Red Penguins
Universal Pictures | Release Date (Streaming): August 4, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Movie NationRoger MooreJul 22, 2020
Polsky takes us on quite the sleigh ride, from the sunny silliness of gambling on Russian hockey, and then marketing it, to the grim reality that sets in — threats, intimidation and even murders. Read full review
88
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Brad WheelerSep 18, 2019
The latest film from sports documentarian Gabe Polsky (In Search of Greatness, Red Army) is a doozy. Read full review
83
Original-CinJim SlotekAug 5, 2020
By comparison with Red Army, Red Penguins is a less-polished, seat-of-the-pants effort that involved Polsky sitting and waiting in a Moscow hotel room for opportunities to do quickie interviews (with many still reluctant to talk about those days pre-Putin). But there is some evocative archival footage, including shots of the game’s between-period “entertainment,” which involved dancers from the strip club that operated within the arena. Read full review
80
Film ThreatAlex SavelievDec 6, 2020
Polsky packs a lot into the film’s slim 80-minute running time. It’s dense but never overwhelming, presenting facts and anecdotes in a coherent, intuitive, supremely entertaining fashion. Read full review
80
VarietyDennis HarveyAug 5, 2020
Red Penguins tells its story of outrageous, larger-than-life players in brisk, humorous fashion. Its assembly is always lively, aimed at engaging viewers with or without any interest in hockey. Read full review
78
TheWrapSteve PondSep 18, 2019
In an era in which the collision of Russian and American interests is never far from the headlines, a weird little story about one crazy time those interests collided might even teach us a thing or two. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comMatt FagerholmAug 4, 2020
Polsky’s skill in mining the darkly humorous shades of disastrous hubris is not all that surprising, considering he produced Werner Herzog and Nicolas Cage’s funniest film to date, 2009’s “Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.” Read full review
75
The PlaylistChristopher SchobertSep 18, 2019
Red Penguins is utterly stuffed with memorable stories and unforgettable people. Therefore, the film is unquestionably entertaining for hockey fans. However, it has no more gravitas than, say, any random ESPN Films “30 for 30” entry. Read full review
75
IndieWireDavid EhrlichSep 18, 2019
More than a cock-eyed peek back at an unprecedented culture clash, the film provides a bittersweet glimpse at a small, stained-glass window of time when anything seemed possible, and the concept of change was rich with promise. Read full review
70
The New YorkerAnthony LaneAug 10, 2020
Red Penguins, is here to serve your bedlam-loving needs. Communism, capitalism, corruption: the gang’s all here. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergAug 5, 2020
If Red Penguins doesn’t always strike a satisfying balance between the glib and the grim, the broader topic — the commercialization of hockey — affords it a novel lens on Russia’s economic transition. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweSep 18, 2019
Polsky crafts an engaging, in-depth examination of the intersection of politics and hockey as Russia struggles to gain its balance following the demise of the Soviet Union. Read full review
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