Word Wars (2004)
Average Rating: 7.1/10
Reviews Counted: 35
Fresh: 31 | Rotten: 4
Fascinating look inside the world of competitive Scrabble.
Average Rating: 6.9/10
Critic Reviews: 17
Fresh: 14 | Rotten: 3
Fascinating look inside the world of competitive Scrabble.
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Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 3,097
My Rating
Movie Info
The directorial debut of filmmakers Eric Chaikin and Julian Petrillo, Word Wars: Tiles and Tribulations on the Scrabble Circuit is a humorous documentary look at the culture surrounding the National Scrabble Tournament. Focusing on four players in particular, the film details the intense competitions that lead up to the finals in San Diego, where each of the competitors hopes to take home the 25,000-dollar prize. Premiering at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, Word Wars screened as part of the
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All Critics (39) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (4) | DVD (3)
Chaikin and Petrillo have crafted an empathetic and revealing portrait of four men whose obsession is both a little bit sad and more than a little bit recognizable.
Top CriticThere's a pronounced lack of emotional pay-off that likely will derail any attempts to position Word Wars as an aud-friendly crowd-pleaser with breakout potential comparable to Spellbound.
Compellingly watchable.
The film fairly skips along as it introduces us to this strange world.
A surprisingly entertaining documentary that captures the triumph, the heartbreak and the consonants of the competitive Scrabble circuit.
Sly, smart and delightful.
More notable for the fascinating quirks of its subjects than its filmmaking prowess.
Even with so much information lacking, Word Wars is still quite a treat.
Mostly lighthearted, yet somewhat unnerving.
The picture offers a funny but frequently sad portrait of four world-class gamesters in serious need of the $25,000 in prize money.
You'll be on the edge of your seat to find out who wins, and how the losers take it.
...if you're a fan of films that concentrate on lesser known ingredients of our society...
Think of it as the eccentric cousin to Spellbound...
The human element is kept endearingly rich a la detailed background info and flaring tempers that are the hallmark of the low-budget tournament circuit.
A highly entertaining look at these bizarre personalities and an insight into their obsession with Scrabble.
Lively documentary.
Audience Reviews for Word Wars
Super Reviewer
Word Wars is about a group of guys who participate in a Scrabble competition. They are obsessed with winning and the documentary follows them as they play. They are crazy guys, but it's still interesting to watch.
Super Reviewer
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