At one hour and 30 minutes, every aspect of the film feels spare and graceful.

| Feb 27, 2021

[Florence] Pugh is mesmerizing.

| Aug 17, 2017

Lady Macbeth strikes hard and digs deep.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 28, 2017

The brazenness of her actions and opacity of her emotions suggest a tragic heroine in the grand tradition ... but the film lacks the propulsive drive to make her fate moving.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 28, 2017

Pugh is a wrecking crew, communicating pure malevolence with a simple glance, but always keeping her composure. She may be evil, but she's first and foremost a lady.

| Original Score: B+ | Jul 28, 2017

Director William Oldroyd delivers a taut and well-paced period drama elevated by Pugh's riveting performance.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 27, 2017

Each scene is shot with intensity and precision by cinematographer Ari Wegner, and the dynamic editing helps to build tension in this dank environment.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 27, 2017

A fascinating portrait of empowerment gone awry.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 27, 2017

There's an intriguing story to be told here, but there's a better way to tell it. To borrow from the Bard, the spots in Lady Macbeth simply won't wash away.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 27, 2017

Lady Macbeth is an acquired taste, but once you get it there's no denying you want more.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Jul 27, 2017

Pugh, a young newcomer with just a tiny handful of film credits, gives a performance of rare ferocity.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 26, 2017

It is so calculated that you can see every shock from 3 miles out, and if it weren't for cold cruelty, Lady Macbeth would have no life at all.

| Jul 21, 2017

It's smart about evil, especially about the way it tends to radiate.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 21, 2017

A corrosive, intelligent costume drama from first-time director William Oldroyd.

| Jul 21, 2017

Oldroyd never allows us to look away from the horror, focusing, in long, intense shots, on the faces of his characters as they suffer.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Jul 20, 2017

Throughout "Lady Macbeth" we see Pugh's eyes, full of possibility and optimism at the outset, gradually darken. Even her breathing changes. It's a wonderful performance in a very fine film.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jul 20, 2017

The endless scenes of women being barked at, beaten, and dehumanized make this an unlikely date movie, but they lay the ground for a mighty revenge that earns the heroine her Shakespearean nickname.

| Jul 20, 2017

Oldroyd's approach to "Lady Macbeth" guarantees some longueurs as the film wears on. But the clarity with which Pugh and Oldroyd communicate Katherine's thoughts and motives maintains a sold interest throughout.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 20, 2017

Pugh and the film around her hold an audience transfixed and conflicted to the end.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jul 20, 2017

Shot with unsparing coldness, "Lady Macbeth" is a disturbing character study and dark moral meditation. And like the blood on its namesake's hands, it's not easily washed out.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 20, 2017