Step
Fox Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: August 4, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
81
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
25
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
CineVueZoe MargolisAug 24, 2017
Inspirational and moving, Step is full of heart, with a kicking beat: highly recommended. Read full review
100
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldAug 3, 2017
The film is inspiring and funny and lovely. Read full review
100
Washington PostAnn HornadayAug 3, 2017
A soaring, heart-bursting portrait of a group of intrepid Baltimore high school students guaranteed to bring audiences to their feet — whether out of vicarious triumph, overpowering pure emotion, or simply to pay tribute to the superheroines at the core of its infectiously inspiring story. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesBill ZweckerAug 2, 2017
Without question, Broadway producer Amanda Lipitz’s brilliant feature film directorial debut is deeply moving and inspirational, but unlike most documentaries it also makes for very entertaining viewing. Read full review
90
New York Magazine (Vulture)Emily YoshidaAug 4, 2017
There are many films that attempt to illuminate the world through pain, but Step is most instructive in its moments of joy. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranAug 3, 2017
Heartening and unashamedly emotional, it's a certified crowd pleaser that doesn't care who knows it. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternAug 3, 2017
What’s so memorable about Ms. Lipitz’s documentary, though, is its privileged view of not-privileged students trying to dance well, learn well and think well on the way to living well in the world beyond their nurturing school. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyFeb 22, 2017
Emotionally involving material is the key element to a good human-interest documentary, and Lipitz, a Baltimore native with a background in Broadway producing, has tapped into a great story here of adversity, struggle and elevating achievement. Read full review
90
Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganFeb 22, 2017
Crowds will be pleased, tears will be shed and audiences should rally to the passion and drama onscreen. The stakes are high in Step. Read full review
90
VarietyGeoff BerkshireFeb 22, 2017
Without any fuss, Lipitz has made a film deeply rooted in intergenerational relationships between women. Read full review
88
Boston GlobePeter KeoughAug 9, 2017
Step, the African-American competitive art that is the subject of Amanda Lipitz’s taut, intimate, passionate, and celebratory documentary of the same title, is not to be confused with its Irish namesake in “Riverdance.” Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comSusan WloszczynaAug 3, 2017
A soul-stirring, foot-stomping and inspirational step beyond most in that its final showdown is only the beginning of a path towards a brighter future for the participants. Read full review
83
The Film StageJohn FinkFeb 22, 2017
Step is a universal story of triumph. Read full review
80
Total FilmMatt MaytumAug 15, 2017
If the formula feels familiar, the girls’ personalities obliterate any chance of tedium, with Broadway producer-turned-director Amanda Lipitz providing sensitive insight into their home lives while capturing the toe-tapping with joyful aplomb. Read full review
80
TimeStephanie ZacharekAug 7, 2017
Realistically, it’s probably not possible to dance your cares away. But the determination of these girls makes you believe in it. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 22, 2017
Step is an inspiring documentary. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Gayle MacDonaldAug 10, 2017
The mentors and the mothers are just as important as the dance routines. Step is a story about relationships. And how even the most challenging family ties shape us into the people we are destined to become. Read full review
75
Paste MagazineJacob OllerAug 7, 2017
Step may stumble over its own hurried pace (cramming months of school into montage after montage), but such a method is almost forgivable once you realize that the film is speeding towards an effective finale that will have you cheering no matter what. Read full review
75
ConsequenceAllison ShoemakerAug 3, 2017
Step may be a touch too glossy, and unusually, a bit too short, but its power is undeniable. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoAug 2, 2017
It’s a lot to cover in 83 minutes, and you might wish for a little more depth in the girls’ back stories. Then again, the brisk pace is part of what makes the movie a crowdpleaser. Read full review
75
TheWrapRobert AbeleAug 1, 2017
The competition in Step isn’t just to hit a stage and win a talent prize, but to beat the odds in life. Start figuring out now how to clap and dab away tears at the same time; it’s that kind of experience. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicKerry LengelAug 10, 2017
You might say the lack of a Hollywood narrative arc is both a strength and a weakness in this film, because Lipitz isn’t entirely clear about what story she is trying to tell. Read full review
70
The New York TimesGlenn KennyAug 3, 2017
The film’s success is directly dependent on the personalities — and achievements — of the young women highlighted. Despite the narrative gaps, Ms. Lipitz excels at putting across those personalities. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenAug 9, 2017
The music by Raphael Saadiq also belongs in the film’s plus column, helping to make Step one of the feel-good documentaries of the year. Read full review
67
IndieWireSteve GreeneAug 3, 2017
While Amanda Lipitz’s film doesn’t quite reinvent the narrative, Step tells a story that highlights the intertwining values of hope and education, and never loses sight of the idea that much more lies ahead. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonAug 3, 2017
By fitting Cori, Tayla, and Blessin's lives into a predetermined narrative arc, Step reduces the girls to plucky, up-by-the-bootstraps archetypes. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyAug 2, 2017
Over and over, it pitches us reasons to care about these young women—an all-too-perfect example of a documentary that exists to make people feel good for watching it. Read full review
More From This Movie

81 Critic Reviews

7.6 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL