61
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Film ThreatFilm ThreatIn short, this is an x-treme documentary, as riveting as a road accident and a lot more bloody. That this film might give other young people ideas is something that keeps me (and probably director Hough) awake at night.
- 80VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyThis underground scene makes other "extreme sports" look as harmless as tiddlywinks.
- 70The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayRemarkable for the intensity of the interviewees, who show a new kind of all-American gumption in the way they filter the mannerisms of low-rung celebrities through their own geeked-out, violent imaginations.
- 63New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoThe Backyard will affect you. If you were depressed about the future of America before, you'll be doubly depressed after seeing this film. Pass the Prozac.
- 60TV Guide MagazineKen FoxTV Guide MagazineKen FoxChances are you'll watch most of this documentary with both hands over your eyes, but as a window into a particular kind of insanity seizing kids in heartland America it's enthralling.
- 60L.A. WeeklyChuck WilsonL.A. WeeklyChuck WilsonThough engaging from beginning to end, be warned that this is also harrowing, utterly depressing stuff.
- 50Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasWhat is going on here? Most would say a lot of incredibly dangerous and stupid activity, and most of the people in this documentary not surprisingly seem none too bright.
- 30Village VoiceVillage VoiceThough filled with violent smackdowns, slackjawed interviews, and bizarre characters, Hough's doc never rises above the level of first-year student project, hobbled by scattershot editing, badly written intertitles, and useless directorial voice-over.
- 25Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittEventually you realize the whole movie has been about young showoffs who think it's uproarious to gross out neighborhood grownups.