Brittany Patrice Witherspoon Pop Culture Reviews Jul 15, 2024 2/5

Honestly, anything other than this would’ve been fine.

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Cody Dericks Next Best Picture Jul 8, 2022 6/10

Writer-director pair Manuel Crosby and Darren Knapp have constructed a caper of mistakes, mayhem, and misinformation that is both consistently funny and consistently low on energy.

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Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall Jan 27, 2022 2.5/5

High energy levels and a couple of engaging characters help to hold interest even as this action comedy becomes too messy for its own good.

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Jennie Kermode Eye for Film Jan 20, 2022 4/5

One of the most tightly written films of the year, this is also one of the funniest.

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Ray Lobo Battle Royale With Cheese Jan 17, 2022

First Date is a date you may want to end early.

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Peter Canavese Celluloid Dreams Jul 18, 2021 1.5/4

A violent crime comedy that's not really about anything. Begins promisingly with an old-school indie vibe which unfortunately meets the new school 'calling card' vibe.

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Carla Hay Culture Mix Jul 14, 2021

First Date is the type of time-wasting movie where characters seem to be competing over who can be the most obnoxious. It's a comedy that's not very funny. The violence in the last third of the film is repetitive and monotonous.

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Russ Simmons KKFI-FM (Kansas City) Jul 11, 2021 3/5

"First Date" becomes a bit repetitious, but fans of decadent drive-in fodder will find much to like.

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Amy Nicholson New York Times Jul 9, 2021 B-

A barrage of gunfire and wah-wah guitars, plus a surprising amount of novelty and heart for a film that can feel as if it's a road trip through the directors' inspirations.

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Nell Minow Movie Mom Jul 8, 2021 B-

A loose, episodic story held together by our hopes for Mike and Kelsey. It works better in the first half than the second, as the adventures get wilder and more lethal.

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Christopher Llewellyn Reed Hammer to Nail Jul 8, 2021

A true comedy of errors, it's both extremely fun and painfully cringeworthy. And I thought I had it bad as a teen...

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Kimber Myers Los Angeles Times Jul 5, 2021

There's sweetness ... but it gets lost in a sea of dead bodies and spent shell casings with a bloody climax that takes up too many of its already overlong 103 minutes.

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Todd Jorgenson Cinemalogue Jul 3, 2021

Brown and Duclos provide an offbeat charm along with some much-needed emotional grounding, although they're too often relegated to the background amid the forced mayhem.

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Ferdosa Screen Rant Jul 2, 2021 1.5/5

First Date is a hodgepodge of familiar tropes and homages to teen romcoms and, while there is a sliver of promise, the film is lacking in charm.

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Monica Castillo RogerEbert.com Jul 2, 2021 3.5/4

First Date feels like a throwback caper to something you'd find on cable, funny yet full of action with a generous helping of a timeless romance for good measure. It's the kind of movie you come across and have to see how it ends.

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Natalia Keogan Paste Magazine Jul 2, 2021 6.0/10

Manuel Crosby and Darren Knapp's film is inundated with tributes to irreverent indie crime film staples without bothering to carve out a unique voice of its own.

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Mark Dujsik Mark Reviews Movies Jul 1, 2021 2/4

The excesses of First Date ... are simply too much.

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Edward Douglas The Weekend Warrior (Substack) Jul 1, 2021

A great showcase for talent both in front of and behind the camera, a terrific DIY indie action-comedy.

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Tomris Laffly Variety Jul 1, 2021

The whole ill-fated affair spins like a choppy rollercoaster ride, with not much substance to offer beyond a few cheap thrills.

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Bob Strauss San Francisco Chronicle Jun 30, 2021 2.5/4

"First Date" is a very ambitious independent film with a charming, casual attitude.

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