Us Kids is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Kim A. Snyder, following members of the March for Our Lives movement after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.
| Us Kids | |
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 Official poster | |
| Directed by | Kim A. Snyder |
| Produced by |
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| Cinematography | Derek Wiesehahn |
| Edited by | Leigh Johnson |
| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Greenwich Entertainment |
Release dates |
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Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020. It was scheduled for wider release on May 14, 2021, by Greenwich Entertainment.
Synopsis
editThe film follows the March for Our Lives movement over the course of 18 months, in the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that killed 17 people and injured 17 more.[1] X González, David Hogg, Cameron Kasky, Jaclyn Corin, Bria Smith, Samantha Fuentes and Alex King appear in the film.[2][3] Us Kids also captures how youth got involved with political activism, launching a global youth movement against gun violence.[1][4][5]
Release
editThe film had its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2020.[6][7] The film was briefly released online for free from October 30, 2020, to November 3, 2020.[8] In February 2021, Greenwich Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film and initially set it for an April 9, 2021, release.[9] It was postponed until May 14, 2021, for release in theaters and video on demand (VOD).[3]
Critical response
editUs Kids received positive reviews from film critics. It holds an 84% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 32 reviews, with an average of 6.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Skillfully directed by Kim A. Snyder, Us Kids is a stirring portrait of hope that prevails in the face of tragedy."[10] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 65 out of 100, based on nine9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11]
Critics praised Us Kids for handling a difficult and sensitive subject matter (U.S. gun violence) carefully and optimistically.[12] Carlos Aguilar at the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Us Kids is indispensable viewing for anyone who genuinely cares about the future of this country beyond 'thoughts and prayers.'"[13] Lovia Gyarkye at the New York Times wrote, "Us Kids skillfully handles a sensitive subject and prudently connects the Parkland students' stories to those of Black students whose experiences with gun violence rarely garner similar national attention."[14]
References
edit- ^ a b Ramachandran, Naman (March 5, 2021). "Parkland Aftermath Documentary 'Us Kids' Acquired by Cargo Film". Variety. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ Day-Ramos, Dino (January 29, 2020). "'Us Kids' Director And Subjects Talk How Gun Violence Docu Sheds Light On Youth-Driven Activism – Sundance Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ a b Rearick, Lauren (April 2, 2021). "New Parkland Documentary 'Us Kids'". Teen Vogue. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ Thompson, Anne (2020-01-25). "Sundance Doc 'Us Kids' Chronicles Parkland's Impact on Young Activists Fighting Gun Violence". IndieWire. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
- ^ "Sundance Film Review: Us Kids". SLUG Magazine. 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
- ^ "us-kids". www.sundance.org. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
- ^ Siegel, Tatiana (December 4, 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Perez, Rodrigo (October 29, 2020). "'Us Kids': Alamo Drafthouse To Release Timely Doc For FREE Until Election Day Via Virtual Cinema [Exclusive]". The Playlist. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (February 4, 2021). "Greenwich Entertainment Acquires Sundance Documentary 'Us Kids'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ "Us Kids (2020)", Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango, retrieved October 10, 2021
- ^ "Us Kids". Metacritic. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis (2020-01-25). "'Us Kids': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
- ^ "Review: Parkland documentary 'Us Kids' offers more than thoughts and prayers". Los Angeles Times. 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
- ^ Gyarkye, Lovia (2020-10-29). "'Us Kids' Review: They're Not All Right". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
