Good Hair
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: October 9, 2009 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
24
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Good Hair is cause for hope that Rock continues to make documentaries. His style is lively, smooth and up-to-date, like the most coveted 'do. Read full review
88
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Although its tone is generally genial and jovial, Good Hair touches on some tricky issues, at times complicitly. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Rock gives Good Hair a rousing message: Where African-Americans in the '60s adopted a ''natural'' look, they now feel free to coif their heads any way they want. That's cultural power. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Is it possible to talk about the fascinating and complex universe of black hair without dealing with race and identity? That’s the question posed by Good Hair. Read full review
80
VarietyJustin Chang
A raucous and rigorous inquiry into the subject of African-American hair -- the stigmas, the secrets, the shocking price of maintenance -- that gets at universal but rarely discussed truths about black femininity. Read full review
80
The New York TimesJeannette Catsoulis
Spirited, probing and frequently hilarious, it coasts on the fearless charm of its front man and the eye-opening candor of its interviewees, most of them women. Read full review
80
SalonStephanie Zacharek
One of those rare documentaries that works on two seemingly incongruous levels at once: It's both social commentary and pure delight. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesBetsy Sharkey
The result is a documentary that weaves as much comedy as fact into the narrative, making the experience a satisfying entertainment even for the lucky few who have no hair cares at all. Read full review
80
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Thanks to Rock's running monologue, combining scathing humor with trenchant observations, the film manages to be side-splitting even while making its most poignant points. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
Hair is personal. It's also political. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Rock conveys a lot of information, but also some unfortunate opinions and misleading facts. That doesn't mean the move isn't warm, funny, and entertaining. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
Rock takes his Good Hair job as a documentarian seriously enough to be interesting, but not so seriously that the film groans with earnestness. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
About the only question not answered by Good Hair is whether Michelle Obama wears a hair extension (most come from religious ceremonies in India) or straightens her hair. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Stephen Cole
Good Hair is also about how African-Americans spend $9-billion annually chemically treating and straightening their hair, buying 80 per cent of America's hair products. It's such a fascinating, complex tale that you hope one day some probing filmmaker will make a conclusive documentary on the subject. Read full review
75
St. Louis Post-DispatchKevin C. Johnson
Rock misses the boat in deciding not to relate Good Hair to non African-Americans more. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
"Our self-esteem is wrapped up in it,'' admits actress Tracie Thoms (who sticks with a natural curly look). "A woman's hair is her glory,'' Angelou says. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
There’s a lot of Michael Moore’s ambulatory spirit in this film, which the comedian Jeff Stinson directed. There’s also a lot of the damning comedic commentary that made Rock’s old HBO series so urgent. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
It’s an eye-opening and modestly funny look at a massive business and a culture with its own signifiers and language. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
It's funny, clever and marginally educational. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderStaff (Not credited)
An exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
Entertaining and substantive enough to be interesting even for those completely unfamiliar with weaves and relaxers. Read full review
70
NPRBob Mondello
Good Hair isn't selling anything but a good time. Read full review
70
SlateDana Stevens
The result is a pop documentary in the Morgan Spurlock mode, cheeky and smart without being too serious. Read full review
70
Film ThreatJessica Baxter
In addition to the socio-economic impact, Good Hair also explores how hair care affects the African-American community in confidence (both personal and race-related), romantic relationships and every day life. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
There's plenty to appreciate in Chris Rock's rollicking documentary about what goes on when African-American women hit the salon. Read full review
40
Village VoiceMelissa Anderson
Breezy, superficial documentary. Read full review
40
Time OutKeith Uhlich
A slipshod documentary about a fascinating subject: the loaded history and current complications of African-American hairstyling. Read full review
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