“Scott has created an outrageously enjoyable cavalry charge of a movie, a full-tilt biopic of two and a half hours in which Scott doesn’t allow his troops to get bogged down mid-gallop in the muddy terrain of either fact or metaphysical significance.”
★★★★★ Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

“This is a historical epic which is constantly on the lookout for subtle ways to undercut historical epics.”
★★★★ Catherine Bray, Empire Magazine

“The captivating power of Phoenix’s performance, delivered in his American vernacular, is that it hovers in a twitchy, shifty, grey zone between imperious outbursts, wounded vulnerability and puckish charm.”
★★★★ Kevin Maher, Times (uk)

“As Phoenix howls, scowls, and storms his way through Napoleon, you get a real sense that Scott has had his cake and eaten it.”
★★★★ Independent (uk)

“Scott brings his A game. The film is a gripping, often delightfully lairy slab of pop history, made with mischief, flash and meticulous craft.”
★★★★ Danny Leigh, Financial Times

“Phoenix, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and chilling in the same scene, is as compelling as he always is... But it’s Vanessa Kirby who, much like Ryan Gosling in Barbie, upstages her title character.”
★★★★ Hamish Macbain, London Evening Standard

“It's an awe-inspiring achievement, although it may leave you with a greater appreciation of Scott's leadership skills than of Napoleon's.”
★★★★ Nicholas Barber, BBC.com