Metacritic Film

Bigger, Stronger, Faster*

MPAA RATING: Not Rated

Magnolia Pictures
Documentary
105 minutes | Color
USA
Released In Theaters May 30, 2008

In America, we define ourselves in the superlative: we are the biggest, strongest, fastest country in the world. We reward speed, size and above all else: winning – at sport, at business and at war. Metaphorically we are a nation on steroids. Is it any wonder that so many of our heroes are on performance enhancing drugs? Blending comedy and pathos, Bigger, Stronger, Faster* is a collision of pop culture and first-person narrative, with a diverse cast including US Congressmen, professional athletes, medical experts and everyday gym rats. At its heart, this is the story of director Christopher Bell and his two brothers, who grew up idolizing muscular giants like Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and who went on to become members of the steroid-subculture in an effort to realize their American dream. When you discover that your heroes have all broken the rules, do you follow the rules, or do you follow your heroes? (Magnolia)

WRITTEN BY
Christopher Bell
Alexander Buono

DIRECTED BY
Christopher Bell

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

80 / 100

Critic Reviews

91 Entertainment Weekly
Bigger, Stronger, Faster is a portrait of a culture that claims to hate steroids but may, by now, be too pumped to do much about it.
90 Film Threat Don R. Lewis
Bell's documentary is an absolute must see for anyone taking part in any kind of debate about steroids.
90 Variety Peter Debruge
More scrupulously reported than your average Michael Moore film but every bit as entertaining, Bigger, Stronger, Faster* is as commercial as documentaries come.
90 Los Angeles Times
Raucously funny and surprisingly insightful.
88 Chicago Tribune Teddy Greenstein
Bell confronts Smelly, labeling him a cheater. But he also sympathizes with him, explaining, "There is a clash in America between doing the right thing and being the best."
88 Chicago Sun-Times
This movie is remarkable in that it seems to be interested only in facts.
83 The Onion (A.V. Club)
Attempts to look beyond the hysteria and consider exactly how and why a culture that values physical power has internalized the idea that steroid use in sports is a scourge.
83 Portland Oregonian
Entertaining and informative.
80 Newsweek
Perfectly reflects the range of this funny, disturbing and complex tale.
80 The New York Times
Bigger, Stronger, Faster* left me convinced that the steroid scandals will abate as the drugs are reluctantly accepted as inevitable products of a continuing revolution in biotechnology. Replaceable body parts, plastic surgery, anti-depressants, Viagra and steroids are just a few of the technological advancements in a never-ending drive to make the species superhuman.
80 New York Daily News
Entertaining, smart and snappy, this terrific doc, a Sundance favorite, digs into the country's use of steroids and how it affects sports, pop culture and the self-image of young men.
80 Village Voice Michelle Orange
Scrappy, remarkably expansive, crazily watchable.
80 The Hollywood Reporter
This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach not only makes for pacey entertainment, it also allows director Christopher Bell to delve deep into the matter at hand.
78 Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt
Full of revelations, all brought to light by Bell's good-natured, Michael Moore-lite dogging of athletes, health experts, government officials, and even his own parents.
75 San Francisco Chronicle Reyhan Harmanci
A smart, funny and edifying documentary.
75 Boston Globe
A hugely entertaining personal documentary about what steroids mean to American pop culture.
75 New York Post
While Bell makes the point that pros account for about 85 percent of total usage, he is more interested in why others - including a guy with the world's biggest biceps, who admits they repulse women - are so driven to be Bigger, Stronger, Faster*.
70 Washington Post
He treats jocks like humans, not stars or superheroes, and in the end has managed something unique for documentaries these days: It's as entertaining as it is fair.
70 Chicago Reader
Bell presides over this insightful, often droll survey like a sweeter, buffer version of Michael Moore, trolling gyms, universities, and Congress to grill assorted experts.
67 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
It's an interesting and eye-opening journey.

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