West Side Story Has Screened, See What People Are Saying About Steven Spielberg’s Remake

The Jets and Sharks have a stare-off in West Side Story
(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Of all the movies that saw delays in 2020, the one that might have been the absolute biggest was Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story. In an era where remakes are king it was one of the most brazen, taking on a truly beloved musical that already had a top-notch film adaptation. But with the talent that is Spielberg attached, people were incredibly curious what the result would be. For some that curiosity ended last night, and the film, it seems, is something magical.

The first critics have finally seen the new adaptation of West Side Story and while they are not perfectly unanimous in their praise, they’re close enough that any outliers are getting largely drowned out. CinemaBlend’s own Corey Chichizola was one of those who had a chance to see the film, and he thinks it’s stunning.  

See more

Corey wasn’t the only member of the CB team to check out West Side Story early. Sarah El-Mahmoud also saw the movie and she has nothing but praise for director Steven Spielberg

See more

The praise for West Side Story is coming from all sides and for any number of reasons. Rachel Zeigler, who plays Maria, is getting absolutely glowing notices, as is Ariana Debose, who plays Anita. It seems that every single detail of the film was well thought out, and even those details are receiving strong praise.  

See more

Considering how popular West Side Story is as a property and how popular Steven Spielberg is as a director, once might expect this movie was destined to review well, but that’s not necessarily the case. There were a lot of questions about what Spielberg would actually be able to bring to this remake to make it stand out, but he’s making believers of some who were not necessarily the target audience. 

See more

Because West Side Story is so loved by many, there was a fear that even Steven Spielberg might fumble it, but by and large it seems those fears were unjustified. The movie is winning over critics who admit they weren’t sure what to expect from the film. 

See more

While the love for West Side Story is nearly complete, there are some who are tempering their response. In this case it doesn’t really seem that there’s anybody who truly disliked the film, but rather they’re just not as glowing in their praise.  

See more

If there are issues with West Side Story it may be simply some problems with the source material, but even with those problems there are performances or songs worth checking out.  

See more

West Side Story was a movie with a lot of hype, that it’s been sitting on for a year at this point. It now seems like that hype was largely justified. The movie really is that good. The rest of us will have a chance to find out when the movie hits theaters on December 10. 

Dirk Libbey
Content Producer/Theme Park Beat

CinemaBlend’s resident theme park junkie and amateur Disney historian, Dirk began writing for CinemaBlend as a freelancer in 2015 before joining the site full-time in 2018. He has previously held positions as a Staff Writer and Games Editor, but has more recently transformed his true passion into his job as the head of the site's Theme Park section. He has previously done freelance work for various gaming and technology sites. Prior to starting his second career as a writer he worked for 12 years in sales for various companies within the consumer electronics industry. He has a degree in political science from the University of California, Davis.  Is an armchair Imagineer, Epcot Stan, Future Club 33 Member.