Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
Screen Media Films | Release Date: April 23, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
82
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Amil NiaziMay 27, 2021
Even those familiar with the legacy of the show will discover new and fascinating things about the history of Sesame Street throughout the film – and anyone who watches Street Gang will come away moved by everything its cast and crew managed to accomplish. Read full review
90
TimeStephanie ZacharekMay 10, 2021
Watching Street Gang is a largely joyous experience, but there’s also something heartbreaking about it. Read full review
90
SlashfilmEthan AndertonFeb 2, 2021
It follows in the footsteps of the Mr. Rogers documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? by shining a light on the making of the iconic series, revealing things you may not have known about its creators, and bringing some good old fashioned nostalgia to your heart. Read full review
90
VarietyChris WillmanFeb 2, 2021
A highly satisfying HBO documentary ... that wisely places roughly equal emphasis on how the sausage was made and how the culture was changed. Read full review
89
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerApr 29, 2021
After all, Street Gang absorbs what was truly important about the show: that not every lesson is going to be fun, but that doesn't mean everything is terrible. Most importantly, it taught small kids their ABCs and 123s, while showing them that a beat-up, diverse neighborhood just like theirs could be the best place on Earth. Read full review
88
ObserverOliver JonesJun 20, 2021
By shining the light on Stone, Agrelo’s movie rightfully makes a national hero out of a historical footnote. Read full review
88
PolygonTasha RobinsonApr 23, 2021
Street Gang certainly doesn’t tell the whole story of Sesame Street’s early years — it can’t begin to. But it’s an absorbing, nostalgia-courting start, and for people with fond memories of the show, it’s an unbeatable chance to approach it as an adult, and understand their own childhoods a little better in the process. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperApr 23, 2021
Mr. Henson left behind a body of work that continues to endure today, but a great deal of his legacy remains on Sesame Street, and this film tells us exactly how he and everyone else got there. Read full review
88
Movie NationRoger MooreApr 22, 2021
The film’s major revelations are not how hilarious, anarchic and charismatic the Muppets were and are. That’s been covered elsewhere. What’s fascinating here is remembering the lesser known figures who shaped the show that was to come. Read full review
83
IndieWireKate ErblandFeb 2, 2021
“Street Gang” may lightly gloss over some of the tougher elements of its genesis and legacy, but the staggering amount of material on offer makes the case that a good heart was always meant to be the best part of the show. Read full review
83
The PlaylistJason BaileyFeb 2, 2021
Filled with fascinating yet long-forgotten anecdotes ... "Street Gang" ultimately focuses on the correct subject: the artists and educators who made "Sesame Street," and how much of its power and influence seems an outgrowth of the unique chemistry created by those specific people, at that specific moment. Read full review
82
Paste MagazineAdesola ThomasMay 5, 2021
The documentary’s abundance of archival footage and personal yarns will immerse viewers in the wonderful world of Sesame Street and remind them how powerful, influential art grows from bright ideas and enthusiastic, collaborative minds. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterDaniel FienbergFeb 2, 2021
If 107 minutes is maybe insufficient for something as important and layered as Sesame Street, that likely won't keep viewers from being satisfied. Read full review
78
TheWrapSteve PondFeb 2, 2021
Even as it concludes on those notes of sadness and grace, “Street Gang” remains appropriately celebratory and thoroughly entertaining. Let’s face it, blooper reels in which Muppets blow their lines and curse will always be priceless. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comNell MinowApr 23, 2021
What is most endearing about the film is the palpable message throughout that Sesame Street was brought to us by the letters LOVE. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliApr 22, 2021
By employing nostalgia but not relying exclusively on its effects, the filmmakers are able to tell the story of how the program started with details that may surprise all but the most knowledgeable of fans. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleChris VognarApr 21, 2021
Street Gang is a worthy celebration of a one-of-a-kind program. If you’re not careful, it might leave you humming your ABC’s. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)Alison WillmoreApr 23, 2021
Agrelo steers clear of the straight-up hagiography that plagues so many docs framed as tributes to their subjects. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergApr 22, 2021
Even those resistant to easy nostalgia will find plenty to think about. Read full review
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