Using blanched lighting setups and grainy effects, the film evokes those gritty 1970s true-crime films such as Midnight Express and The French Connection, and that's always a good thing.

Most Wanted runs a little long and a little ragged, but it's still a solid adaptation of a mind-boggling, true-life story.

[Hartnett's] unconvincing performance amplifies many of the movie's worst tendencies.

Ultimately, “Most Wanted” is an inherently interesting true story that's told in a way that saps it of its excitement. The bold narrative structure doesn't quite live up to what it's trying to do.