Enough drama, humor and unfiltered nail-biting suspense to put all the thrill-mongering screenwriters in Hollywood to shame.
90
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Just might be the most action-packed suspense thriller of the summer.
90
SlateDavid Edelstein
SlateDavid Edelstein
The movie becomes a nail-biter, the audience hanging on every letter. Who could have anticipated that a spelling competition would yield such a heartbreaking thriller?
89
Austin ChronicleSarah Hepola
Austin ChronicleSarah Hepola
As good, old-fashioned dorkfests go, it doesn't get much better than the National Spelling Bee, with its arcane words, bespectacled competitors, and stinging little bell.
88
Chicago TribuneMark Caro
Chicago TribuneMark Caro
Boasts all of the drama and suspense of any reality TV show, but it actually stars smart people. And they're kids.
80
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
More to the point of this marvelous film, who knew there were kids as heroic, in their various ways, as these valiant super-spellers?
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
Entertaining documentary.
70
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
An enthralling, suspenseful documentary about spelling bees.
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
New York PostLou Lumenick
Many of the kids seem to be social outcasts of one kind or another, but Spellbound, which will show on cable later this year, doesn't dig deep enough to disturb the movie's relentless feel-good tone.