Variety

Gaudet and Pullapilly argue, cheekily and convincingly, that the real crooks are the unseen conglomerates who’ve created a society that devalues products and their consumers.

A review by Amy Nicholson for Variety on 2021-09-08

While it’s hardly the funniest film of the year, the based-on-a-true-story couponing antics and thoughtful look at motherhood and grief make Queenpins worth the watch.

A review by Lauren J. Coates for /reviews/publisher:

Chicago Sun-Times

Perhaps this story would be better told in a limited non-fiction series as well, as Queenpins relies too much on scatological humor, farcical sequences and a not entirely convincing message that these women were feminist, Robin Hood heroes.

A review by Richard Roeper for Chicago Sun-Times on 2021-09-10

Watching Queenpins is like eating grocery store birthday cake. It is very pleasurable in the moment but likely to leave you feeling empty and a little queasy.

A review by Nell Minow for /reviews/publisher:

IGN

Queenpins works best when Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste are allowed to let their effortless chemistry be the focus. Their comedic instincts are pitch perfect as their naïve pursuit of trying to get ahead financially snowballs into a multi-national coupon-stealing scheme that they are entirely unprepared to navigate. But the fun fizzles with depressing side stories, and especially when Vince Vaughn and Paul Walter Hauser commandeer too much screen time with middling results.

A review for IGN on 2021-09-10

Austin Chronicle

Save glancing asides (guns sure are easy to buy, the courts sure treat Black and white people differently), Gaudet and Pullapilly skip the social satire to focus on a more personality-driven story. Alas, the personality at the center is so very flat.

A review for Austin Chronicle on 2021-09-13

New York Magazine (Vulture)

This film ultimately doesn’t reach its full potential in part because it can’t settle firmly enough on a vibe or viewpoint. It ping-pongs between buoyant caper, farce, and female empowerment drama without ever lingering long enough in a single zone to make an impact.

A review by Jen Chaney for New York Magazine (Vulture) on 2021-09-10

Chicago Tribune

As a sort-of-true-crime comedy, spinning a yarn of middle-class larceny and extreme, deeply unlawful couponing, it’s likely to offend no one but the most grimly law-abiding consumers among us. But like the people it’s about, you want more.

A review by Michael Phillips for Chicago Tribune on 2021-09-09

The Associated Press

Writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly offer up a commentary on the value of work. There’s a critique of capitalism, and an intriguing buddy relationship between two women with very different lives but shared goals.

A review by Jocelyn Noveck for The Associated Press on 2021-09-09

Slashfilm

Queenpins boasts a cast of talented ringers, who elevate the muddled material far more than it deserves, without actually resulting in an all-around good movie.

A review by Josh Spiegel for Slashfilm on 2021-09-08

Arizona Republic

Writers and directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly can’t seem to decided whether to make an offbeat comedy about two under-appreciated women turning to crime or a mismatched buddy cop comedy. So they made both. It’s not a seamless fit.

A review by Bill Goodykoontz for Arizona Republic on 2021-09-08

The first act of “Queenpins” makes you giddy at the comic possibilities, but the finale is the final straw in the letdown it too-quickly becomes.

A review by Roger Moore for /reviews/publisher:

The Hollywood Reporter

The crime comedy ends not as a fat stack of jokes but a jumble of loose change — not entirely worthless, but not amounting to a whole lot, either.

A review by Angie Han for The Hollywood Reporter on 2021-09-08

Screen Rant

It wants to celebrate the American Dream and the entrepreneurial spirit — while making a statement about consumerism and corporate greed. In the end, Queenpins doesn't really say anything, which would have been fine if it was at least funny.

A review by Sarah Bea Milner for Screen Rant on 2021-09-08

Slant Magazine

The film’s largely painful humor is informed by the mistaken belief that the main characters’ criminal enterprise is inherently quirky.

A review by Wes Greene for Slant Magazine on 2021-09-08

The New York Times

Queenpins might have been a snappy little comedy had it lost 20 minutes and found a point beyond glorifying grand larceny. Erasing the lead character’s smug-perky narration wouldn’t have hurt, either.

A review by Jeannette Catsoulis for The New York Times on 2021-09-09

Los Angeles Times

Queenpins does nothing other than waste your time with bad wigs and poop jokes, and that is the biggest crime of all.

A review by Katie Walsh for Los Angeles Times on 2021-09-09

The Seattle Times

It’s frustrating, because a couponing crime lord (crime lady?) being pursued by an obsessed grocery store employee is a story that has so much potential, but the lazy storytelling and on-the-nose direction suck all of the laughs that could come out of the situation.

A review for The Seattle Times on 2021-09-10

Washington Post

A good story lurks somewhere in Queenpins, but Gaudet and Pullapilly take the easy way out at every plot point and with nearly every joke.

A review by Kristen Page-Kirby for Washington Post on 2021-09-08