Red Sparrow

Director Francis Lawrence... seems to have reasoned that, because Russian literature is so long and slow, making his movie long and slow would be the path to authenticity.

There is only so much Jennifer Lawrence can do in this set up.

Needlessly sadistic and often troubling in tone, some keen supporting performances can't save this uneven and forgetful film.

There isn't much chemistry between the leads, and their sex scenes don't sizzle, but the fault lies with the dopey, confusing script by Justin Haythe that fails to develop their characters with any depth or purpose.

Red Sparrow sounds as if it has a foolproof recipe: sex, spies and Russia. But the only way to make sense of this thudding, clichéd would-be thriller is to think of it as an unintentional comedy.

[Jennifer Lawrence] throws herself into her role with abandon (cf. mother!), suggesting, pace how some directors cast her, that her bravura dramatic energy flourishes best in worlds of genre extremes.

In post-Hunger Games mode, Jennifer Lawrence continues her streak of pushing the envelope. Even if her accent feels awkward at times, she is mostly convincing as a Slavic agent...

Most of Red Sparrow looks slick and, somehow, doesn't overstay its welcome, even while being mostly forgettable.

[Red Sparrow] looks good, has a strong lead performance, and it never becomes boring. But, it also lacks a lot of what audiences will probably want out of a movie like this.

There are better examples of this kind of movie out there.