The Post review round-up: Steven Spielberg’s Oscar 2018 frontrunner wins glowing reception

Critics praised Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Bob Odenkirk​

(Twentieth Century Fox )

Before even being screened to journalists, Steven Spielberg’s upcoming movie about the Washington Post’s reportage on the Pentagon Papers was getting huge amounts of Oscars buzz.

Titled The Post, everything about the movie has awards-frontrunner written on it, from the timely subject matter to ludicrously talented cast. Spielberg himself even said: “If I can't make it this year, I'm not making it.”

With less than two weeks until reaching US cinemas (the UK will have to wait until next year), the reviews have finally come out. Unsurprisingly, they’re glowing.

“The Post is a thoroughly enjoyable film and on par with the very similar but slightly more subtle Spotlight,” writes The Independent in a four-star review. The Guardian awarded the same score, their critic calling the film “rousingly watchable”. The Telegraph, meanwhile, awarded the drama a perfect score, praising performances by Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Bob Odenkirk.

The most negative review comes from Business Insider, their critic writing: “The Post isn’t a waste of your time, but I was hoping for more — at the very least a little more of that something extra that makes Spielberg movies stand out.”

The Post reaches UK cinemas 19 January. Read snippets from the reviews below.

The Independent — Christopher Hooton — 4/5

The Post is a thoroughly enjoyable film and on par with the very similar but slightly more subtle Spotlight. In the age of ideology over art, if the latter can (and did) win Best Picture, it's hard to see how the former, which functions as its aunt or uncle, can't given its added timeliness.

The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw — 4/5

Steven Spielberg’s handsome new picture has a big, beating heart on its classically tailored sleeve. It’s a rousingly watchable film from first-time screenwriter Liz Hannah… The film is a pointed celebration of liberal decency in the past and implied present.

The Telegraph — Robbie Collin — 5/5

The hot lead and rolled shirtsleeves make The Post an unmistakable period piece. But as both a tale from history and a call to arms, it gives you hope that cold truth might not yet be a thing of the past.

Variety — Owen Gleiberman

Steven Spielberg’s The Post throttles along in a pleasurably bustling, down-to-the-timely-minute way. It’s a heady, jam-packed docudrama that, with confidence and great filmmaking verve (though not what you’d call an excess of nuance), tells a vital American story of history, journalism, politics, and the way those things came together over a couple of fateful weeks in the summer of 1971.

Entertainment Weekly — Chris Nashawaty — B+

The beauty of Streep’s performance (and it’s one of her best in years) is how she lets you see her grow into the responsibility of her position. She elevates The Post from being a First Amendment story to a feminist one, too. Spielberg makes these crucial days in American history easy to follow.

Vanity Fair — Richard Lawson

I still bounced out of the theatre feeling cheered and energized, ready to keep fighting these greedy autocrats (tweeting is fighting, right?), to subscribe to some newspapers, and to start really loving Meryl Streep again. Which is exactly this movie’s aim, I’d argue. The Academy is gonna love it, and you know what? When the Oscar bait is this high-grade, I’m all right with that.

Business Insider — Jason Guerrasio

I’m extremely conflicted with The Post. There are some very powerful moments. And the movie is timely with what’s going on in the country today (a rarity for narrative studio movies). But the latter might have led to its downfall. The speed to get the movie out the door may have prompted choices that, with more time, would have been thought out better.