Danny Boyle’s ‘Ink’ Scores Big With Critics on Rotten Tomatoes, Emerging as Early Awards Season Contender

Venice has long served as the unofficial launchpad for awards season, with festival premieres often setting the tone for which films will dominate conversation heading into the fall. This year’s opening night carried extra weight given the pedigree behind one particular title making its debut.

Danny Boyle has built a career on reinventing himself with nearly every project, jumping between genres and eras with a restless energy few directors can match. His latest effort takes him into the world of British tabloid journalism, tackling a story that feels both historically specific and unsettlingly relevant to today’s media landscape.

That gamble appears to be paying off in a big way. ‘Ink’ currently holds a score of 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews, positioning the film as an early awards season contender straight out of the gate following its premiere as the opening film of the Venice Film Festival.

The film tells the origin story of Rupert Murdoch’s British tabloid The Sun, set in 1969 as a group of visionaries and misfits set out to reinvent what news could look like. James Graham adapted the screenplay from his own Tony-winning stage play, with the story centering on the volatile relationship between editor Larry Lamb and media mogul Murdoch as they chase increasingly sensational headlines.

Much of the early praise has centered on the film’s central performances, particularly Jack O’Connell’s portrayal of Lamb opposite Guy Pearce as Murdoch. Writing for Variety, critic Guy Lodge called the film a very compelling yarn, galvanized by a terrifically bullish performance from O’Connell, according to Variety.

Lodge also praised the film’s broader message, describing it as riveting and needling, noting that it leaves viewers feeling pretty awful right up to a closing montage connecting Lamb and Murdoch’s legacy to the unregulated chaos of today’s media and social media landscape. That thematic through-line, linking a decades-old newspaper rivalry to modern digital sensationalism, has emerged as one of the film’s most frequently discussed elements among critics.

Deadline’s Pete Hammond called the film sensational, praising both O’Connell and Pearce for a thrilling match as their characters’ power dynamics shift throughout the story. Screen International similarly highlighted the film’s gripping performances, while other outlets like Vulture drew comparisons between Boyle’s approach and classics like ‘Citizen Kane,’ filtered through the kinetic energy of his earlier work on ‘Trainspotting.’

Despite the overwhelmingly positive reception, a handful of reviews offered more measured takes. IndieWire gave the film a B grade, arguing that the lessons Boyle wants to convey by the movie’s end feel somewhat predictable, even while acknowledging the strength of the cast’s performances throughout.

The Wrap’s Ben Croll praised the film’s kinetic energy but found its central premise grew repetitive over time, describing the frenetic one-upmanship between Lamb and Murdoch as losing momentum across the full runtime. The Guardian offered a similarly mixed verdict, giving the film three stars while praising O’Connell’s performance but criticizing its heavy use of Dutch angles and stylistic excess.

Claire Foy rounds out the film’s central cast, adding another layer of prestige to a project already generating significant awards buzz following its festival debut. ‘Ink’ is set for a limited theatrical release beginning December 11, before expanding to Netflix on January 8.

With Venice serving as its launching pad and reviews trending strongly positive, ‘Ink’ looks poised to carry real momentum into the heart of awards season. Whether that critical goodwill translates into major nominations will likely become clearer once the film reaches a wider audience later this year.

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