Breaking a Monster
Abramorama | Release Date: June 24, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
9
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenJun 30, 2016
Just when you thought you had seen every permutation of the “making of a band” documentary, along comes Breaking a Monster, a thoroughly engaging portrait of Unlocking the Truth, a heavy metal outfit composed of African American middle schoolers. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsEthan SacksJun 22, 2016
Meyers leaves little editorializing in the film, though it seems unusually sympathetic to the band’s manager, Alan Sacks, who often treats the unseasoned musicians like employees instead of kids. Read full review
80
The GuardianLanre BakareJun 7, 2016
It’s a charming and engaging mix – the antithesis of Metallica’s ego overload, and just as watchable. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniJul 21, 2016
Breaking a Monster is a revealing window into the industry. But it lacks a certain human component. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoJul 21, 2016
Engaging to watch partly because of the three young stars’ personalities — despite a few adolescent squabbles, they remain likable sorts. Read full review
75
ConsequenceMichael RoffmanJun 7, 2016
What unfolds is a transparent example of why the music industry continues to spiral downward toward a fiery hell. Read full review
70
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisJun 23, 2016
What’s troubling is the film’s slow and steady exposure of a music business machine that gobbles up individuality and spits out a sellable package. Read full review
70
Village VoiceMichael NordineJun 21, 2016
They're still thirteen-year-olds, which leads to Breaking a Monster's funniest moments. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis HarveyJun 7, 2016
What makes Luke Meyer’s documentary interesting isn’t so much the music or even the incipient stardom, but rather the push-pull between high-stakes biz pressure and subjects who — being 13 years old or so — hardly have the attention spans for the drudgery and minutiae a “career” requires. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweJun 7, 2016
Meyer...and his easy rapport with the kids and Sacks helps coax sometimes surprisingly candid comments from his subjects. What’s missing however is adequate background on how the boys became such impressive young musicians and why they gravitated toward heavy metal rather than pop or rap. Read full review
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