57
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Slant MagazineAndrew SchenkerSlant MagazineAndrew SchenkerA sense of anachronism is what provides the film with its melancholy heart.
- 67The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasHeckerling also struggles woefully with special effects, but even then, she's capable of pulling off a beautiful sequence where Silverstone remembers a specific city block as it's evolved through the ages. Her shambling little comedy never finds a consistent groove, but it's eager to please, and has the ancient gags to do it.
- Make no mistake, Vamps is mostly a misfire, but Heckerling still shows enough flashes of wit and wisdom that she remains hard to entirely dismiss. Don't bury that coffin just yet.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeCharming at times but surprisingly cheap-feeling given the cast Heckerling has assembled.
- 50Village VoiceMelissa AndersonVillage VoiceMelissa AndersonReteaming with Silverstone, the alpha matchmaker of "Clueless," for Vamps, Heckerling uses the actress as the mouthpiece for her complaints about how dumb everyone is today. The writer-director's nostalgia feeds the laziest type of cultural critique: never piercing, just grumpy.
- 40Time OutEric HynesTime OutEric HynesVamps is commendable, even moving, as a raw-nerve confession of anachronism - but it's also what keeps this strained satire from drawing any real blood.
- 40The New York TimesRachel SaltzThe New York TimesRachel SaltzAging is probably the real theme here, but it's approached sidelong and has no punch. Still, only the nostalgia has any real conviction.