The Interrupters
Cinema Guild | Release Date: July 29, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
86
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
22
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Boston GlobeWesley MorrisSep 15, 2011
The immediacy and caprice of violence in The Interrupters are just as strong as in nearly every documentary I've seen about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Read full review
100
Chicago ReaderAndrea GronvallAug 11, 2011
When the interrupters do succeed, the results can be riveting. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertAug 10, 2011
The Interrupters is based on a much-acclaimed article in the New York Times Magazine by Alex Kotlowitz, who followed a period of intense violence in Chicago. He joined with James to co-produce the film. It is difficult to imagine the effort, day after day for a year, of following this laborious, heroic and so often fruitless volunteer work. Read full review
100
SalonAndrew O'HehirJul 28, 2011
A stereotype-shattering movie that's full of them, and one that may permanently change the way you think about violent crime in America. Read full review
91
Portland OregonianShawn LevyAug 25, 2011
A staggering movie about a reality so dark and painful and real that it almost crushes the mind to think about it. Read full review
91
IndieWireEric KohnJul 25, 2011
Steve James's The Interrupters runs long, but earns its heft. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranAug 25, 2011
No concept in the critical lexicon has been more devalued and debased than "inspirational." The term has been so misused, it's just about lost all meaning. A film that makes that word real and vital has to be special. The Interrupters is such a film. Read full review
90
SlateDana StevensAug 19, 2011
May be the most necessary film you'll see this year. But if you go to the movies in search of emotion rather than edification, don't let that word necessary deter you, because this is also one of the most engaging films you'll see this year, full of vibrant, complex real-life characters whose troubles and joys will stay with you long after the movie's done. Read full review
90
TimeRichard CorlissAug 8, 2011
Matthews brings to The Interrupters what every terrific documentary needs: an out-of-nowhere personality with the same magnetic watchability as any Hollywood star. Read full review
88
Miami HeraldRene RodriguezAug 26, 2011
One of the first things that strikes you about these courageous people, who constantly confront volatile, gun-carrying thugs, is that they outgrew their violent pasts and now live contented lives with their families. Read full review
88
Slant MagazineLauren WissotJul 24, 2011
An inspirational and heartbreaking nail-biter, The Interrupters was more difficult for me to watch than any battle documentary I've seen in years. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerAug 26, 2011
Alternately inspirational and disheartening, galvanizing and wearying. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubScott TobiasJul 28, 2011
Witnessing outreach workers intervening in these situations is inspiring enough, but their subtlety and nuance in neutralizing people of different backgrounds and temperaments is especially impressive. Read full review
80
EmpireDavid ParkinsonAug 8, 2011
A welcome return from Hoop Dream director Steve James. Even at just shy of three hours, the format strains to accommodate such a complex, involving true-life story, but it makes a seriously impressive attempt. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierJul 29, 2011
This is crucial work, evidenced by a line on a wall of R.I.P. graffiti that reads simply, "I am next." This film of common folks fighting the seemingly inevitable is just as moving. Read full review
80
The New York TimesManohla DargisJul 28, 2011
The stories in The Interrupters, a hard wallop of a documentary, may weigh heavily on your heart and head, but they will also probably infuriate you. Read full review
80
Village VoiceMelissa AndersonJul 26, 2011
The Interrupters reminds us of the powers and pleasures of well-crafted, immersive nonfiction filmmaking. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovSep 29, 2011
Filmmaker Steve James is apparently incapable of making an uninteresting documentary, even when his subject matter might presumably be thoroughly played out. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyOct 6, 2011
Redemption, not crime, is the real theme here, for this handful of courageous men and women who have rescued their own lives, and just possibly may help save the blighted neighbourhoods in which they labour. Read full review
75
Washington PostStephanie MerrySep 16, 2011
The gritty film is realistically inspiring and, thankfully, not overly dramatized. While the interrupters succeed on many levels, a pervasive sadness remains. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoSep 1, 2011
An intense and chilling documentary. Read full review
75
New York PostKyle SmithJul 29, 2011
The movie is more a situation than a narrative, and it's repetitive and depressing. One interrupter -- a murderer who did 14 years in prison -- says of the program, "In essence, it's just a Band-Aid." At best: One of his colleagues gets shot in the back for his peacekeeping effort. Read full review
60
Boxoffice MagazineVadim RizovJul 28, 2011
James keeps viewer attention the whole time, despite forcing unnecessarily sentimental music on his footage and chopping his scenes down to dramatic highlights rather than letting them play at length. Read full review
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeJul 24, 2011
James captures candid counseling sessions and heated tussles with equal dynamism, but never quite earns his 164-minute running time. Read full review
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