The Punk Singer
Sundance Selects | Release Date: November 29, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Film.comJenni MillerDec 3, 2013
The Punk Singer is a perfect storm. It is a love letter to Kathleen Hanna, to feminism, and to the fans, but it’s also just a damn good movie. Read full review
90
Village VoiceAmy NicholsonNov 26, 2013
It's impossible to watch The Punk Singer and not ask if feminism is dead. That's a fair starting question. But a better one is what if it isn't — what if we've just stopped recognizing it? Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comMarsha McCreadieDec 13, 2013
Is the movie too adulatory? It is not the most subtly layered documentary I've ever seen, but these days it's no longer verboten to take a stance in docs. And there is so much to be admired about Hanna. Plus…if you've never seen some of those songs performed…it's electrifying. Read full review
83
The PlaylistKevin JagernauthDec 9, 2013
The Punk Singer brings dimension and real shape to a band, era and scene that is often compartmentalized into one or two categories. That it'll get you wanting to start your own musical rebellion is a bonus. Read full review
83
IndieWireEric KohnNov 16, 2013
Edited in a frenzied mashup of concert fragments and off-stage exchanges, The Punk Singer generally overcomes its rough production values by realizing the energy of Hanna's achievements in terms of her passion and physical prowess. Read full review
80
CineVueLeigh ClarkMay 21, 2014
The Punk Singer is a rewarding and positive experience. Anderson delivers a fascinating account of the grunge era and an influential story of a role model who has the guts and spunk to hopefully inspire a whole new generation of Riot Grrls and Boys. Read full review
80
SalonAndrew O'HehirNov 29, 2013
As Hanna’s fans already know, she’s back onstage with a new band called the Julie Ruin, who sound terrific. Today she can be a singer, a musician, a poet or an artist, but we can’t ask her to be a revolutionary. Read full review
80
VarietyDennis HarveyNov 29, 2013
Dynamic performance footage and input from a variety of collaborators, colleagues and admirers, as well as Hanna herself, make the tightly edited Punk Singer a vivid watch even for those with no interest in or experience with the music itself. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesInkoo KangNov 27, 2013
The Punk Singer fascinatingly traces the evolution of a woman. Read full review
80
Time OutAmy PittNov 26, 2013
Although the film was completed too early to document Hanna’s return to music—her new band, the Julie Ruin, released an album in September and has been touring—it still offers a poignant, intimate portrait of a larger-than-life personality—one whose singular voice is still sorely needed in music, culture and, well, everywhere. Read full review
80
Time Out LondonTom HuddlestonNov 16, 2013
This is a woman who has been through hell and come out kicking, and the result is as much a celebration of her life as it is a documentary. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovDec 4, 2013
The Punk Singer (and the formation of the Julie Ruin) offers a welcome return to, if not the fray, then certainly the front – where, as every rebel girl worth her combat boots knows, girls belong. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesBruce IngramDec 12, 2013
Despite the insularity, Punk Singer has a terrific story to tell, not least about the fascinating contradictions in Hanna’s character. Read full review
75
Washington PostStephanie MerryDec 12, 2013
The Punk Singer, like the best documentaries, captures more than just its subject, fascinating though she may be. Anderson manages to capture the feel of an era and the excitement surrounding a fresh feminist voice. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy BurrDec 5, 2013
As pointedly as The Punk Singer looks at the past, the movie’s uncertain where the energy of that original moment has gone. Where are the riot-grrrls of today? Take your daughters to the movie, then ask them. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianMarc MohanDec 5, 2013
Director Sini Anderson compiles interviews with Hanna and her husband, Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz, as well as archival footage, into an admiring portrait of a sometimes combative figure. Read full review
75
NPRElla TaylorDec 2, 2013
At its best, The Punk Singer tells the story of one pivotal life in a whole movement. Both Anderson and Hanna are at pains to avoid giving the impression that one singer carried the movement single-handedly. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubKyle RyanNov 29, 2013
A little more distance could have been beneficial, but The Punk Singer is enlightening regardless. Read full review
70
The DissolveNoel MurrayNov 27, 2013
What’s missing from The Punk Singer is real friction or ambiguity. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeNov 16, 2013
The doc happily devotes most of its time to a stylish, energetic account of Hanna's career to date and the impact it has had on a generation of women. Read full review
60
The New York TimesNicolas RapoldNov 28, 2013
Ms. Hanna’s creativity and force are catching. But other voices are needed to evaluate her achievements with a fuller sense of cultural context and perspective. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineDrew HuntNov 26, 2013
Sini Anderson's film may be another unimaginative fan letter, but at least Kathleen Hannah is worthy of such devotion. Read full review
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