45
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenLos Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenLila & Eve is a standard-issue female vigilante thriller that's skillfully elevated by the performances of leads Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez.
- 63Slant MagazineClayton DillardSlant MagazineClayton DillardCharles Stone III's film ultimately succeeds as a convincing social plea, but fails as compelling cinema.
- 60Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlThe movie, directed by Charles Stone III — who gave us 2002's likable Drumline — runs hot and cold, suspenseful and well observed, well acted and often affecting, but somewhat tiresome and implausible by the end.
- You can get a little lost following the chain of drug dealers who Lila and Eve gun down. Then again, narrative coherence isn’t really the point. What is vital is Davis’ wrenching performance as a mother who’s done everything right, but remains powerless to keep her children safe.
- 50VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeAlthough Davis’ performance is so good here, it’s tough to know where the real world ends and the vendetta fantasy begins.
- 50The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyPitched somewhere between indie domestic drama and direct-to-video exploitation, Lila & Eve is the kind of film in which a sturdy, unsensational piece of acting can take the spotlight.
- 50Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperChicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperDavis (who was an executive producer on the film) gives a strong performance, as if she were acting in one of those many prestige projects lighting up her resume. It’s a noble try, but this dreck is beyond saving.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThe Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinIt’s an instant camp classic, especially because it takes itself so adorably seriously.
- 37Washington PostStephanie MerryWashington PostStephanie MerryIn the end, Davis ends up a wasted resource. She does her best to elevate the material, but the story fails to live up to her considerable talents.
- 25New York PostKyle SmithNew York PostKyle SmithViola Davis lets her Charles Bronson flag fly in Lila and Eve, a ludicrous revenge thriller that should have been called, “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.”