56
Metascore
24 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75USA TodayClaudia PuigUSA TodayClaudia PuigNarrated by Johnny Depp, a portrait emerges of an anarchic, humble spirit who now fears becoming "a visual polluter."
- 70Village VoiceNick SchagerVillage VoiceNick SchagerIt's a film that paints a potent portrait of an artist of righteous, controlled fury.
- 60Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinThe inventively shot and constructed documentary For No Good Reason is an absorbing look at the unique, surreal work of British cartoonist Ralph Steadman.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonThe Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonThe story is rich in juicy anecdotes and epochal events, even if the man behind these striking images remains a little too elusive throughout.
- 58The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerThe A.V. ClubJesse HassengerEarly on, Steadman talks about his humor needing to have a “slightly maniacal” edge. For No Good Reason has no such thing; it’s gently informative and amusing the whole way through.
- 50Slant MagazineEd GonzalezSlant MagazineEd GonzalezCharlie Paul isn't content to let his stock footage and interviewees lead for him, driven as he is to "make something out of a frame of mind," though to needlessly busy effect.
- 50The DissolveDavid EhrlichThe DissolveDavid EhrlichFor No Good Reason is an absolute mess from start to finish, a portrait of an artist that’s almost rendered redundant by his art. And yet, for all its failings, the film is engagingly in tune with the man who inspired it.
- 50VarietyAndrew BarkerVarietyAndrew BarkerWhile the effort is admirable, the result is a bit unwieldy, casting too wide a net to really plumb its subject’s depths, and defanging some of Steadman’s acid wit with an overly busy, hit-and-miss aesthetic approach.
- 40New York Daily NewsNew York Daily NewsWhen this film focuses on the work, it’s engaging.
- 40Time Out LondonTom HuddlestonTime Out LondonTom HuddlestonIt’s a shame, because there’s a good, solid documentary to be made about this fascinating, enormously talented, slightly self-congratulatory little man and his unmistakeable ouevre.