67
Metascore
33 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100VarietyPeter DebrugeVarietyPeter DebrugeThis is one of those rare, reframe-the-conversation films, like “Paris Is Burning,” “12 O’Clock Boys” and “Rize,” that take a very specific subculture and turn it into something universal and uplifting — only this one isn’t a documentary, despite the many real-world details that bring director Ricky Staub’s exceptional father-son drama to life.
- 78TheWrapSteve PondTheWrapSteve PondConcrete Cowboy is an urban drama, but it’s also a glimpse of a world most of us never knew, and a richly evocative introduction to a strange new world that has been right under our noses all along.
- 75SlashfilmChris EvangelistaSlashfilmChris EvangelistaThere’s a serious lack of movies about Black cowboys or Black equestrians in general, and by telling their story in the unlikeliest of settings, Concrete Cowboy feels vibrant and alive, even when it’s suffering from its own plotting problems.
- 75The A.V. ClubKatie RifeThe A.V. ClubKatie RifeIt’s a little corny at times, but it looks good and has heart—and, let’s be honest, Black cowboys are pretty damn cool.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyThe occasional touch of cliché or corny dialogue can't dampen the vibrant spirit of this moving, well-acted drama about a fractured family coming together in unexpected ways.
- 67IndieWireEric KohnIndieWireEric KohnThere’s certainly representational value in the way it brings a conventionally rousing narrative to such unorthodox material. At the same time, it leaves you wondering how much better the whole thing would have held together if it simply let the riders speak for themselves.
- 63Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenThe film is stirring when it really dives into specificity.
- 60The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawThis is an old-fashioned father-son story and none the worse for that, but there is something a little slick and subdued about the way the story is resolved.
- 58The PlaylistRobert DanielsThe PlaylistRobert DanielsConcrete Cowboy breathes new life into the western genre and sheds a brighter light on a faction of Black culture that was largely unknown by white audiences until today.
- 50Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonA heartfelt but ultimately hobbled coming-of-age drama.