller.

August 1, 2003 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews

| Comment

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

It is so unbelievably ludicrous that I couldn't help but think that it was intentional despite Rob Cohen's constant attempts to convince me otherwise.

May 22, 2003 Full Review Source: Film Blather

| Comment

Eugene Novikov

Film Blather

[Cohen] has a knack for making the most ridiculous material suspenseful.

May 20, 2003 Comment

Susan Tavernetti

Palo Alto Weekly

A dark, stupid tale.

February 8, 2003 Full Review Source: Film Quips Online

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John R. McEwen

Film Quips Online

The filmmakers would rather exploit and inflame a class war than deconstruct it.

December 8, 2002 Full Review Source: Film Threat

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Ron Wells

Film Threat

Through pure mismanagement, The Skulls bungles a rich seam of material.

December 2, 2002 Full Review Source: Sight and Sound

| Comment

Xan Brooks

Sight and Sound

With large amounts of alcohol and the right friends, it might be a Mystery Science Theater 3000-level hoot. Otherwise, The Skulls is a crime against humanity.

August 26, 2002 Full Review Source: Entertainment Today

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Brent Simon

Entertainment Today

Empty-headed piffle.

March 24, 2002 Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix

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Peter Keough

Boston Phoenix

I guess it wouldn't have been enough to just make an intelligent and gripping drama about Ivy League secret societies. No, we had to have a murder, coverup, good guys, bad guys, and so on.

December 10, 2001 Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall

| Comment

Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

This is a straight to video job.

October 30, 2001 Full Review Source: Dark Horizons

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Garth Franklin

Dark Horizons

Would be scary if it weren't so stupid.

October 10, 2001 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com

| Comment

Scott Weinberg

eFilmCritic.com

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Skulls

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This movie had lots of potential, but never filled it. The premise and the actual story is really interesting, but the cheesy acting kills the film.

November 11, 2011

Eric Alvarez

Super Reviewer

Finally got round to viewing this. A good young cast, including a very young Paul Walker. It's a decent conspiracy thriller about a secret society that picks the best students from the top universities. After a friends apparent suicide on campus though, is there more to this elite group. It's entertaining, and has a

December 31, 2006