REVIEWS & PRESS
“Compelling. Stories of the death and rebirth of [Detroit] are familiar, but Andrew James’s documentary conveys the experience of living there. From the beginning there’s an undercurrent of weariness, of the wear and tear of living in a place to which the rest of the world — or rather, the movie strongly implies, the white world, the money world — has grown indifferent.”
- Glenn Kenny, The New York Times
"A painful but honest depiction of black life in urban Detroit, featuring multifaceted men striving against the odds. A portrait of black resilience and perseverance — without sentimentality — that stands in stark contrast to the one-dimensional uplifting stories of transformation, but still offers a way out of the dark."
- April Wolfe, Film Critic & Writer
“For those curious about Detroit, this is one of the essential docs.”
- Inney Prakash, Maysles Documentary Center
“An incisive, intimate and enlightening cinematic gaze on Detroit, Street Fighting Men triumphs as an authentic story of resilience in a neighborhood that will never settle for defeat.”
- Les Roka, The Utah Review
"Street Fighting Men embraces some heavy subject matter but it shows the natural ebb and flow that exists in people’s lives. James’ camera captures some moments of natural levity, some deeply touching moments, and some moments of real horror and sadness. If Street Fighting Men comes to theater near you it is worth your time to check out, especially if you liked Moonlight."
- Sarah Brinks, Battleship Pretension
"This is the sort of documentary that needs genuine trust between filmmaker and subject in order to get made. Each person is one man against a system much larger than him and mostly indifferent to his struggle."
- Jay Seaver, eFilmCritic
"At a time when so many are grappling with how we got to this point in America where systemic racism is as ugly and entrenched as it has ever been, Street Fighting Men offers no easy answers. One of the biggest takeaways in this excellent documentary is how basic day-to-day survival, let alone revolution, is often a hard-fought victory in and of itself."
- Brian Costello, Common Sense Media
“Street Fighting Men is a film that forces you to look at the realities of our society.”
- Malika Harris, The Irish Film Critic
“A sobering picture of the effects of growing income inequality and lack of opportunities that have devastated the black middle class.”
- Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice
"Shot between 2010 and 2014, Street Fighting Men follows three men of different generations that James believes represent “the past, present and future of Detroit and its neighborhoods.” It is presented in the observational style of filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, which means that there are no title cards, no narration, and that the audience is expected to provide the context."
- John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
