72
Metascore
10 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenLos Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenJust when you thought you had seen every permutation of the “making of a band” documentary, along comes Breaking a Monster, a thoroughly engaging portrait of Unlocking the Truth, a heavy metal outfit composed of African American middle schoolers.
- 80The GuardianLanre BakareThe GuardianLanre BakareIt’s a charming and engaging mix – the antithesis of Metallica’s ego overload, and just as watchable.
- 80New York Daily NewsEthan SacksNew York Daily NewsEthan SacksMeyers leaves little editorializing in the film, though it seems unusually sympathetic to the band’s manager, Alan Sacks, who often treats the unseasoned musicians like employees instead of kids.
- 75ConsequenceMichael RoffmanConsequenceMichael RoffmanWhat unfolds is a transparent example of why the music industry continues to spiral downward toward a fiery hell.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoSan Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoEngaging to watch partly because of the three young stars’ personalities — despite a few adolescent squabbles, they remain likable sorts.
- 75Philadelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniPhiladelphia InquirerTirdad DerakhshaniBreaking a Monster is a revealing window into the industry. But it lacks a certain human component.
- 70VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyWhat makes Luke Meyer’s documentary interesting isn’t so much the music or even the incipient stardom, but rather the push-pull between high-stakes biz pressure and subjects who — being 13 years old or so — hardly have the attention spans for the drudgery and minutiae a “career” requires.
- 70Village VoiceMichael NordineVillage VoiceMichael NordineThey're still thirteen-year-olds, which leads to Breaking a Monster's funniest moments.
- 70The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisWhat’s troubling is the film’s slow and steady exposure of a music business machine that gobbles up individuality and spits out a sellable package.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweThe Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweMeyer...and his easy rapport with the kids and Sacks helps coax sometimes surprisingly candid comments from his subjects. What’s missing however is adequate background on how the boys became such impressive young musicians and why they gravitated toward heavy metal rather than pop or rap.