Dave Kehr did his undergraduate work at the University of Chicago, where he studied English, and learned French in part to read the Cahiers pieces on film. At the time the university did not have a film studies curriculum. He started writing on film for The Maroon, the student newspaper, when he was president of the film society, Doc Films.

From 1974-1985, Kehr wrote for the Chicago Reader, where he established a reputation for independent thinking and an understanding of visual style.

He next wrote as a film critic for the Chicago Tribune (1986—1992), where he said that at age 35, he first made a living wage that let him give up having a roommate. He moved to the East Coast to become film critic for the New York Daily News (1993—1998).

Since 1999, Kehr has written a weekly column for The New York Times on DVD releases. He also contributes occasional pieces on individual filmmakers or films. Kehr also maintains a film blog, with reviews of films and occasional comment pieces.