X
- 2020
- R
- HBO Max
- 2 h 5 m
- 2020
- R
- HBO Max
- 2 h 5 m
Summary Fourteen-year-old Mouse (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) desperately wants to join the Midnight Clique, an infamous group of Baltimore dirt-bike riders who rule the summertime streets. His older brother, Stro, was their top rider before his tragic death—a loss that consumes Mouse as much as his passion for bikes. Mouse’s mom (Teyonah Parris) and h...
Directed By: Angel Manuel Soto
- 2020
- R
- HBO Max
- 2 h 5 m
- 2020
- R
- HBO Max
- 2 h 5 m
Charm City Kings
62
7.3
Where to Watch
Summary Fourteen-year-old Mouse (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) desperately wants to join the Midnight Clique, an infamous group of Baltimore dirt-bike riders who rule the summertime streets. His older brother, Stro, was their top rider before his tragic death—a loss that consumes Mouse as much as his passion for bikes. Mouse’s mom (Teyonah Parris) and h...
Directed By: Angel Manuel Soto
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
62
46% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
54% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 13 Critic Reviews
62
46% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
54% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Charm City Kings is beautiful and important, unabashedly Black, yet rarely traumatic, and almost always determined statement. Soto has crafted an incredible empathetic narrative, one mile of road at a time.
Its abundance of plot contrivances in the final act and overly scripted dialogue hold it back from greatness, but two excellent performers overcome all of this familiarity. I can't want to see them again.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 15 User Ratings
7.3
80% Positive
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
7% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
13% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 15 User Ratings
7.3
80% Positive
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
7% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
13% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
This is beautiful good movie and realy is wonderful casting is good and directing good
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Charm City Kings lands on an elegiac, bittersweet note rather than a happy one, and doesn’t feature as many crazy, exhilarating bike stunts as you might hope. But in its view of a world where kids make their own fun and also, sometimes, their own bad choices, it rings true. Sometimes becoming a man is the hardest stunt to pull off.
The dirt bikes and their exuberant operators are the saving grace — and joy — of the sincere if overstuffed drama Charm City Kings.
Sure, the motorcycle wheelies are cool, but there’s nothing more intense than the raw emotion that comes from a mother trying to protect her child.
The film looks for an emotional payoff by continually upping the stakes of its main character’s self-destructive short-term thinking.
The film’s truly ridiculous plot choices — the phony twists that make you leave the theater feeling like you’ve inhaled a tank of carbon monoxide — are its own invention, bolted onto a likable, if formulaic, charmer.
The clash of childhood innocence vs an environment that is relentless and unforgiving... a coming of age story that is very relevant and real. Loved every moment in this emotional ride of a movie... even when I didn’t want to accept where the story was inevitably heading.
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The documentary 12 O'Clock Boys revolved around dirt bike riders in urban Baltimore and the young boy who aspired to join them. This fictionalized version of that film stars Jahi Di'Allo Winston, who’s simply spectacular as the 14-year-old. As a matter of fact, the entire cast is chocked with real, compelling performances (Teyonah Parris, as his mom, is especially heartbreaking). The Black culture and characters are portrayed with verve and verisimilitude. It’s a hard story with dramatic turns and sometimes contrived situations. Even when it rambles (could use some cutting), the characters keep it interesting and the ultimate outcome (although somewhat expected) is effective. There have been stories about disadvantaged youth coming of age before, but this one has a raw energy and exceptional acting that make it distinctive. NOTE: The credits feature footage of the real riders performing some of their amazing stunts.
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Streamers! We've been getting pretty lucky with the recent streaming content produced and released. Over the weekend, HBO Max continued this trend by releasing a movie I personally have been waiting for this Sundance Festival darling, Charm City Kings. Charm City Kings is about a teenager named Mouse and his friends as they try to be a part of the most popular motorcycle crew in Baltimore. We follow the kids during this unforgettable summer that will forever change their lives. Let's see if Charm City Kings is worth the hype.
First, I must talk about the cast. I didn't love the performances of the individual cast members, but I have to admit the heavy B-more accents were on point. Jahi Winston does a good job and so do his other lackies but it wasn't awe-inspiring. However, as a group of kids, I felt them. They give the viewer nostalgia over what it was like to "run" the streets wherever they grew up with their buddies. Chasing that girl you're crushing on and doing anything to impress her and others, even though it's clearly the wrong move. But there was one cast member that truly stood out, Meek Mill's Blax. Meek Mill, yes there is no "s" or "z" on his stage name, has a really strong performance in this film. In fact, Meek Mill does so well in this role that I'd actually enjoy seeing him in other, non-"hood" parts. I know people might get turned off once they hear he's in the movie but quietly he shines. As do the motorcycles and tricks throughout the movie.
Now, the movie as a whole is predictable but the story still feels so real. The cast and director really do a good job of highlighting and portraying what life can be like for some of our young black men not only in Baltimore, but also across the country and world in underserved communities, cities, and populations. There is a profound need for resources and opportunities in the inner cities. There is similarly a profound need for good role models and mentors to step up to the plate. One thing that wasn't highlighted in this move was the lack of parental figures, especially of Mouse's friends. But by assumption, this movie does show how important it is to have a male role model in a young man's life to teach, guide, and protect them. Either way, the storyline in this movie is moving and worth promoting.
With that said, Charm City Kings is just that, charming. The movie might not be perfect, but it is worth watching as the story and ending are powerful. Grab a big bowl of popcorn and try not to spill the kernels while watching all the tricks.
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Production Company
Overbrook Entertainment,
Sony Pictures Releasing
Release Date Oct 8, 2020
Duration 2 h 5 m
Rating R
Genres
Awards
Sundance Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 1 Nomination
Imagen Foundation Awards
• 1 Nomination
