Murderball
Metascore
87 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 33 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    This is one of those rare docs, like "Hoop Dreams," where life provides a better ending than the filmmakers could have hoped for. Also like "Hoop Dreams," it's not really a sports film; it's a film that uses sport as a way to see into lives, hopes and fears.
  2. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    This is a lively, life-affirming documentary no viewer is likely to forget.
  3. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Hartlaub
    100
    If you're the type who doesn't go to art-house films , Murderball should be your exception. It's hard to imagine anyone could walk away from this movie disappointed.
  4. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    100
    Murderball brilliantly captures the intensity of the little-known athletic competition, offering more intimacy and drama than most Hollywood sports movies.
  5. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    100
    Murderball is a paradox: a movie about quadriplegics that insists we look beyond their disability.
  6. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Chris Kaltenbach
    100
    Bracingly honest and ceaselessly compelling documentary.
  7. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    100
    The filmmaking is as strong as the subject matter, with an elegant structure.
  8. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Desson Thomson
    100
    It's one of the most powerful films of the year.
  9. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Stephen Hunter
    100
    It's the best sports documentary since "Hoop Dreams," a great piece of work."
  10. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    91
    It's as full and rich a portrait of the lives of athletes as we've seen since "Hoop Dreams."
  11. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    90
    A great sports drama first and a heart-wrenching triumph-over-adversity weepie almost never.
  12. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Robert Wilonsky
    90
    One of the most remarkable things about Murderball, which is easily among the year's best movies, is how little of its time is filled with the playing of the game.
  13. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    90
    Exhilarating.
  14. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    89
    Co-directors Rubin and Shapiro deliver the rare documentary that totally entertains, informs, and inspires.
  15. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    88
    It's original, outrageous and murderous fun.
  16. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Robert K. Elder
    88
    Think "Mad Max" in wheelchairs.
  17. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    88
    Murderball invokes fascination toward its protagonists, because it views them with the same confidence and acceptance they view themselves.
  18. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jack Mathews
    88
    When it comes to sports movies, there's nothing like the real thing, and there's never been anything quite as real as the documentary Murderball.
  19. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    88
    Fast-moving, psychologically savvy.
  20. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Peter Debruge
    88
    Murderball asks you to put all your assumptions about quadriplegics aside and start over.
  21. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Jeremy Mathews
    80
    Murderball isn't a documentary played in the key of those Olympics stories that inspire you with sugary drivel, although it is ultimately inspiring.
  22. Empire
    Reviewed by: Steve O'Hagan
    80
    A leftfield sports documentary that's as insightful and thought-provoking as it is fast and furious.
  23. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Tasha Robinson
    80
    Along the way, Murderball surpasses the typical who-will-win sports-film dynamic and becomes a fascinating and personal exploration of quadriplegia.
  24. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Crust
    80
    A thoughtful and provocative look at a previously little-seen world.
  25. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    80
    The evenness of its emotional pitch almost incidentally helps the film become an unusually deep exploration of sports, machismo and the competitive spirit.
  26. Variety
    Reviewed by: Robert Koehler
    80
    A blast and a half -- as entertaining as mainstream American docus get.
  27. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    The emotional resonance that results from the focus on several unique individuals is what makes this a worthwhile viewing experience.
  28. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Liam Lacey
    75
    Reportedly, after seeing the film, rapper Eminen is anxious to play a wheelchair athlete in a coming movie.
  29. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    70
    The film is filled with humor, compassion and cajones, and never once glosses over the fact that these guys are prickly personalities who can sometimes act like jerks. There are also a few tears, but remarkably, not a single one is shed in pity.
  30. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    70
    Has a lot of integrity, both in visual and conceptual terms, and seamlessly blends entertainment and education.
  31. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Mark Holcomb
    70
    What keeps Murderball from devolving into redemptive drivel is its insistence on treating the players it profiles as jocks first and disabled men second.
  32. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    70
    There are worlds within the startling world of Murderball.
  33. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Bill White
    50
    As a sports documentary, Murderball is tame and uninvolving. It does however, offer a hard-edged and unsentimental portrait of strong-willed people.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.9 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. BrendaP.
    10
    I saw the movie and I also watched the team practice in Birmingham. Their dedication and passion was so real that I felt like I was watching the movie again. I was invited by one of their family members. When they know they have an audience, they start working harder and showing off their skills more. It was very cool to meet them. Number 4 accidentally squirted me with his water bottle and kindly apologized. I could not stop smiling.… Full Review »
  2. BitB.
    9
    Rented this one the other night...what an awesome documentry! Go Canada Go!
  3. PrestonF.
    10
    Up lifting yet gritty.
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