85
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100EmpireDavid ParkinsonEmpireDavid ParkinsonA tight plot that's enriched by wonderfully crafted characters that each have their own key weaknesses.
- 88Slant MagazineClayton DillardSlant MagazineClayton DillardBlood and trauma make an irresistible mix in John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle.
- 83The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe Asphalt Jungle would be considered a heist picture if the mood didn't dictate otherwise. The standard "honor among thieves" theme applies, but dishonor gives the film its special noir flavor.
- 80The GuardianAndrew PulverThe GuardianAndrew PulverAn early masterclass in the art of the caper movie, John Huston's 1950 thriller stands up wonderfully well, even if we've got used to far more convoluted scheming by movie robbers in the intervening period
- 80The New York TimesBosley CrowtherThe New York TimesBosley CrowtherMr. Huston has filmed a straight crime story about as cleverly and graphically as it could be filmed.
- 80Time OutTime OutExciting and tautly directed – the lengthy robbery scenes are exemplary – it’s moody to the dying frame, emphasised by Harold Rosson’s lighting of trash-filled back-alleys and half-lit clip joints and Miklós Rozsa’s haunting theme music.
- 60The New YorkerPauline KaelThe New YorkerPauline KaelA competent (often overrated) thriller by John Huston about a group of crooks who plan a jewel robbery and how their characters determine the results.