64
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanWhatever its melodramatic shortcomings, South Central offers a wrenching view of modern youth-gang violence by demonstrating, with desperate candor, that the civilized alternatives are fast disappearing.
- 80Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonA bare-bones outline ignores the performances, the stirring music, the close-in camerawork and the direction of Steve Anderson. The emotional punch and atmosphere of the movie soar through any hokiness. Plummer's search for the son he never saw grow up becomes a powerful odyssey.
- 80As a cautionary tale about the nihilistic life of street gangs, South Central speaks eloquently to black kids desperately in need of straight talk. A profoundly moving story of a father's attempt to save his son from his own mistakes, Steve Anderson's film has performances by Glenn Plummer and young Christian Coleman that will touch any viewer.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThis movie, like Boyz N the Hood, is uncompromising in its view of how things work in a neighborhood like South Central. It was made before the Los Angeles riots in April, 1992, but it provides a stark picture of the anger that was waiting to boil over.
- 75Washington PostRita KempleyWashington PostRita KempleySouth Central covers some of the same ground as Boyz N the Hood, but certainly there's nothing wrong with reiterating its positive message for black sons and fathers.
- 70Time OutTime OutLow on directorial inspiration, but more relevant and resonant than much of the big-budget white trash churned out by Hollywood.
- 60Los Angeles TimesMichael WilmingtonLos Angeles TimesMichael WilmingtonDespite its good performances--Minns, Lumbly, Shelby and Best, as well as Plummer--South Central lacks a certain juice, heat and life. It doesn’t boil with the energy you’d expect from a gang picture, and it doesn’t have the density or rich atmosphere of a Boyz N the Hood, Do the Right Thing or New Jack City.
- 60The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinSouth-Central plays more like an exploitative potboiler than a civics lesson. Only late in the film, thanks to a sobering of tone and Mr. Plummer's credible performance, does the story develop any real impact.
- 60TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineAlthough inconsistent in tone, it is an emotionally wrenching account of life on the mean streets of Los Angeles.