62
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The New York TimesDaniel M. GoldThe New York TimesDaniel M. GoldAt slightly more than an hour, the film may not be definitive, and its chronology is a little fuzzy. Even so, Rubble Kings is a fascinating, valuable work of social, music and New York history, a celebration of a peaceful revolution by those who helped birth it.
- 75Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreRubble Kings is more interesting as cultural mythology than straight history.
- 70Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlVillage VoiceAlan ScherstuhlRubble Kings, an impassioned examination of New York's gang culture of the late 1970s, isn't just a fascinating piece of urban history. It's also a challenge to common assumptions about that culture, and a testament to the power of organization within a community.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckUsing Walter Hill's cult classic film "The Warriors" as a cultural touchstone, Shan Nicholson's documentary Rubble Kings recounts their stories in breathlessly paced, vivid fashion.
- 63Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenIt fails to go deep enough, suggesting an appetizer offered as an opening to an ultimately unserved meal.
- 63RogerEbert.comSimon AbramsRogerEbert.comSimon AbramsHad Nicholson taken advantage of Melendez and Suarez's seemingly easy-going nature, Rubble Kings might have been great. As it is, the film is a one-sided, but satisfying tribute to an alternatively terrifying and beguiling city that we can only revisit in movies.
- The era deserves far better than hipster nostalgia.
- 60Los Angeles TimesMartin TsaiLos Angeles TimesMartin TsaiFascinating as it may be, the film could have used outside perspectives to provide more context.
- 50The DissolveAndrew LapinThe DissolveAndrew LapinThe film’s brevity really does work against it, giving Nicholson cover to fly by the history of gang warfare without having to dwell on anything for too long.
- 50The PlaylistKevin JagernauthThe PlaylistKevin JagernauthBoth a disappointment and a missed opportunity.