Passing Strange
IFC | Release Date: August 21, 2009 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
85
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
I can't single out a performance. This is a superb ensemble, conveying hat joy actors feel when hey know they're good in good material. This is not a traditional feature, but it's one of Spike Lee's best films. Read full review
91
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
Lee doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to filming live theater, but he moves the camera artfully and edits with an energy that matches the music. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterJustin Lowe
In directing the film, Lee allows the show's inherent vitality to carry the doc, relying on Stew's charismatic stage presence, the cast's absorbing performances and the production's effective combination of minimal staging and impressive lighting design to convey the musical's energetic celebration of artistic discovery. Read full review
90
Village VoiceScott Foundas
Passing Strange conjures a rare kind of theatrical magic with its emotionally raw, frequently euphoric portrait of the artist as a young man. Read full review
90
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
A show not simply preserved by Mr. Lee’s camera, but brought, somehow, to its fullest, strangest, most electrifying realization. Read full review
88
Rolling StonePeter Travers
As for Lee, he clearly relates to this material and the questions of political, musical and family identity he himself raised in films as diverse as "Malcolm X," "Mo' Better Blues" and "Crooklyn." Read full review
80
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
The cutting is hyperkinetic, yet Lee is always in synch with the cast’s phenomenal energy. He’s in their thrall--and so are we. Read full review
80
VarietyDennis Harvey
This first-rate multicamera transcript of a terrific show should delight musical fans (and many who think they aren't) as a niche broadcast item. Read full review
80
Time OutStephen Garrett
Rousing, devastating, invigorating, painful, joyful, soulful--all those adjectives don’t even begin to describe Passing Strange, but it’s a start. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
Basically canned musical theater, but this is one Tony-winning Broadway show that's well worth preserving and seeing. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
The beginning is awkwardly earnest, but the play matures considerably while retaining its youthful energy and enthusiasm Read full review
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