The defence The Auteur Devotee
“Ambition earns the room.”
The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.
Back to trending 
Strong Island
Documentary · 2017
Examining the violent death of the filmmaker’s brother and the judicial system that allowed his killer to go free, this documentary interrogates murderous fear and racialized perception, and re-imagines the wreckage in catastrophe’s wake, challenging us to change.
Movie details
Strong Island
2017 Documentary 1h 47m
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
6.4 / 10
4.2K votes
Rotten Tomatoes
100 %
Tomatometer
Metacritic
86 / 100
Metascore
TMDB
6.4 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
Examining the violent death of the filmmaker’s brother and the judicial system that allowed his killer to go free, this documentary interrogates murderous fear and racialized perception, and re-imagines the wreckage in catastrophe’s wake, challenging us to change.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Strong Island?
For the defence
The Auteur Devotee
“You watch the director, not the movie.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Heart of a Dog
Documentary · 2015
Lyrical and powerfully personal essay film that reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother, her beloved dog, and such diverse subjects as family memories, surveillance, and Buddhist teachings.
Seduced and Abandoned
Documentary · 2013
SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.
The September Issue
Documentary · 2009
A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.
Fastest
Documentary · 2011
What does it take to be the fastest? From award-winning filmmaker Mark Neale, comes Fastest, a spectacular maximum-speed, full-length documentary delving deep into the world of MotoGP™. This thrilling documentary, narrated by Ewan McGregor, highlights the thrills, spills and incredible commitment and courage the sport demands of it stars. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access and never before seen angles, interviews and insight, this truly cinematic experience charts the exhilarating highs, crushing lows, career-threatening crashes and spectacular comebacks, including Rossi’s 41 days turn around to race following a leg shattering crash.
Sidney
Documentary · 2022
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye
Documentary · 2022
Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.
Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20
Documentary · 2022
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
Grey Gardens
Documentary · 1976
Edie Bouvier Beale and her mother, Edith, two aging, eccentric relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, are the sole inhabitants of a Long Island estate. The women reveal themselves to be misfits with outsized, engaging personalities. Much of the conversation is centered on their pasts, as mother and daughter now rarely leave home.
Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present
Documentary · 2012
Performance artist Marina Abramovic prepares for a major retrospective of her work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Skandal! Bringing Down Wirecard
Documentary · 2022
Upstart payment firm Wirecard wowed the financial industry with its runaway success — until a tenacious team of journalists exposed massive fraud.
Where it lives
Watch in your region.
Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.
Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Yance Ford
Yance Ford
Himself
H
Harvey Walker
Himself
K
Kevin Myers
Himself
B
Barbara Dunmore Ford
Herself
L
Lauren Ford
Herself
D
David Breen
Himself
E
Ed Boyar
Himself
Court is in session
Put Strong Island on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Importance has entered the chat.”
The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.