Head Games
Variance Films | Release Date: September 21, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
4
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckSep 20, 2012
The devastating effects of head injuries in sports are detailed in Steve James' wrenching documentary. Read full review
83
The PlaylistKevin JagernauthSep 22, 2012
It's a deeply humane and moving look at a complex issue that at the very least demands that a conversation begins not about short term fixes, but long term solutions. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubScott TobiasSep 19, 2012
Head Games is particularly devastating when it shifts from the NFL and NHL, where brutality and headshots are a given, to girls' soccer and under-14 football leagues, where still-developing young necks and skulls make kids perhaps more vulnerable to head trauma than their professional counterparts. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. ScottSep 20, 2012
Head Games gains credibility and power from compassion for athletes and respect for their accomplishments. But it also tries to open the eyes of sports lovers to dangers that have too often been minimized and too seldom fully understood. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranSep 20, 2012
It's a complex, determined look at one of the most pernicious problems facing organized sports on all levels. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertSep 26, 2012
Some of the film's more thought-provoking scenes involves games played at Chicago's Near North Elementary. The players are obviously emulating pro games they've seen on TV. It's not a "game" for them. They go for hard hits. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Adam LitovitzSep 20, 2012
Finally, there's a sports movie for people who are caught between admiration and fear of athleticism. Neither a triumphant underdog like "Rudy" nor a total weepie like "The Pride of the Yankees," Head Games also deals with the illnesses and premature deaths of talented players. Read full review
70
VarietyJohn AndersonSep 21, 2012
Parents could be making their kids wear helmets to the library by the conclusion of helmer Steve James' science-and-sports docu Head Games, which scores solid hits on everyone from the NFL down to peewee hockey as it links contact sports, concussions and those calling for widespread reformation of the nation's athletic philosophies and priorities. Read full review
60
Time OutMatt SingerSep 18, 2012
The results are, cinematically speaking, a little diffuse, but any parent who's contemplating whether they should sign their kids up for Pop Warner this fall may want to watch this first. Read full review
50
Village VoiceMichael NordineSep 19, 2012
While Head Games does feature a number of articulate and consistently intelligent talking-head interviews, it's ultimately not a satisfying advocacy documentary. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineJesse CataldoSep 17, 2012
While Steve James's documentary is persuasive on an informational level, it doesn't do enough to explore the human side of its subject matter. Read full review
40
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanSep 20, 2012
Director Steve James ("Hoop Dreams") has a worthy message, but never makes the case that he needs an entire documentary to deliver it. Read full review
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