Jan Stuart The Advocate Apr 5, 2022

John Waters all too often dresses up colorful characters only to give them no place to go. His lopsided Cecil B. Demented is a prime example.

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A.S. Hamrah The Baffler Sep 16, 2020

Kevin Nealon, in his greatest role, plays himself as the star of Forrest Gump II. Impossible dreams abound...

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Stuart Klawans The Nation Jul 13, 2015

Does this picture leap off the screen, or what? Yes, it leaps -- thanks to Melanie Griffith's eager participation in this act of revenge, Stephen Dorff's unbuttoned nuttiness...and Waters's knowing, caring intelligence about movie culture and its decline.

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Felix Vasquez Jr. Cinema Crazed May 25, 2013

Waters satire of the film buff and the film industry is warranted and criminally under-appreciated...

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Michael Dequina TheMovieReport.com Jan 8, 2010 3/4

Leave it to Waters to find a proper use for Mrs. Johnson-Banderas, whose natural, annoying shrillness is perfect.

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Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault Sep 24, 2007 A

As always, Waters works with an unmistakable affection for even his grubbiest characters.

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David Noh Film Journal International Jan 5, 2007

Takes a potentially fun concept and basically goes nowhere with it.

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Mark Bourne DVDJournal.com Apr 6, 2006

If you're under 25 and believe in your cute rebel-'til-I-die heart that indie cinema is inherently True ****ing Art that gives the finger to The Man in Hollywood, then Cecil B. Demented may be your masturbatory fantasy.

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Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Jul 31, 2005 C-

Waters' pointless and arguably weakest film is a satire of a Holllywood director that's so hermetic and contrived that it hardly has any reason to exist

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Nick Schager Lessons of Darkness May 3, 2005 B

Mildly scabrous.

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Robin Clifford Reeling Reviews Apr 9, 2005 C-

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Joe Mader Palo Alto Weekly May 14, 2003 3/4

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Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Apr 10, 2003 4/4

Waters may have a budget ($9 million) and real Hollywood stars now, but he's still giving the finger to everything decent with his new film

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Brian Mckay eFilmCritic.com Mar 18, 2003 3/5

Of the John Waters films I've seen (and I'll admit my knowledge of his films is limited), I'd say it's the best premise with the poorest execution.

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Nick Davis Nick's Flick Picks Jan 10, 2003 C

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James Sanford Kalamazoo Gazette Jun 15, 2002

rather than escalate to new heights of lunacy, the movie begins repeating itself and, after about an hour, wearing out its welcome.

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Nathaniel Rogers The Film Experience May 30, 2002

See it for "Cherish Oh Lordy" Waters' best character in years. She gets the movie's two most offensive and funniest scenes.

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Rob Vaux Flipside Movie Emporium Oct 24, 2001 A-

[John] Waters skewers every aspect of mainstream Hollywood, using the truly demented Demented... as a proxy howl of rage.

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Peter Travers Rolling Stone May 10, 2001 4/5

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Ben Falk BBC.com Apr 17, 2001 4/5

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