Fifty Shades of Grey (18)

Drama, Romance

Literature student Anastasia Steele's life changes forever when she meets handsome, yet tormented, billionaire Christian Grey.

The critical consensus

Everyone from Dr Phil to my wise aunt says communication is the key to a happy relationship. Here are a pair who really get it all out there. Whether or not they can make it work will be seen in the sequels.

(*) (*) Jordan Hoffman, The Guardian, 10/02/2015

As a piece of multiplex entertainment, enjoyment will probably be determined by whether one is happy watching the same stereotypes being trotted out, but with more interesting sex scenes.

(*) (*) (*) Kaleem Aftab, The Independent, 11/02/2015

Sam Taylor-Johnson’s adaptation of the EL James erotica goes big on the red tape and very, very small on our hero’s legendary member, with results so awful they’re more Victoria Wood than Victoria’s Secrets.

(*) (*) (*) (*) Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 11/02/2015

Silly fun marinated in a slight jus of relationship wisdom.

(*) (*) Sophie Monks Kaufman, Little White Lies, 11/02/2015

Neither a camp laughing stock nor a shocking study of sexual obsession, Fifty Shades Of Grey starts well but fumbles in the dark. See it for Dakota Johnson. For the rest, find your safe word.

(*) (*) (*) Ian Freer, Empire Online, 13/02/2015

Dakota Johnson is a revelation in an adaptation that’s better than it should have been. But with the sex scenes and the drama lacking the required heat, it’s ultimately unsatisfying.

(*) (*) (*) Matt Maytum, Total Film, 13/02/2015

n the end Fifty Shades Of Grey never quite justifies the hype or fuss. It is unashamed tosh but at least director Sam Taylor–Johnson has fashioned it into tosh with a touch of class.

(*) (*) Allan Hunter, Daily Express, 13/02/2015

How much you actually enjoy Fifty Shades of Grey will depend on just how willing you are to surrender yourself to its mad fantasy.

(*) (*) Emma Simmonds, The List, 13/02/2015

This is a film that prefers text to sex. It’s all talk and only occasionally no trousers.

(*) (*) (*) Alistair Harkness, The Scotsman, 14/02/2015

Anastasia and Christian will come again – there are two more of these literary monstrosities to slop onto the screen – and hopefully with a touch more vigour than this simpering catastrophe.

(*) (*) (*) (*) Chris Fyvie, The Skinny, 13/02/2015

In the end behind its glossy, sumptuous setting, Fifty Shades of Grey acts as some sort of gross metaphor for domestic violence. Conceptually tired, insensitive and poorly scripted, this could be 2015’s highest grossing dud.

(*) (*) (*) (*) Douglas James Greenwood, The Edinburgh Reporter, 14/02/2015

Directed like a suggestive Flake-advertisment by Sam Taylor-Johnson, Fifty Shades Of Grey is an icky cultural phenomenon that will rake in millions but leaves a peculiar taste.

(*) (*) (*) Henry Fitzherbert, Sunday Express, 15/02/2015

One gets the feeling that it’s not Anastasia but Taylor-Johnson who’s being restrained here, hemmed in both by a control-freak writer and the restrictions of delivering a US “R-rated” feature.

(*) (*) (*) Mark Kermode, The Observer, 15/02/2015