Verdict: Frankly, the film's real surprise is that it doesn't collapse under the weight of its sanctimonious posturing and howling pretension! By turns brilliant and simplistic, moving and preposterous, 'David Gale' is foremost an overheating 'gotcha machine,' scripted by first-timer Charles Randolph with seams showing and red herrings stinking up the joint. Too pat, too absurd and philosophically self-defeating, 'David Gale' amounts to little more than a tirade thinly and deceptively disguised as bona fide thriller!
Russ Trunk