Bully
Lions Gate Films | Release Date: July 13, 2001
8.4
USER SCORE
Universal acclaim based on 127 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
104
Mixed:
9
Negative:
14
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
3
TealH.Jul 11, 2007
While it's true that Bully resembles some of the nitty gritty stuff of angsts working class teens, the myriad of flaws tip the scales and make the movie just awful. I expected MUCH better acting from Brad Renfro, who I'm usually a While it's true that Bully resembles some of the nitty gritty stuff of angsts working class teens, the myriad of flaws tip the scales and make the movie just awful. I expected MUCH better acting from Brad Renfro, who I'm usually a huge fan of. If someone had told me that this film was made by a couple of freshman college film students, I'd believe it unquestioningly. Creepy, often dull, and if it makes any sense, this movie is just plain senselessly mean. No chemistry between characters, no suspense, no point.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
7
DerekF.Jul 31, 2006
I feel this movie was pretty wacked. It made you think, that there are people out there who are capable of killing someone just because they can't take thier abuse.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
LP.Jan 30, 2007
Pretty good, VERY disturbing movie. Though the literary license adds/omits various realities, and many people criticize the film for this...one cannot deny how close to true this scenario is.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
RobertN.Aug 11, 2008
I followed the court case and i feel although the characters might not have been portrayed as they looked and for the most part as they felt. Larry Clark did a wonderful job making them real. Every actor and actress in that movie was I followed the court case and i feel although the characters might not have been portrayed as they looked and for the most part as they felt. Larry Clark did a wonderful job making them real. Every actor and actress in that movie was amazing. I am sorry to see so called "movie critics" cant see that… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
Dr.S.Mar 12, 2007
I still find this story fascinating and disturbing. The movie did give some gratuitous "clark" shots, but face up; some teens drink, do drugs and have sex. South Florida has been a decadent wonderland since Jackie Gleason owned Miami Beach. I still find this story fascinating and disturbing. The movie did give some gratuitous "clark" shots, but face up; some teens drink, do drugs and have sex. South Florida has been a decadent wonderland since Jackie Gleason owned Miami Beach. Factor in our greed-driven economy which forces a two-parent income and then wonder why there is no teen supervision. The gloss of the movie combined with the grit of the true story makes this flick get your attention!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
MovieGuysMar 6, 2014
Bully is intriguing, and the script is pretty razor sharp. The acting is surprisingly good, and the story moves smoothly. Where the movie fails is its plot holes and overused sex scenes. You'd be hard pressed to find a scene in this movieBully is intriguing, and the script is pretty razor sharp. The acting is surprisingly good, and the story moves smoothly. Where the movie fails is its plot holes and overused sex scenes. You'd be hard pressed to find a scene in this movie where someone isn't naked.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
frankrog29Feb 9, 2017
Bully is one of my favorite movies. The style of the movie is stark realism, and I can attest to the realistic nature of the characters because I grew up around similar people in the South. The film is extremely well-executed and extremelyBully is one of my favorite movies. The style of the movie is stark realism, and I can attest to the realistic nature of the characters because I grew up around similar people in the South. The film is extremely well-executed and extremely disturbing. The plot is simultaneously mundane and Shakespearean. The story is very specific, yet universal because it could happen anywhere, anytime. The actors are very convincing in their portrayals of these unfortunate young people who have little to no positive influences in their lives. Probably the best thing about the movie is the ending, which is one of the most shocking and devastating that I have ever seen.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
JLuis_001Jul 3, 2022
Based on a true story, Bully is crude film, but also disconcerting and misdirected. It doesn't pretend to indulge you with the cruelty of its story so that you'll find it entertaining, but it also doesn't do much to support the notion thatBased on a true story, Bully is crude film, but also disconcerting and misdirected. It doesn't pretend to indulge you with the cruelty of its story so that you'll find it entertaining, but it also doesn't do much to support the notion that it's not something that seems more interested in being exploitative than anything else.

Bully feels realistic as far as it allows itself to be. The cast is what manages to keep things afloat, yet they're not able to make amends for the whole thing.
After all Bully has many flaws that keep it from becoming the film I had heard it was for certain people, but I did like that it doesn't soften the impact of what it exposes as an accusation and a critique of society on both fronts, those who don't help young people, and the young people dragged into situations from which they don't even try to escape until it's already too late.

Really wanted this to be better.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
CaptainHowdyJul 22, 2020
I was very wary when I saw Larry Clark's name on this movie. Clark has a well-earned reputation for being borderline-exploitative with young actors, and this was no exception. There's tons of drugs, nudity, and violence, all things that areI was very wary when I saw Larry Clark's name on this movie. Clark has a well-earned reputation for being borderline-exploitative with young actors, and this was no exception. There's tons of drugs, nudity, and violence, all things that are relatively par for the course with Clark.

For the first half of the film, I found everything to be fairly unrealistic. The way the characters talked and the fact that they told nearly EVERYONE they knew about what they were going to do. In the second half, I found it completely believable that the characters acted and reacted the way they did to the situation. These chatty-kathys couldn't keep their secret for more than a few days, and everything fell apart exactly as you'd expect. After Bully wound to a close, I came to find out that this film is a true story. The major events played out on screen more or less as they did in real life, and the characters' names were not altered for the movie.

The movie's strengths lie in the unflinching portrayal of its central event and the sense of inevitable doom afterward. Clark really creates a sense of "Oh, **** This really can't be undone and is going to end badly." That the film stayed as close as it did to the source material is admirable when so many other films tend to mess around with the facts for Hollywood.

Bully's weaknesses manifest themselves in the dialogue. Some of the dialogue is just really unbelievable and clunky, even for late teenagers. Perhaps the characters say what they're going to do over and over because they're trying to talk themselves into it, or maybe they do it because the filmmakers wanted everyone to know that this act was premeditated. If it's the former, it's clever but not strongly executed; if it's the latter, it's just hamfisted.

Furthermore, the character of Lisa Connelly (played by Rachel Miner) makes some jarring turns. We see her go from what seems like a relatively sweet girl to a complete psychopath then back to a sweet girl without any warning at all. Maybe the girl was like this in real life, but you get no clues early on the film that she's really this disturbed. Then, all of a sudden, POW, she's completely, heartlessly crazy.

Another point of contention is the music. This event occurred in the summer of 1993, yet all of the music I recognized came out afterward, sometimes by years. The characters were watching Eminem videos that wouldn't come out for another 8 years. In a particularly bizarre turn, the characters are listening to Cypress Hill's album "Black Sunday" which came out a week AFTER the main event of the film. It's just sloppy if you're going to make a film based off of real events using real people's names but you mess up on getting the little details right.

Bully is a good film, slightly above average, but not a great film. It's worth watching once, but I feel no need to watch it again.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
MeatpastaJun 30, 2020
I honestly really enjoyed this film, i thought it was an realistic portrayal of how teenagers would act in a situation like that, it explored the different characters well, and it wasn't boring
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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