77
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayLouder Than A Bomb is a different kind of high-school movie, brimming with life and hope instead of social-climbing, bullying, and furtive first kisses.
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertSiskel and Jacobs focus on the performances, which are inspiring and electrifying.
- 88Boston GlobeTy BurrBoston GlobeTy BurrThink of it as "Glee" without music. Without a net, too.
- 80Village VoiceErnest HardyVillage VoiceErnest HardyThe movie floats to another realm entirely when the cameras go into the home of Nova Venerable, a smart, eloquent, gorgeous girl whose love for her special-needs younger brother and their hardworking single mom is expressed in terms that sidestep the formulaic verbal and physical bombast of so many of her peers.
- 80New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanThere can never be too many stories of human grace and perseverance like those of Nova, or Nate, or Adam, all teens who've been encouraged to channel their resentments and desires into art.
- 80Boxoffice MagazineSteve RamosBoxoffice MagazineSteve RamosArguably the best creative decision Jacobs and Siskel make in the film is choosing their talented subjects.
- 75New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoThe poetry has more in common with rap lyrics than Baudelaire, but that just increases the fun.
- 75Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanThe real value of poetry - of the contest itself - is not revealed until the closing credits, when we see the impressive list of colleges that the movie's four subjects have gone on to.
- 60Time OutKeith UhlichTime OutKeith UhlichThe kids pick up the filmmakers' lyrical slack more often than not, but this ode to the power of verse could really use a redraft.
- 60The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerThe New York TimesNeil GenzlingerThe efforts to document the teams' creative processes aren't particularly successful - no camera can capture something that elusive - but the filmmakers do a fine job with the back stories of the featured poets.