Sound City
Variance Films | Release Date: January 31, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
76
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
The PlaylistKatie WalshJan 29, 2013
A vibrant and vital tribute to a piece of recording and rock history that could have been lost to the ether, and Grohl packages the story of this little studio with a detailed celebration of the craft and skill necessary to this kind of recording, all with a killer soundtrack (which should go without saying). Read full review
88
Rolling StonePeter TraversFeb 1, 2013
The film’s genius is the way it applies the lessons of Sound City to any job. “The human element,” says Grohl, “that’s what makes the magic.” In his directing debut, Grohl shows the instincts of a real filmmaker. Sound City hits you like a shot in the heart. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranJan 31, 2013
High-spirited, emotional and funny, Sound City is, of all things, a mash note to a machine. Not just any machine, however, but one that helped change the face of rock 'n' roll. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzJan 31, 2013
Sound City is a music geek's dream, a rollicking look at a dumpy California studio where a lot of musicians found magic. It's also a bit of a mess, like all good rock and roll ought to be. Read full review
80
The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerJan 30, 2013
[Grohl] shows a decent grasp of how to pace a documentary and how to push nostalgia buttons, avoiding the marsh of smarminess most - though not quite all - of the time. Read full review
80
Time OutJoshua RothkopfJan 29, 2013
For a movie that's essentially about a piece of hardware-the legendary Neve mixing console, an imposing slab of knobs and meters - this geeked-out documentary beats with more heart than could be imagined. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyJan 24, 2013
Dave Grohl has more than clout in his corner in his terrifically entertaining documentary Sound City. He brings elements that can't be faked -- passion and heart -- to this lovingly assembled insider account of what it feels like to make real handcrafted rock music. Read full review
75
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreMar 5, 2013
It’s still a passion project, in all the best ways, a jaunty, juicy ramble through music history from Johnny Cash to Nine Inch Nails, Neil Young to the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoFeb 7, 2013
Sound City is Grohl's first effort at filmmaking, and if it doesn't break any ground as a documentary, it's a heartfelt testament to a place he considers among the most hallowed halls of rock. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldHoward CohenJan 31, 2013
Grohl's appreciation for the inhabitants of this dingy demimonde, from the artists to the secretaries at the front desk, makes Sound City an infectious and sincere Valentine to a rapidly disappearing art form. Read full review
70
NPRIan BuckwalterJan 31, 2013
Grohl's jovial presence is the hook; playing interviewer and emcee as well as director, he's the catchy bit you welcome every time it returns. The star-studded interview list provides much of the personality and attitude, as does a fantastically tense behind-the-scenes video of Petty and his band laboring long hours to craft their breakthrough record. Read full review
70
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlJan 29, 2013
Dave Grohl's Sound City is an exciting, sometime illuminating documentary about how a squad of technicians and engineers in a hole-in-the-Valley music studio helped great rock 'n' rollers make great rock 'n' roll. Read full review
67
Film.comWilliam GossFeb 26, 2013
We’re given fairly straightforward talking-head accounts complemented with an increasing amount of archival material as the narrative progresses further towards the present, all coated in a VH1-suited slickness that belies the reported funk of the studio itself. Fortunately, that slickness is in service of tales from some substantial musicians. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineTed ScheinmanJan 30, 2013
Given Dave Grohl's reputation for versatility and good taste, the film's sturdy sense of forward motion may come as no surprise. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanJan 31, 2013
Grohl has a longstanding reputation as one of the nicest guys in rock. So it should come as no surprise that this may be the most positive music documentary you'll ever see. Read full review
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