Papillon Reviews

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John Hofsess
Maclean's Magazine
January 30, 2020
Charrière's book has been treated well...
Full Review
John Simon
Esquire Magazine
January 27, 2020
The film offers such a spectrum of good and evil solutions to the general misery that it often transcends the genre of prison melodrama and becomes an existential statement.
Full Review
Top Critic
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
September 14, 2018
The narrative is epic and life-spanning...The locations are stunning...and the surreal touches...add to the sense of a highly original art-movie spectacular.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
Barbara Shulgasser
Common Sense Media
August 28, 2018
Classic prison-escape movie has intense peril, violence.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
Top Critic
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
September 23, 2015
McQueen works hard and al most manages to triumph over his star presence, while Hoffman submerges himself eccentrically and amusingly in his coward's role.
Full Review
David Parkinson
Radio Times
September 23, 2015
But Dustin Hoffman produces a splendid depiction of cunning corruption that acts as a perfect balance to McQueen's superstar charisma.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

TV Guide
September 23, 2015
Schaffner, who expertly captured the gritty story of Patton, does not flinch from showing every conceivable horror of the French penal system.
Full Review | Original Score: 4/5
Christopher Hudson
The Spectator
September 23, 2015
Papillon was not a complicated man but his experiences changed him almost beyond recognition, and McQueen does a good job of portraying the survivor, broken in body, but not in spirit.
Full Review
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
September 6, 2015
This consummate prison-break epic features Steve McQueen's greatest transformation of character creation over the course of his estimable film career.
Full Review | Original Score: A+
John J. Puccio
Movie Metropolis
May 14, 2011
The narrative unfolds slowly, but the two stars are compelling and cinematographer Fred Koenekamp's photography is striking.
Full Review | Original Score: 7/10
Top Critic
Michael Booth
Denver Post
August 3, 2007
A rousing drama of endurance, opportunism and friendship under fire.
Full Review
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
February 10, 2007
Based on the memoirs of Henri Charriere, the only man to have successfully escaped from Devil's Island, this is a grim and brutal prison drama, made more likable due to the lead star performances.
Full Review | Original Score: B
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly
November 4, 2005
Original Score: 3/5
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily
October 6, 2005
Original Score: 5/5
Top Critic
Vincent Canby
New York Times
May 9, 2005
A big, brave, stouthearted, sometimes romantic, sometimes silly melodrama with the kind of visual sweep you don't often find in movies anymore.
Full Review
Marcy Dermansky
About.com
December 15, 2004
Original Score: 3/5
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice
March 25, 2004
Original Score: 3/5
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
November 15, 2003
Original Score: 4/5
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com
March 19, 2003
Awesome jailbreak film with gritty performances.
Original Score: 5/5
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com
December 4, 2002
Classic grungy prison drama with great performances throughout.
Original Score: 5/5
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