I have been penning a number of posts in the past few days based on reactions to screenings from the Toronto Film Festival. Anand Tucker’s The Critic is another, but it premiered at last year’s TIFF and is finally hitting theaters in the UK this weekend. Ian McKellen headlines the thriller as the London theater title character engaged in a blackmail scheme. Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong, Ben Barnes, Alfred Enoch, and Lesley Manville costar.

The film has taken its time finding a release schedule. That’s probably because reaction was decidedly mixed upon its Canadian unveiling. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 45% with a Metacritic score of 53. Despite some expected compliments for Mr. McKellen, this Critic will not be considered by voters in awards season. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…