Brian Banks
Bleecker Street | Release Date: August 9, 2019 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
58
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
8
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
85
Film ThreatAlan NgAug 8, 2019
From a macro level, Brian Banks should just be a social justice film, but as we peer into the life of Banks himself, you’ll see a deeper and more profound story. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeAug 6, 2019
So, where do Shadyac and Atchison expect audiences to direct their frustration at such a miscarriage of justice? Well, that’s what makes “Brian Banks” special: It is not an angry film, but one that preaches forgiveness in the face of such adversity. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperAug 8, 2019
Sure, there are times when we’re aware our emotions are being manipulated — but we’re fine with that, because we want to see, and we expect to see, the heroic underdog triumph against nearly insurmountable odds. Read full review
75
Washington PostAlan ZilbermanAug 5, 2019
On one level, Brian’s story is meant to be inspirational; the real Banks would ultimately go on to play in the NFL. But it is also a painful reminder of how young black people still face overwhelming disadvantages. The film leaves you wondering: What might have happened if Brian hadn’t been a talented linebacker? Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranAug 8, 2019
Conventional but effectively so, more tense and involving than might be anticipated as obstacles pile on obstacles, this emotionally affecting story knows enough not to push too hard and reaps the benefits from its relative restraint. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberAug 6, 2019
Hodge’s performance is what keeps Brian Banks on track. He is powerful in scenes of anger, but he may be even better in purely silent moments where his unspoken reactions are eloquent. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireAug 8, 2019
Playing Banks over the course of more than a decade, Hodge consistently makes the movie compelling, even when it veers toward a safe, faith-based uplift. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsAug 6, 2019
Brian Banks proceeds non-chronologically, toggling between high school years and Banks’ post-prison life. This helps keep the audience on its toes. But it’s the actors who complicate things most fruitfully. Read full review
60
Rolling StonePeter TraversAug 9, 2019
The proceedings are raised when Hodge is onscreen, using every nuanced look and gesture to jump the hurdles of a banal script and reveal the pain tearing up Banks. Having made a mark in films like "Straight Outta Compton" and "Hidden Figures," and on TV in "City on a Hill," Hodge hits new heights of commitment. Read full review
60
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzAug 8, 2019
It’s Hodge’s portrayal of Banks that elevates the film. Read full review
60
The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisAug 8, 2019
Brian Banks isn’t a great movie, but it is a worthwhile one. And if it’s indicative of a new direction for its director, you won’t hear any complaints from me. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 10, 2019
Much more of a mixed bag of a movie than you’d hope. A “broken system” isn’t going to be driven to change by pulled punches like this one. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleAug 6, 2019
Despite some real virtues, Brian Banks as a whole, is only a break-even experience. Read full review
45
TheWrapCandice FrederickAug 6, 2019
Perhaps the worst thing a film can be, even more so than the binary of good or bad, is forgettable. Read full review
42
IndieWireKate ErblandAug 6, 2019
Hodge sells it, just as he sells the rest of an otherwise chintzy film, a Lifetime movie-like drama that falls short of engaging with the many thorny issues it dramatizes. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerAug 6, 2019
This is a movie that seems utterly convinced that it’s saying something profound, but proves difficult to actually parse. Read full review
33
The PlaylistAndrew BundyAug 6, 2019
Shadyac’s movie may ask difficult questions about the ills that society grapples with today, but it tackles them in a shallow, facile, sometimes uncomfortably out of touch manner. Read full review
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