49
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Chicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonChicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonIt's good, hard-edged stuff, violent and a bit exploitative but also nicely done, morally alert and street-smart.
- 63Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe movie is ambitious, has good energy and is well-acted, but tells a familiar story in a familiar way. The parallels to Brian De Palma's "Scarface" are underlined by scenes from that movie which are watched by the characters in this one.
- 63New York PostMegan LehmannNew York PostMegan LehmannApart from the slightly sanitized look of Reagan-era Harlem, this raw ghetto drama rings true, from the smooth dialogue to the unaffected performances of the central actors.
- 63Baltimore SunChris KaltenbachBaltimore SunChris KaltenbachPaid In Full's performances - especially by the always-engaging Phifer -- are strong, its message worthwhile and its sincerity doubtless.
- 60Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonThe direction has a fluid, no-nonsense authority, and the performances by Harris, Phifer and Cam'ron seal the deal.
- 60Chicago ReaderFred CamperChicago ReaderFred CamperPaid in Full isn't a complete success; still, it moves beyond many cliches to create an honest portrait of several Harlem drug kingpins on their way up and inevitably down.
- 50Boston GlobeTy BurrBoston GlobeTy BurrThe only victims in Paid in Full are the dealers and their families -- and the only word for that is one this paper can't print.
- 30VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasBegins as a serious, straightforward account of the origins of the cocaine trade and "gangsta" culture in 1980s Harlem, but then downward spirals due to a weak plot and gratuitous violence.
- 30Los Angeles TimesJan StuartLos Angeles TimesJan Stuarta freefall into urban hell that doesn't give us The impetus to jump or the awful gratification of the ride.
- 10Village VoiceVillage VoiceAs superficial as his 1999 short film "True," the inspiration for Budweiser's "Whassup?" commercials, Charles Stone III's feature debut is set in a 1986 Harlem that doesn't look much like anywhere in New York.