Concrete Cowboy

Name: Concrete Cowboy
Genre: Drama
Released: April 2, 2021
Duration: 111 min
Rating: 67
Cast: Byron Bowers, Caleb McLaughlin, Charles W Harris III, Dominic Jackson, Idris Elba

2021

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Ratings

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Concrete Cowboy: Horse In Your House

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Movie Details & Credits

Netflix | Release Date (Streaming): April 2, 2021 | Not Rated

Starring: Byron Bowers, Caleb McLaughlin, Charles W Harris III, Dominic Jackson, Idris Elba, Ivannah-Mercedes, Jamil Prattis, Jennifer Butler, Jharrel Jerome, Kadrolsha Ona Carole, Kristoffe Brodeur, Liz Priestley, Lorraine Toussaint, Method Man, Michael Ta'Bon, Patrick McDade, Swen Temmel, Terez Land

Summary: While spending the summer in North Philadelphia, a troubled teen is caught between a life of crime and his estranged father’s vibrant urban-cowboy subculture.

Director: Ricky Staub

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 111 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Peter Debruge

Sep 14, 2020

This is one of those rare, reframe-the-conversation films, like “Paris Is Burning,” “12 O’Clock Boys” and “Rize,” that take a very specific subculture and turn it into something universal and uplifting — only this one isn’t a documentary, despite the many real-world details that bring director Ricky Staub’s exceptional father-son drama to life. Read full review

Jocelyn Noveck

Apr 1, 2021

Concrete Cowboy, an impressive debut by writer-director Ricky Staub that overcomes formulaic dialogue and we-saw-that-coming plot twists with its sheer heart, is based on a novel, Ghetto Cowboy by Gregory Neri. Read full review

Leah Greenblatt

Apr 8, 2021

Writer-director Ricky Staub brings real-life rhythms and texture to his feature debut by filling the screen with that homegrown scene, and casting several actual riders from the city's Fletcher Street Stables in supporting roles. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

Apr 1, 2021

Concrete Cowboy is far from perfect, but it’s vividly alive. If the choice must be between that and careful craftsmanship, life carries the day. Read full review

IndieWire Eric Kohn

Sep 14, 2020

There’s certainly representational value in the way it brings a conventionally rousing narrative to such unorthodox material. At the same time, it leaves you wondering how much better the whole thing would have held together if it simply let the riders speak for themselves. Read full review

Empire Ian Freer

Apr 1, 2021

If it cleaves too close to convention and doesn’t land the ending, Concrete Cowboy is a striking debut, celebrating a long-overlooked tradition of Black cowboys via visually powerful filmmaking. And Caleb McLaughlin is superb. Read full review

Tim Grierson

Sep 14, 2020

A heartfelt but ultimately hobbled coming-of-age drama. Read full review

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User Reviews

Eliana21

Apr 4, 2021

The movie was refreshing, especially being that has Afro-Americans. The story is well developed however, I wished that we could see a lot of title bit more about how the father and son reconnected. The acting was good and the movie felt real.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

alejandro970

Apr 18, 2021

Where have all the cowboys gone? The idea of placing cowboys in the 21st century and in a big city is almost a breath of fresh air for the western genre. I said almost because the first 40 minutes feel a bit slow but it compensates step by step with a stimulating story of estranged fatherWhere have all the cowboys gone? The idea of placing cowboys in the 21st century and in a big city is almost a breath of fresh air for the western genre. I said almost because the first 40 minutes feel a bit slow but it compensates step by step with a stimulating story of estranged father and son. Believe it or not, it has a bit of real life inspiration.… Expand