Hedwig and the Angry Inch 2001

Critics score:
92 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: What in any other hands than Mitchell's might have been a sexual sight gag becomes a symbol of personal freedom and expression. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Hedwig makes for an unforgettable heroine, the perfect center to this wonderfully odd, vivid and dynamic movie. Read more

Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune: Hedwig is a force of nature, burned out and jaded yet brimming with compassion and bursting with energy. Read more

Susan Stark, Detroit News: Flamboyant, irreverent, naughty and oddly, profoundly moving. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: Has a kind of self-deprecating, low-budget charm that's ideal for the material. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Clever, funny, wildly innovative. Read more

Misha Berson, Seattle Times: Mitchell's textured acting and singing make Hedwig a mercurial creature, not just a transvestite harpy. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: For all its serious subtext, the movingly affirmative Hedwig is raucous, racy and full of hilarious, lowdown survivor's wit. Read more

Steven Rosen, Denver Post: Operates successfully on enough levels one needs an elevator to fully appreciate it. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Love, fame, self-acceptance, fabulous wigs -- Hedwig achieves everything Moulin Rouge aspires to with far less effort. Read more

Ray Conlogue, Globe and Mail: It wins the heart and commands respect. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: It does things that only the movies can do, and it does them with an abundance of wit, irony and energy. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Irresistibly moving, musically percolating. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: The rock score by Stephen Trask that dominates most of the film is loud and unbearable. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Almost guaranteed to amass a cult following as it makes its way across U.S. theaters during its national release. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Strange, how the movie seems to be loud, flashy and superficial, and yet gives a deeper dimension to its characters. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: It's that rarest of creatures: a rock musical that actually works. Read more

Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle: Trumps Moulin Rouge and even The Rocky Horror Picture Show in infectious pop force. Read more

Time Out: Despite the creator/actor/director's energetic efforts, the material never feels comfortable in its new form. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Wildly witty, but also inventive, audacious and poignant. Read more

Dennis Harvey, Variety: Those expecting a rockin' good time are likely to be left cold by this screen translation, which despite some imaginative packaging too often proves a drag in more than the sartorial sense. Read more

Amy Taubin, Village Voice: Relentlessly assaultive, heavy-handed, and emotionally monochromatic. Read more