89
Metascore
28 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottMinding the Gap is more than a celebration of skateboarding as a sport and a subculture. With infinite sensitivity, Mr. Liu delves into some of the most painful and intimate details of his friends’ lives and his own, and then layers his observations into a rich, devastating essay on race, class and manhood in 21st-century America.
- 91The Film StageJohn FinkThe Film StageJohn FinkA tour de force of documentary filmmaking, Minding the Gap is a lively, often beautifully shot film about a pit of hopelessness–from dead-end jobs to drunken arguments to bad decisions. This is modern day John Cassavetes with tattoos and punk music.
- 90The Hollywood ReporterDaniel FienbergThe Hollywood ReporterDaniel FienbergMinding the Gap starts out as one story, suggesting one set of character arcs, and then flows in unexpected directions and underlines new sets of themes, without ever feeling haphazard or ill-considered.
- 90Village VoiceBilge EbiriVillage VoiceBilge EbiriThe film is filled with lengthy, sensuous skateboarding scenes, which feel meditative, therapeutic; we sense that these kids skated not because it was fun, but because it helped them to survive.
- 90Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversLiu creates an unforgettable film experience that will knock the wind out of you.
- 87TheWrapRobert AbeleTheWrapRobert AbeleMinding the Gap, which is brilliantly edited by Liu and Joshua Altman, has a floating, grab-bag style that collapses the time frame into a kind of momentum-driven arc, but while the pieces are often bite-sized, and not always delineated by a year or person’s age, the collage has a distinctive chronological feel.
- 83The A.V. ClubVikram MurthiThe A.V. ClubVikram MurthiIt generates a sense of personal immediacy that elevates Minding The Gap above the confines of mere portraiture; his presence facilitates (and sometimes hinders) honest admissions from his subjects.
- 78Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleThere’s something inexplicably soothing about the wide shots of the boys rolling along, spiraling down the levels of a parking garage or swerving around city streets at sunset.
- 75Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenZack and Keire's stunts are action scenes that are imbued with the gravity of the participants' youth, revelry, and need to prove themselves.