Bully
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Metascore
74 out of 100

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

User Score
7.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 32 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • 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. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    Mar 29, 2012
    80
    The film's power is undercut by its narrow geographic focus, which seems to associate bullying with conservative or working-class areas in red states. The filmmakers could easily have found similar cases involving the children of urban sophisticates.
  3. New Orleans Times-Picayune
    Reviewed by: Mike Scott
    Apr 14, 2012
    80
    This is nothing if not an important film. It is important for the bullied to see, if for no other reason than to realize they aren't alone, and it is important for the bullies to see as well as for the parents of both groups so everyone can understand just how devastating the problem is.
  4. 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

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 1 out of 13
  1. MegWhiteley
    10
    Awesome documentary really. The development of the documental y really exactly. Bully is a demand for this actual problem that much kids live, and be a good pack.… Expand
  2. FDT44
    7
    Hard hitting, thought provoking, heart-rending and timely, "Bully" is a documentary that approaches an all too familiarly overlooked subject in a way that hasn't yet been explored; its graceful, and sure to pull on the heartstrings. However, unlike its unimpeachable intent and central message, "Bully," the film, undermines the totality of the subject by avoiding to satisfy it on an intellectual level; not a single interview with the titular contributors (bullies) or even a mere statistic solidifying the real-life gravity of the issue. For everytime a tear is shed, another opportunity is flubbed away from making it truly great and equally, memorable. As it is, "Bully," is a "cause for change" docupic that does offer moments of arising deep-seated pathos and stirring those around those emotions, but the erratic editing and the degree of simplicity derived from the omission of key tangibles, keeps back what could have been a game-changing medium for ages to come. Still among the best documentaries of 2012.… Expand
  3. TVJerry
    6
    This is a review of the movie, NOT the message. It follows several parents and their middle school children, who are subject to taunting and physical abuse by their peers. There's too much filler footage of people walking and performing mundane activities, which renders the pacing tedious. Also, the camera loses or racks focus at least once a minute. Even if this is a stylistic decision, it's simply shoddy filmmaking. This could have been a moving 30 minute short, but there's simply not enough drama or emotion to compellingly convey the impact of bullying.… Expand
  4. Derpa
    1
    If this video needs to be seen by everyone, why donâ

See all 13 User Reviews

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