Strong Island
Netflix | Release Date: September 15, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
86
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlSep 14, 2017
For all its raw pain, Strong Island is also a scrupulously shaped work, one of striking compositions and juxtapositions, its faces and revelations presented with artful, thoughtful rigor. Read full review
100
The GuardianCharlie PhillipsAug 25, 2017
It would be too simplistic to call it brave. Ford excels, and shows us why we should be angry at America’s indifference to dead black men. The documentary won’t bring William Ford back, and it may give Yance Ford some catharsis, but more importantly it could and should lead to greater justice and empowerment. Read full review
91
The PlaylistChris BarsantiSep 14, 2017
This is cinematic intimacy in the best manner for the worst of all reasons. Read full review
91
IndieWireEric KohnAug 25, 2017
Equal parts journalistic investigation and family portrait, Ford’s delicate project transforms the source of his frustrations into an absorbing cinematic elegy. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleSep 14, 2017
As fingers move Polaroids around in the frame, or faces in jarring close-up grapple with unresolved tragedy, you realize Strong Island is a state-of-mind piece, surveying the wreckage from within. Read full review
90
Village VoiceBilge EbiriSep 2, 2017
What emerges is a very close, tender look at the Ford family.... The film is unflinching in its portrayal of their devastation after the loss of their eldest son. Read full review
90
Screen DailyDavid D'ArcySep 2, 2017
This documentary reminds us that justice can be as elusive in the US suburbs as anywhere else, and that having guns keeps people who are born different from getting too close. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneySep 2, 2017
Solemn, searching and at times even poetic in its indignation, this is a sensitively crafted contemplation of corrosive grief, even if the unanswerable questions surrounding the case keep the film somewhat emotionally muted. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleySep 15, 2017
It is that very lack of objectivity that makes Strong Island the experience that it is. It is a very tough film to shake. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyLeah GreenblattSep 17, 2017
Strong builds a poignant, methodical portrait of loss. Read full review
80
The New York TimesKen JaworowskiSep 14, 2017
This potent film gives equal weight to complex emotions as well as bare facts. In the same way, it’s not just the story of a man’s death, but also a study of the aftermath. Read full review
80
The New YorkerRichard BrodySep 2, 2017
Ford is more than a witness—he is a crucial participant in the events of the film, and its elements of pain and guilt are reflected in his grief-stricken, self-interrogating aesthetic. Read full review
80
VarietyOwen GleibermanSep 2, 2017
It’s a moving film, but it leaves a hole in one’s outrage. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloSep 12, 2017
The effect is stark, expressionistic, and powerful. It creates the sense that what’s being said is important. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineSam C. MacSep 2, 2017
Yance Ford’s film builds into an emotionally, intellectually, and aesthetically complex work of essay and memoir. Read full review
70
TheWrapInkoo KangSep 15, 2017
Even when Ford strongly foreshadows future revelations, Strong Island holds narrative jolts, many fueled by shocks of betrayal. In losing William, the family also lost their faith in their country, their community, and in themselves. Read full review
More From This Movie

86 Critic Reviews

5.9 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