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David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

As Chief Film Critic, David Rooney reviews the latest releases and premieres from major festivals including Sundance, Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Toronto. He was formerly THR’s Chief Theater Critic and continues to review Broadway when time permits. Based in New York City, he is a member of the New York Film Critics Circle, National Society of Film Critics and New York Drama Critics Circle. Prior to joining THR, he was Chief Italian Correspondent for Variety before moving to New York, where he became Chief Theater Critic. Rooney's work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone. He has served on the nominating panel for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and multiple times for the Gotham Awards. David’s writing for THR has won three Southern California Journalism Awards and a National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award.

More from David Rooney

‘Borderlands’ Review: Cate Blanchett Is a Gunslinging Bounty Hunter in Eli Roth’s Joylessly Gonzo Adaptation of the Popular Video Game

Kevin Hart, Ariana Greenblatt and Jamie Lee Curtis also star in this fight to survive on the lawless planet Pandora, with Jack Black providing the voice of a wisecracking robot.

‘The Instigators’ Review: Matt Damon and Casey Affleck Can’t Goose Doug Liman’s Limp Heist Movie

Hong Chau, Michael Stuhlbarg, Ving Rhames and Alfred Molina also appear in Apple TV+'s Boston-set crime caper about a botched robbery with spiraling consequences.

‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Review: Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman Rely on Smirks and Sentiment in Overstuffed Team-Up

Emma Corrin plays a powerful adversary and Matthew Macfadyen a shady tech agent in Shawn Levy's adrenaline-charged superhero threequel.

‘Oh, Mary!’ Theater Review: Comedy Genius Cole Escola Serves Revisionist American History as Riotous Queer Silliness

Escola portrays first lady Mary Todd Lincoln as an alcoholic wannabe cabaret star, with Conrad Ricamora as her long-suffering husband and James Scully as her acting coach.

‘Twisters’ Review: Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell Headline a Middling Sequel With Lots of Storms but Little Genuine Excitement

Anthony Ramos also stars in ‘Minari’ director Lee Isaac Chung’s meteorological thriller, set during a once-in-a-generation tornado season in Oklahoma.

‘Longlegs’ Review: Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage in a Mesmerizing Serial Killer Chiller That Burns With Satanic Power

Writer-director Osgood Perkins spins a tense FBI procedural steeped in occult horror and nightmarish visions, also starring Blair Underwood and Alicia Witt.

‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ Review: Eddie Murphy Is Back on the Streets in Routine Netflix Sequel Low on New Ideas

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Taylour Paige also star in the return of the wise-ass Detroit detective, 40 years after the original and 30 years after the last franchise installment.

‘A Quiet Place: Day One’ Review: Lupita Nyong’o Navigates a Waking Nightmare for a Pizza in Nail-Biting Horror Prequel

Writer-director Michael Sarnoski follows his head-turning debut, ‘Pig,’ with this third chapter of the hit sci-fi franchise, also starring Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff and Djimon Hounsou.

‘MaXXXine’ Review: Mia Goth and Ti West’s Slasher Trilogy Wraps With a Torrid Love Letter to ‘80s Genre Filmmaking

Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Giancarlo Esposito and Kevin Bacon also star in this Tinseltown-set follow-up to ‘X’ and ‘Pearl.’

‘Young Hearts’ Review: Belgian Teen Coming-Out Romance Is a Disarmingly Sweet Account of First Love

Writer-director Anthony Schatteman’s assured debut boasts a standout lead performance from Lou Goossens as a 14-year-old boy struggling with self-discovery.

Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the 10 Best Films of 2024 So Far

THR’s reviewers choose faves from the first half of the year, including a sizzling story of sex and sports, a delightful Pixar sequel and two riveting European refugee dramas.

‘Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution’ Review: Trailblazing Queer Comics Get Their Due in Entertaining Netflix Doc

Lily Tomlin, Margaret Cho, Eddie Izzard and Sandra Bernhard are among those sharing their experiences in Page Hurwitz’s archive-rich study.