59
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88New York PostKyle SmithNew York PostKyle SmithFew documentaries have covered such an important matter so convincingly and with such clarity. When it comes to public education, we are all New Jerseyans.
- 83Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerChristian Science MonitorPeter RainerAlthough it’s refreshing to see a movie that stands up for charter schools and takes on teachers unions for their hammerlock on educational oversight, Bowdon overcorrects. His home state of New Jersey may not be an isolated case but neither, with its high level of corruption, should it be seen as altogether representative of all countrywide educational ills.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasA brisk, incisive and mind-boggling -- no other phrase will work -- exposé of his native New Jersey's public education system.
- 75Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaPhiladelphia InquirerSteven ReaThe Cartel does what good reporters are supposed to do: follow the money.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceThe Cartel makes up for what it lacks in style and structure with selective but stone-cold facts.
- 67The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe Cartel frequently veers into the realm of black comedy, as Bowdon uncovers instances of nightmarish teacher behavior, but the dark comic elements would be better served by deadpan detachment.
- 50VarietyVarietyA lopsided whine about the state of American public schools, The Cartel is a lesson in dichotomous documaking: Effervescent and tedious, crusading and craven, it's a prime example of that ubiquitous oxymoron: the agenda-driven "expose."
- 50The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisPurports to be a documentary about the American public school system. In reality, however, it’s a bludgeoning rant against a single state — New Jersey — which it presents as a closed loop of Mercedes-owning administrators, obstructive teachers’ unions and corrupt school boards.
- 20Time OutS. James SnyderTime OutS. James SnyderAfter decades of endless policy debates, you’d think fixing America’s schools would be a complex endeavor. But apparently not--at least according to this tunnel-vision editorial.