Downtown 81
Kinetique | Release Date: July 13, 2001 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
54
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
6
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
L.A. WeeklyErnest Hardy
Poignant, funny, and proof of Basquiat's magic. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert Abele
Its bygone-ness still abuzz with creativity and movement, Downtown 81 is a celluloid scrapbook that we can all be thankful for in helping capture the rumble before takeoff. Read full review
80
VarietyBrendan Kelly
Extraordinary real-life snapshot of hip, arty, clubland Manhattan in the post-punk era. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineMichael Joshua Rowin
This time capsule of bohemian New York distorts its representation of the city for reasons more loving than lazy. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
Doesn't dawdle and, despite some eye-rolling dialogue, is a generally amiable time-trip. Read full review
58
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Makes a great time capsule, a shot-on-the-streets glimpse into the texture of a bygone time, place and attitude, but a listless, lightweight odyssey. Read full review
58
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
Although amateurish, often poorly acted and containing dialogue and narration that comes off as pretentious and embarrassing, it's worth watching for the environment it envelops you in.
50
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
As a piece of cinematic art, this meandering, shambolic film isn't much to speak of, but as a time capsule, it's priceless. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Its main value is the prolonged look it gives of the late artist Basquiat. Read full review
40
New Times (L.A.)David Ehrenstein
If you're a Basquiat fan, or were around in New York back then, you'll want to take a look. If not, this film has little to recommend. Read full review
40
The New York TimesDave Kehr
It's as a documentary that Downtown 81 is most successful, particularly at those moments when the somewhat unfocused filmmaking allows us to look past the foreground characters and catch glimpses of a vanished cityscape. Read full review
38
New York PostJonathan Foreman
Amateurish in the extreme, the film is a feast of bohemian cliché, bad writing and worse acting. Read full review
37
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Alternates between being amusingly pretentious and studiously dull.
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