Steel City
Metascore
67 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    75
    Steel City may be the only movie released this year that's so observant you can hear what the characters AREN'T saying.
  2. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Joshua Katzman
    70
    Jun, a downstate native, has an ear for plainspoken dialogue and neither glamorizes nor patronizes his characters.
  3. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    75
    One of the most hopeful movies I've seen recently--not just for its humane, realistic story line, but in its very being.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    83
    Steel City could have used more rhythmic drive, but if Jun keeps weaving together characters this compelling, he could be a major film artist in the making.
  5. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Pete Vonder Haar
    60
    The movie's strength is in the performances. And they're enough to make Steel City worth a look.
  6. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    63
    A shaky but promising debut, Brian Jun's downbeat family drama is likely to make you feel a whole lot better about your own life.
  7. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    70
    It has vivid characters, a strong sense of place, and a free-floating hopelessness that never precludes the possibility of meaningful action.
  8. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    50
    Excellent performances by a good cast and a fairly authentic look at working-class struggles go only so far.
  9. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Justin Berton
    75
    Steel City makes a valiant attempt to add some new tweaks to the genre best described as life-sucks-growing-up-in-a-mill-town.
  10. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Sean Axmaker
    75
    A quietly, somberly effective American indie drama.
  11. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Tasha Robinson
    75
    For the most part, they live life convincingly, in a refreshingly inward-looking, well-made film that's smart enough to stay small, and leave the car crashes to the big summer action movies.
  12. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: James Greenberg
    80
    The only misstep Jun makes, and it's hard to fault him given the budget, is the mediocre and at times heavy-handed use of music. Still, it's an unqualified success from the heartland.
  13. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    70
    Mostly Mr. Jun's script is sharp, and Laurie Metcalf, James McDaniel, America Ferrera and Raymond J. Barry in supporting roles help keep the tale mesmerizing, in a small-scale sort of way.
  14. Variety
    Reviewed by: David Rooney
    70
    Its honest, unshowy performances and textured depiction of life in a working-class community in a nowhere Southern Illinois town make this modest indie feature an affecting experience.
  15. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Aaron Hillis
    50
    Whatever Steel City lacks in oomph or even originality, it at least breaks even with its working-class authenticity and unexpectedly well-rounded ensemble.

User Reviews

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User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 1 more rating

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. JayH
    6
    Well acted, evenly paced drama. It's nothing outstanding, but I never lost interest. The characters are richly developed and it's believably told.… Full Review »
  2. tomc
    9
    Yhis movie explores non sexual relationships between men as few movies ever have. It is slightly slow paced at times but otherwise a highly effective drama. A shame that apparently very few have seen it.… Full Review »
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