Popular reviews

• 

  Review by demi adejuyigbe 4

  So tender and beautiful. So many gorgeous single shots and loving portraits of life on a reservation. The closest thing to a titular “song my brother taught me” is a twice-used needle drop that is going to be the absolute last song you expect. Took me out of it both times despite being a perfect choice, but I just did not expect it!!! Anyway, good movie. Chloé Zhao’s got the juice.

• 

  Review by MarMar ★★★½ 3

  All I want in life is for Chloé to capture me looking at the sunset with that 32mm camera during magic hour. That's when I'll know peace

• 

  Review by Will Steele ★★★½ 1

  No wonder Chloé Zhao was tipped for greatness from her directorial debut. She doesn’t just show promise, but rather a wholly unique vision built upon a seemingly endless well of empathy. A gentle blend of documentary and feature filmmaking styles makes for a film which feels entirely individual. So specific is her style that even my flatmate could identify this as a Chloé Zhao film from only glimpsing a few wordless scenes. Individuality in voice and vision is a rare treat in modern cinema as each generation is often beholden to the styles and influences of previous artists. But this is singular, and of a whole. I cannot wait to delve further into the acclaimed filmography of Chloé Zhao!

• 

  Review by Laura ★★★½

  the performances are so raw that at times it’s hard to forget that you’re not watching a documentary. chloé zhao has a way of instantly putting me at ease with her films.. they invite you into an unfamiliar world with open arms. really adore her style :’)

• 

  Review by Maria ★★★★ 10

  There are traces of what would become both The Rider and Nomadland in Songs My Brothers Taught Me, Chloé Zhao’s feature debut. The film focuses on Johnny, a Lakota teen living on the Pine Ridge reservation. Having just graduated high school, Johnny dreams of the future, of leaving the reservation and moving to LA with his girlfriend. But the recent tragic death of his absentee father has made him think of the past as well. Of family and what could have been. He’s closest to his younger sister Jashaun, to whom he is both mentor and comfort, and finds it difficult to leave her behind, as they both try to find their place and purpose.

  The camera observes Johnny and…

• 

  Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★

  The first feature film from writer-director Chloe Zhao preserves the spirit that has defined her career, even when she's been part of a massive blockbuster franchise like the Marvel films. A methodical pacing and overall direction that works well with the film's introspective tone, in which we witness the characters weighed down by this vulnerability and a rawness in the acting that makes it feel like we are watching real people in their environment and daily routine, coping with their own personal challenges. Obviously, this is never on the same level as Nomadland, and in fact, "Eternals" aside, of the films I've watched by the director, this one feels like the one with a bit more conflict.

  All in all,…

• 

  Review by ˗ˏˋ suspirliam ˊˎ˗ ★★★★ 6

  chloé zhao too good 😭😭😭

• 

  Review by Jeff ★★★½ 1

  Thrift Shop by Macklemore was a very unexpected addition to this soundtrack

• 

  Review by Muriel 2

  to me, this is just another example of chloé zhao being one of the most compassionate filmmakers we got right now. always nice to remember that there are people in the world who really care about the well being of others

• 

  Review by SnowboardJunkie ★★★★ 7

  Director Chloé Zhao really understands how to capture the intimate connections between people. The harshness and intent of an ill word said in anger is more than just words on a page but a tangible separation where we understand these distances hurt. Further displaying a keen discernment for letting the moment linger, allowing us to realize the depth of heartache consumed by the Native American people.

  Her narrative style flourishes with subtleties unique to the brewing emotions. Such as her camera’s willingness to wonder in and out of the scene, much like the ebb and flow of it’s simmering conflict. Carefully she challenges our perception of life on the Pine Ridge Reservation. An unconscious test of our limited comprehension with…

• 

  Review by Paul Elliott ★★★★ 1

  The debut feature film from director Chloé Zhao tells the tale of a Lakota youth who becomes torn between his yearning to get away from his impoverished reservation and the sense of responsibility towards his younger sister. The narrative has a clean-limbed quality with the slightest amount of exposition that feels so restrained and naturalistic that it often provides it with an almost quasi-documentary tone of what life is like on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation. 

  As with Zhao's The Rider, the film is anchored on a protagonist that discovers themselves at a crossroads, in this case, the life of sensitive but also quite temperamental high schooler Johnny (John Reddy). It boasts a talented cast of amateur actors while providing…

• 

  Review by Darren Carver-Balsiger ★★★★ 3

  Chloé Zhao is perhaps the greatest new director to emerge in the past few years. Her style is ferociously unique and her humanising portrayal of people rarely seen in cinema makes for something insightful. Her debut Songs My Brothers Taught Me centres on a relatable and believable sibling relationship, filled with tenderness and mixed feelings. Songs My Brothers Taught Me is a film of place and of people, lingering on the real rather than abstracting some fantasy. It is very specific to the community it depicts, something Zhao always manages to achieve. Here we get a glimpse of rural poverty, crime, and alcoholism as it exists on reservations. Songs My Brothers Taught Me is an intimate film, getting close enough…