The Program

"The opening shot of director Stephen Frears’ follow-up to the wonderful Philomena sees world-famous cycling cheat Lance Armstrong pedalling uphill by himself on a seemingly endless road. This beautifully framed scene smartly represents the character’s impossible-to-meet standards of satisfaction while perfectly illustrating the isolation he created for himself. The act also represent the film itself: procedural and forgettable, but not a total waste of time."

"In the film’s richest performance, Plemons beautifully teases out the ambiguities and potential hypocrisies of Landis’ own moral position..."

"Drives home the dark lie that Lance Armstrong lived – it’s just a pity it doesn’t dig a little deeper."

"It has an unsettling air that carries us through its more pedestrian patches."

"You sense structural uncertainty about what the Armstrong saga connotes and how exactly it was begging to be told. But you can’t take your eyes off Foster."

"It’s a fluid and nippy telling of a tale that still seems strangely urgent."

"All the necessary components are there, but this slickly constructed machine only scratches the surface."

"This dreary drama about the disgraced cyclist just goes through motions."

"Shot and sharply scripted, powered by an outstanding performance from Ben Foster and the quiet integrity of Chris O’Dowd."