The movie is classy and dead serious, but it may not meet with the approval of either Shakespeare die-hards or teen audiences. For the rest of us, though, it works.

| Original Score: B+ | Sep 7, 2022

The presence of old lags Martin Sheen and John Heard just beggars belief. What were they thinking?

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jul 6, 2008

This arty melodrama is not likely to make teenage America get down with Shakespeare.

| Mar 31, 2008

It's highly enjoyable and well acted, with the Iago figure better motivated than in the original play, no single line of which has been retained except for the odd echo.

| Mar 25, 2008

This transferral of the tragedy of the Moor to a contempo American high school is something that never should have gone further than a class assignment to see if it could be made to work.

Full Review | Mar 25, 2008

Helmer Nelson has fashioned a clever premise, helped along by a smart ensemble that manages to highlight Shakespeare's work without parodying it--no small accomplishment.

| Mar 1, 2007

Hartnett never allows him to become a hissable villain, keeping Hugo shy of our sympathies, yet his every move is utterly believable.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 30, 2006

Long on the Shelf, O is well directed and decently acted, but its narrative, while more or less faithful to Shakespeare, tried to do too much, pushing the characters and their emotions to unreasonable and unconvincing extremes.

| Original Score: C+ | Sep 17, 2006

Overall, the movie seems very thoughtfully crafted as a commentary both on high school and the state of modern society.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 1, 2006

Credit, none the less, to the film-makers' game, unpatronising approach, and to Phifer and Stiles as compelling innocents.

| Jan 26, 2006

A well crafted and thoughtful film.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 9, 2006

Leave it to Hollywood to make a bold, challenging film for teens (and adults) only to let it collect dust on a shelf as proposed release dates were set, then scratched, many times over.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Jan 9, 2006

There's an air of authenticity to the proceedings here, and stylistic pretension never obscures good storytelling.

Full Review | Original Score: 70/100 | May 21, 2005

Let the film stand on its own and not amiss controversy.

| May 13, 2003

An intriguing experiment on paper, but a throwaway onscreen.

| Original Score: 1.5/5 | Mar 10, 2003

While O does contain some good performances and a creative sense of direction by Tim Blake Nelson, the film never really becomes anything more than a curiosity.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jan 10, 2003

The film's top acting kudos go to Mekhi Phifer.

| Original Score: B | Dec 17, 2002

This is definitely worth watching, thanks to the performances and Nelson's direction.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 30, 2002

I am happy to report that O does not do violence to, nor dumb down, its important themes.

| Oct 21, 2002

Othello may be the saddest of all Shakespeare's tragedies, and O captures its power in the storm-tossed emotions of modern teens.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Oct 15, 2002