Advanced Search Beta »
Basic Search Fields
Bully
Bully Image
Metascore
74 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 33 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.6 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 18 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
Rate this:
  • Summary: Bully follows five kids and families over the course of a school year. Stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals’ offices, the film offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children. As teachers, administrators, kids and parents struggle to find answers, Bully examines the dire consequences of bullying through the testimony of strong and courageous youth. Through the power of their stories, the film aims to be a catalyst for change in the way we deal with bullying as parents, teachers, children and society as a whole. (The Weinstein Company)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    Mar 29, 2012
    90
    Bully forces you to confront not the cruelty of specific children - who have their own problems, and their good sides as well - but rather the extent to which that cruelty is embedded in our schools and therefore in our society as a whole.
  2. Time
    Reviewed by: Richard Corliss
    Mar 29, 2012
    90
    A documentary as vivid as any horror film, as heartbreaking as any Oscar-worthy drama.
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    Mar 31, 2012
    60
    Incredibly enough, it seems many people still believe that bullying is just a matter of "kids being kids." Until that attitude changes, this film should be considered required viewing for every parent, teacher and teenager in America.

See all 33 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 1 out of 7
  1. BHBarry
    10
    “Bully” is a documentary written by Cynthia Lowen and directed by Lee Hirsch. As the title indicates it tells the stories of a number of teenagers who are victimized by the bullies In their schools and the terrible effects occurring as a result.. More than that it tells the story of how society and school officials, in particular, attribute the acts and deeds of the bulliers as “just normal teen agers acting up” when, in fact, they are aggressive and disturbed students who are more afflicted than the vulnerable individuals they prey upon. This is, indeed, a film that every school in the country should exhibit in the hope that bullies will be deterred and well-intentioned peers of the victims will stand up and no longer be silent. The film, with no rating, became the “poster boy” for the problems in the rating system as its distributor, The Weinstein Co, refused to accept the “R” rating the motion picture council gave it.. Although the motivations of the distributor might have been significantly influenced by the publicity given the film as a result of the dispute, the distributor’s complaint does indeed have merit. This is a reality based project with real kids being highlighted and photographed and the language (the reason for the “R” rating) is an integral part of the film and, of necessity, must be heard in order to experience its real impact. Each of us, in one way or another, has been privy to the bullying of a fellow student or friend and can identify with such behavior. More than anything else, this film is relevant and a learning tool for all of society. The documentary gets rating of 8.5s with a strong recommendation that this film be viewed by children, teenagers and adults for there is something in it from which all of them can benefit..… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. MarcDoyle
    7
    It's simply asinine that the MPAA would refuse to give this film a PG-13 or even a PG rating. For the life of me, I can't even remember a point in the movie where the F-bomb is spoken. This movie needs to be seen in middle school assemblies across the country to draw greater attention to this scourge. I remember when David Toma visited thousands of schools in the 80s scaring the hell out of us kids about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. It was effective! This movie clearly has its faults - I would have loved to have seen at least one affluent community included in the mix. Bullying is by no means limited to rural, Bible-belt, and middle-class communities. There are mean girls, social media predators, etc. in big cities, on the coasts, etc. Obviously, they had to pick a small slice of the country in which to examine the issue, and it's largely effective. Obviously, I don't have all the answers, beyond simply urging those to befriend and stick up for those being bullied. I would urge school administrators to red-flag bullies on their permanent records with a standardized "bully" label that would follow these kids through their college application process (though college is probably not a high priority for many of these students). Suspensions and expulsions for bullying need to happen with greater regularity. I feel for the parents of those deceased bullying victims and applaud them for speaking out, which I'm sure is incredibly painful.… Expand
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  3. Derpa
    1
    If this video needs to be seen by everyone, why don’t you put it on the Internet for free? Also these kids need psychiatric help, not a movie about their lives shown all over the place...… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 7 User Reviews