Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
PBS Distribution | Release Date: May 19, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
73
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzMay 19, 2017
As gripping as the movie is as a legal thriller, it's even more notable as a portrait of a community. Read full review
83
The Film StageMichael SnydelMay 15, 2017
James’ depiction of the trial is methodical, juxtaposing testimonies from the Sung family, employees, jurors, and lawyers – including Vance. But the film is foremost empathetic to the experiences of the Sung family. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranJun 8, 2017
It's not every day that you end up rooting for a bank, but the story Abacus: Small Enough to Jail tells is no ordinary tale. Read full review
80
Village VoiceKristen Yoonsoo KimMay 18, 2017
By focusing on the Sungs, [James] puts real, human faces to this corporation, leaving little doubt they’re the ones to root for. Read full review
80
Screen DailyTim GriersonMay 15, 2017
Abacus: Small Enough To Jail isn’t as grand or engrossing a treatise as Hoop Dreams or The Interrupters, but in its intimate, well-observed way, the film is deeply moving and subtly shaming. Read full review
75
Washington PostPat PaduaJun 22, 2017
Much of the film’s appeal is from the quiet determination of the patriarch Sung, unflappable under the stress, and the family and community who rally around him. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyJun 14, 2017
Some of the best scenes show the family gathering after court sessions to discuss strategy, support each other, and vent. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubJun 8, 2017
Like George Bailey, and the Cartwright family from “Bonanza” and other fictitious families, the real-life story of the Sungs is one of loyalty and adhering to their code, even as they face losing everything. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerJun 1, 2017
The film’s director, who would make an excellent character witness for the defence, raises the questions but frustratingly doesn’t answer them in an otherwise compelling documentary. Read full review
75
The PlaylistKevin JagernauthMay 15, 2017
While the film never reaches the kind of emotional peaks of James’ best work like “Hoop Dreams” or “The Interrupters,” Abacus: Small Enough To Jail is no less compelling. And it serves a very important reminder, particularly at a time when more than ever, it seems banks are putting profit in front of people. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergMay 18, 2017
It’s a kind of stealth home movie: a portrait of two generations of an immigrant family in the United States. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterStephen DaltonMay 15, 2017
A minor but touchingly human subplot to the financial crash, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail is both an affirmation and an indictment of the American Dream. Read full review
70
VarietyOwen GleibermanMay 15, 2017
The movie is diligent and, to a degree, absorbing — a legal/business saga that’s also the story of a family in crisis. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineChuck BowenMay 17, 2017
Steve James is clearly positioning the film as a rallying cry, and its weaknesses as art might bolster its strength as reformatory theater. Read full review
60
CineVueBen NicholsonMay 15, 2017
By focusing on the family, James makes Abacus about resilience and humility rather than the mechanics of litigation and in doing so underscores - perhaps more strongly than in other louder films on similar subjects - the injustice of the situation. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyMay 18, 2017
As for what all of this represents, Small Enough To Jail doesn’t draw any conclusions that its many interviewees aren’t willing to voice themselves. Read full review
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