Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Sep 27, 2026 3/4

Wag the Dog drips cynicism as it punches across its tattered message that "war is show business."

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Matthew Rozsa Democracy at Work (Substack) Jan 7, 2026 3.5/4

Once you start to exhibit healthy skepticism toward the government’s actions and motives, they start to seem less like an Orwellian superstate and more like a collection of cocky crooks just one step ahead of the good guys.

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Dan DiNicola The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) Jan 19, 2023 B+

The idea sags near the end, but for some time, it is right on.

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Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight Jan 7, 2023 4/4

...I’ll simply let the movie explain itself and recommend it highly for anyone interested in satirical filmmaking.

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Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Jun 9, 2021 4/5

...a vitriolic comedy/satire that venomously assesses the lack of morality in the modern media and politics...

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Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Feb 19, 2020 5/5

Perhaps what's so surprising about 1997's Wag the Dog is how the political satire feels so realistic over twenty years following its theatrical release.

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David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Feb 7, 2019 2.5/4

...a fairly static drama that contains few elements worth connecting to or wholeheartedly embracing...

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Jason Bailey Vice Jan 2, 2018

If anything, in the years since its release, the worlds of politics, entertainment, and news media have grown even more intertwined in which narratives are carefully controlled and expectations are minimal.

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Betty Jo Tucker ReelTalk Movie Reviews Sep 25, 2011

'Wag the Dog,' a movie that's fun to see more than once, comes across as a bitingly funny satire of politics, the media and show business.

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Heather Boerner Common Sense Media Dec 18, 2010 4/5

Entertaining, creepily resonant political comedy.

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Sandra Contreras TV Guide Mar 30, 2009 2.5/4

Anyone who would be inherently interested in this kind of sendup is unlikely to be surprised by anything in this film -- overall it feels like a trifle, if an entertaining one.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Mar 30, 2009

Hilary Henkin and David Mamet's script is gleefully hyperbolic without ever straying from its political target.

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Michael Dequina TheMovieReport.com Mar 29, 2009 4/4

Twisty and flat-out hilarious.

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

Feels tossed-off and casual in the best way.

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Gary Brown Houston Community Newspapers May 9, 2007 B+

Strong performances abound in the film.

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Garth Franklin Dark Horizons Oct 30, 2006 2.5/4

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Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Oct 16, 2006 3.5/4

I doubt it will age as well as Network, but it is close to that realm of brilliance.

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Tom Meek Film Threat Dec 6, 2005 2.5/5

Beyond a couple of hilarious zingers, its impact feels smug and minor.

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