75
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe very best thing about the movie is its dialogue. Paul Brickman, who wrote and directed, has an ear so good that he knows what to leave out.
- 90Chicago ReaderDave KehrChicago ReaderDave KehrTaking off from the format of a typical teenage sex comedy, Brickman deepens the characters and tightens the situations, filming them in a dark, dreamlike style full of sinuous camera movements and surrealistic insinuations. Brickman found a tone I hadn't encountered previously - one of haunting, lyrical satire.
- 88TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineSmart, stylish, and cynical about the values of its time, this movie aspires to be The Graduate for its generation and it comes pretty close.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jay ScottThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jay ScottAn adolescent-oriented farce so finely tuned it projects beyond its narrow intended audience - it's not only for adolescents, it's for anyone who remembers what adolescence was like. [05 Aug 1983]
- 75LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenLarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenSure, Risky Business is partially an adolescent fantasy, but it’s even more about how the prosperity pressures placed upon Joel Goodsen have frayed his nerves to the point that he can’t even bring his erotic dreams to fruition.
- 70VarietyVarietyRisky Business is like a promising first novel, with all the pros and cons that come with that territory.
- 63Boston GlobeJay CarrBoston GlobeJay CarrRisky Business is the sleeper of the summer. It's a refreshing change from the usual dumb teenage ripoffs, the slickest American film since "Trading Places" and "War Games," and a strong directorial debut for Paul Brickman, who knows his way around teen fantasies. [05 Aug 1983]
- 60The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinRisky Business improves as it goes along.
- 60EmpireIan NathanEmpireIan NathanIt’s "Ferris Bueller" with an existential crisis. Very funny and very weird.