65
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Village VoiceApril WolfeVillage VoiceApril WolfeYes, this film is important for its insistence that we see these boys as capable of rehabilitation in the right environment. But it’s the movie’s daring structure and humanity that make it worthy of the Lear name.
- 90The Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberThe Hollywood ReporterStephen FarberThere is no simple answer to the questions this film poses, but it makes us think about the complexities of an issue that has been muddied by tough-on-crime politicians.
- 88RogerEbert.comMatt FagerholmRogerEbert.comMatt FagerholmThere’s a considerable amount of catharsis in They Call Us Monsters, but it is bittersweet at best.
- 83The PlaylistKatie WalshThe PlaylistKatie WalshThey Call Us Monsters is restrained, sensitive and quietly heartbreaking.
- 70The New York TimesBen KenigsbergThe New York TimesBen KenigsbergThey Call Us Monsters doesn’t shy from the consequences of the violence the prisoners were accused of (we meet a paralyzed victim of a shooting), even as it suggests that the system...proceeds almost mechanically.
- 50VarietyNick SchagerVarietyNick SchagerThey Call Us Monsters, alas, is so taken with its access to kids facing such legal circumstances that it forgets to form a compelling argument about them.
- 50Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleThere’s little doubt prison reform needs to address the severe effects of locking up kids for life, but They Call Us Monsters feels like a well-meaning skim rather than an impassioned, expertly reasoned plea for mercy.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleThe documentary They Call Us Monsters tries, and mostly succeeds, at putting a human face on teenage criminals facing life in prison.
- 50Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanEven if you agree with the film’s argument that teenagers shouldn’t be locked up for life when there are other ways to save them, “Monsters” doesn’t offer a convincing argument that a screenwriting class is that lifeline.