Rex Reed, Sharp-Witted Critic and Journalist Who Often Courted Controversy, Dies at 87

May 12, 2026 4:48am PT Rex Reed, Sharp-Witted Critic and Journalist Who Often Courted Controversy, Dies at 87

By Brent Lang

Plus Icon

Brent Lang

Executive Editor

BrentALang

Latest

• Rex Reed, Sharp-Witted Critic and Journalist Who Often Courted Controversy, Dies at 87 1 hour ago
• Cannes Market Hot List: New Movies From Matthew McConaughey, Jason Statham, Rachel Zegler and More Aim to Spark Bidding Wars 1 hour ago
• How Glen Basner and Stacey Snider Plan to Make FilmNation the Destination for Visionary Filmmakers: ‘We’re in the Big Swing Business Creatively’ 5 hours ago

See All

Rex Reed, a critic and journalist known for his brash, often acidic takes on films and filmmakers, died Tuesday at his Manhattan home. He was 87.

William Kapfer, Reed’s longtime friend, confirmed his death. No cause was given. Reed burst on the movie criticism scene in the 1960s, and was part of a wave of new reviewers, Pauline Kael among them, who offered a sharper, jazzier alternative to the more staid forms of analysis that had been showcased by major outlets. These writers also had the good fortune to arrive as cinema itself was undergoing a transformation, with the studio system collapsing and something sexier, edgier and barrier-breaking emerging in its place.

Related Stories

Nick Reiner Makes Brief Court Appearance on Murder Charges