55
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterIt's a piece of unabashed myth-making from first-time writer-director Sunny Abberton, himself a member of the infamous surf tribe from the working-class beachside suburb of Maroubra, in Sydney.
- 70Village VoiceVillage VoiceRudimentarily made as documentaries go--and more than a touch self-glorifying at times--Bra Boys is nevertheless intriguing for its insider's perspective of an outsider culture steeped in tradition, male-bonding rituals, and intense localism.
- The contrast between grainy videos of street fights and gorgeous scenes of the same boys conquering enormous waves is simultaneously inspiring and sad. Imagine a world in which gang members looked forward to singing in the Sunday choir.
- 67Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyPartly a straightforward surf movie with impressive wave-catching footage. However, other sections track the legal troubles of Jai Abberton, a Bra Boy who was tried and acquitted of murder. This makes for an often fascinating but awkward mix.
- 63TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghWhat it lacks in objectivity, it makes up for in vivid intimacy.
- 60The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThis crude, rowdy movie is also unexpectedly touching in its embrace of surfing as an escape from the stigma of poverty and broken homes. Escape from Russell Crowe’s droning narration, however, is impossible.
- 50VarietyVarietyOpening with a bright history lesson about poor suburb Maroubra and its place in Sydney beach culture, the docu then fails to adequately answer any charges as members and sympathetic locals line up to praise the outfit for rescuing troubled youth.
- 50Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleBra Boys isn't really a documentary at all but a piece of PR propaganda designed to counteract years of bad press. Beautiful, soaring, exhilarating propaganda, no doubt, but propaganda nonetheless.
- 42Portland OregonianM. E. RussellPortland OregonianM. E. RussellAs a chronicle of an extreme surfing subculture, Bra Boys is semi-fascinating. As a chronicle of rough-and-tumble street life, it's appallingly biased and self-glorifying.
- 38New York PostKyle SmithNew York PostKyle SmithThe film is narrated by Russell Crowe, whose star power is probably the only reason it's being released here.