Undefeated: Critic Reviews

100%

MovieWeb: 0 reviews

96%

Rotten Tomatoes: 95 reviews

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly (Top Critic)

75

The agony of defeat in this movie is every bit as transporting as the thrill of victory.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Manohla Dargis New York Times (Top Critic)

80

While "Undefeated" travels well-tilled inspirational ground, it's also an irresistible story of football, faith and the lust for happily-ever-after black-and-white endings.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Henry Barnes Guardian [UK] (Top Critic)

60

All eyes are on the ball, while the future screams from the sidelines.
Full Review » 10 months ago
Claudia Puig USA Today (Top Critic)

88

Undefeated chronicles a championship season but covers turf that extends miles beyond the football field.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Ann Hornaday Washington Post (Top Critic)

[A] stirring, emotional portrait of a high school football team in the impoverished neighborhood of North Memphis, Tenn.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Wesley Morris Boston Globe (Top Critic)

63

"Undefeated'' needs less of what we know we've seen (the football stuff) and more of the players' and coaches' lives, which even if we feel we've seen, we haven't.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Michael Atkinson Village Voice (Top Critic)

Courtney and his crew all seem like nice people, but if there's an unironic audience for this kind of romantic jock-cup fondling, I'm not interested in knowing it.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Elizabeth Weitzman New York Daily News (Top Critic)

80

If life is getting you down, an inspirational sports flick is always the right choice. And it's even better if you can find a documentary like the heartwarming "Undefeated."
Full Review » 1 year ago
John Anderson Wall Street Journal (Top Critic)

It's the kind of story that will stir the heartstrings, and even, quite possibly, those of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Lisa Kennedy Denver Post (Top Critic)

88

[A] winning documentary.
Full Review » 1 year ago
James Rocchi MSN Movies (Top Critic)

80

...this story is a familiar one, but it is superbly told, and there's more than a little Memphis funk in the storytelling... to make this filmmaking stand out.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times (Top Critic)

88

"Undefeated" is an emotional and effective film, and I'm happy for it.
Full Review » 1 year ago
J. R. Jones Chicago Reader (Top Critic)

Courtney really does believe all that stuff about adversity and character, and the film is moving for its modest tale of boys learning to act like men.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Steven Rea Philadelphia Inquirer (Top Critic)

75

Undefeated is undeniably inspirational stuff.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Colin Covert Minneapolis Star Tribune (Top Critic)

88

Volunteer high school coach Bill Courtney says, "Football doesn't build character. Football reveals character." The triumphant sports documentary "Undefeated" proves that it does both.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Tom Long Detroit News (Top Critic)

75

It's a bit too long and a bit too vague at times, but this is a film about dedication, progress and the bond of human effort. It just also happens to include football.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Bill Goodykoontz Arizona Republic (Top Critic)

90

What makes this a terrific film is how much we care about the players.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Joe Leydon Variety (Top Critic)

Enjoyably upbeat and intelligently inspiring.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Kyle Smith New York Post (Top Critic)

25

If the film had something to say about football as football instead of football as life, I'd be interested. It doesn't.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Peter Howell Toronto Star (Top Critic)

75

For the most part admirably chooses honest documentation over emotional manipulation.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Liam Lacey Globe and Mail (Top Critic)

63

This film is distinctly minor league. But it does provide the thumbs-up emotional lift of a bumper-sticker message on game day.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Andrew O'Hehir Salon.com (Top Critic)

A "Hoop Dreams"-style story about sports and society that inspired me and made me mad in about equal portions.
Full Review » 1 year ago
Dana Stevens Slate (Top Critic)

The ultimate praise given to sports movies is always, "Even if you don't care about sport X, you'll care about these characters," and that's certainly true of Undefeated (I don't, and I did).
Full Review » 1 year ago
David Rooney Hollywood Reporter (Top Critic)

A stirring, finely crafted human-interest story about underprivileged lives touched by the rewards of shared experience.
Full Review » 2 years ago
Christy Lemire Associated Press (Top Critic)

88

Bring tissues. You've been warned. And you don't even have to be a sports fan to be moved.
Full Review » 1 year ago