with two actors as gifted as Caleb McLaughlin and Idris Elba involved, Ricky Staub has enormous latitude to expand the genre, trusting their performances to say what words alone don't convey
with "Concrete Cowboy", expect to experience beautiful performances all around, but more importantly, you'll also get a refreshing story about a subculture that you've likely never seen on celluloid
a moving, well-acted drama about a fractured family coming together in unexpected ways; What really keeps the film on track, however, is the emotionally involving grasp of character in both the script and the performances of a terrific ensemble
a heartfelt but ultimately hobbled coming-of-age drama; the film's tough-love cliches keep getting in the way of the material's more fascinating elements which ought to have been allowed to run free
a formulaic but fun father-son drama; a sentimental father-son drama that doesn't break new ground, but milks the fascinating backdrop for all its formulaic potential and winds up compelling enough