The Outside Story
Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date (Streaming): April 30, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Musthafa AzeezMay 27, 2021
One reason The Outside Story works is that it doesn’t follow an established template. Nozkowski pre-empts speculation by divulging Young’s backstory at a steady pace. And while the script is laudable for its gentle laughs, it is Henry’s portrayal of Young that holds our attention. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comOdie HendersonApr 30, 2021
The Outside Story is barely 85 minutes long, but Henry's performance is rich enough to make this small film feel rather epic. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterLovia GyarkyeMay 27, 2021
The true pleasure of The Outside Story doesn’t come from its heartwarming message about community or its nostalgic rendering of a mask-less, pre-pandemic New York City, but from Brian Tyree Henry’s exceptional performance in his first big-screen lead role. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovApr 29, 2021
It’s a slight film, really a seriocomic tone poem about the absurdities and obstacles we can create for ourselves even when our intentions are for the best, but it brims with ordinary everyday good cheer and feels like just the right movie at just the right time. Read full review
75
The PlaylistRobert DanielsApr 30, 2021
Though the delightful ensemble allows this slight comedy to bob along, it’s Henry who steers this ship into gentle waters. He imbues Charles’ substantial reawakening with great tenderness. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy BurrApr 28, 2021
Writer-director Casimir Nozkowski has great fun coming up with new exasperations for his main character, and Henry has a slow burn to rival old-time masters like Edgar Kennedy. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreApr 27, 2021
Charles stuck “Outside” reminds us not just that we’re not alone, no matter how much we want to be, and that in the Big City, the biggest journey can be one of just a few steps on foot crossing a chasm you’ve built in your own head. Read full review
70
Screen RantMae AbdulbakiMay 25, 2021
While the pacing dawdles just a bit in a few places, The Outside Story is an unexpectedly warm film that asks its audience to engage with their own surroundings in the hopes that they, like Charles, might find something worthwhile. Read full review
70
Film ThreatAlex SavelievAug 20, 2020
A warm hug of a film, The Outside Story may occasionally stumble and resemble an extended TV pilot, but – largely thanks to its charming protagonist – is bound to (however briefly) reaffirm your faith in humanity. Read full review
68
Paste MagazineAdesola ThomasMay 3, 2021
Were Nozkowski’s debut not blessed with Henry’s ridiculous acting abilities and the film’s constellation of warm sentiments, it would have collapsed into an unexamined chasm of its own social pitfalls. Read full review
58
IndieWireKate ErblandApr 30, 2021
It’s charming enough, although flashes of flinty humor hint at something edgier underneath. Henry, capable of bringing deep emotion to even small parts (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), often finds unexpected grace notes. Read full review
40
The New York TimesTeo BugbeeApr 29, 2021
The film, which was written and directed by Casimir Nozkowski, sets an easy pace to match Charles’s mild ennui. The only problem is that the movie doesn’t supplement its lack of stakes with style or substance. Read full review
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