User Reviews

"There's a horse in your house." hidden gem of the first half of 2021. A film about a young man reconnecting with his father in Philadelphia sounds like it can be a cliched drama. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It tackles a subject not seen much in film, the urban cowboy. On the surface it felt like watching a film about a man learning the cowboy ways but in a ghetto environment.

Caleb McLaughlin shows that he's a talented actor. He gives a fantastic performance as Cole. If he wanted to move away from Stranger Things, I think this performance shows that he has the talent to tackle adult roles. I also like his bond with Idris Elba. At first I wasn't sure if his character had much going on under the surface, but he shines in the second half. He seems like the father figure that can be a good father in the toughest circumstance.

I do wish that the screenplay could've developed Cole's relationship with Smush alot better. I felt like when we get to those scenes, they felt like typical black drama that I've seen before. When we get to Smush's gang life, I felt like the screenplay didn't have enough to develop. Anyway, it doesn't take away too much since the best parts are when Cole is on this self-discovery journey.

If you have Netflix and want to see a cowboy drama from the black perspective, this is worth checking out.

I went into this film with absolutely no expectations, knowing next to nothing about it. Man, am I glad I watched it - "Concrete Cowboy" is an inspiring film. While it is about horseback riding, this film is really about personal growth at its core. The central protagonist, Cole, goes through a journey of coming to terms with family, friendship and his own identity. The lifestyle of Philadelphia cowboys and the bonds they share with each other, as well as with their horses, ties everything together nicely. I was intrigued the whole time, especially by the strong performances the whole cast delivered.

At some points the film it is a bit slow but that is part of a modern western so its oké. The film lasted just a bit too long, it could be 10 minutes shorter. Caleb Mclaughlin gives a great performance and he can play drama very well. Idris Elba is not that much in the movie but when he is there he is very good. At a few moments in the film it is very emotional and its inpressive How they handled it. There are a lot of beautiful shots in the movie. Overall its a good movie with tons of great acting but a little to slow and long.

I give the movie a 8/10.

It is hard not to like or respect the work of Lee Daniels. This coming of age story coupled with the reality of urban blight facing the coming gentrification has all the elements of great filmmaking. It's good to see Idris Elba taking roles that allow the world to see him light years away from his London accent and roots. New star Caleb Mclaughlin gives us more than just a troubled young man coming into maturity and gaining respect for his father and a new perspective on life.. The fact that this is based on real characters in a little known tale about Cowboys in modern day Philadelphia is even more amazing. . If you're looking for a happy ending this may not be for you. But if you're looking for a well produced, directed, written, and edited film don't pass this by.

Good film. I wouldn't say excellent or a classic. It is an interesting story, drawing attention to the stables in Philadelphia as well as the dominance of black cowboys. Yeh, no surprises, but it isn't a film for surprises, it's just a sweet tale. It is true, people that know horses may find some parts unrealistic, but what is real, and is shown well in the film, is the bond between horses and people. Anyway, don't go out of your way to find this film, but watch it if you can. PS, I never found it slow or boring. It was well paced and story developed nicely.

I think that this movie will never be fully appreciated by the casual viewer, because we can't even imagine how these people are living. I really needed to get used to this way of living, just as much as are protagonist. That makes the movie so odd and strange in the beginning, but after we get to see how much these characters care about their horses, I was fully on board. On a technical level, it's fantastic. The score and soundtrack fit really well to the story and the cinematography makes the movie at times look stunning. On an exceptional level however it lacks focus. The concept as a whole is really interesting, but I think the movie focuses too much on the troubling son negative. That storyline has been done so many times now, that it makes it so predictable. The movie is at his best, when the actual cowboys and stables are one screen. They are just so interesting and entertaining. Their way of living and seeing the rest of the world just intrigues me. It's just a waste that it focuses a lot on predictable storylines. But if you can look past the predictability of the movie, there is still a lot to enjoy.

I really dont get ratings anymore how this is under a 7 is beyond reality!! Movie is excellent in every way from the great acting to the phenomenal story that's based on a REAL story and situation to the reason we watch movies. The main thing a movie has to do is entertain but it's even better when its entertaining AND a lesson learned. It's such a shame that everytime something is actually doing something good greed or misunderstanding takes it away. Watch this gem and learn!! LOVED it!!

Well I guess maybe a little bit ... wordplay and jokes aside, this is quite the powerful coming of age story. With social message and issues on the forefront. And quite the performances to boost! And while you sort of expect that from the main man Idris Elba, you might be surprised by his son (in a positive way that is).

But there is another man who doesn't get enough credit for his acting: Method Man! While mostly in smaller roles, his charisma and his acting ability are on a high level and he always helps a movie he's a part of. Of course he is better known as rapper, but that doesn't mean he can't be known for both things. Some people are just gifted like that.

But as I said, this is more about the kid ... and his journey - no pun intended. Really well made drama, with a touch of Western mixed into it (as the title obviously suggests of course).

"Alma de Cowboy" lindo e sensível filme no Netflix. Se você, como eu, gosta de cavalos, saiba que existem Cowboys no meio da cidade em Filadélfia! Sim, até hoje! Idris Elba mandou muito bem como ator e produtor desse filme. Super recomendo. Beautiful and sensitive film on Netflix. If you, like me, love horses, know that there are Cowboys in the middle of the city in Philadelphia! Yes, even today! Idris Elba nailed it as an actor and producer for this film. I highly recommend it. #movieslover #netflix.

A good solid 8 and a film with heart. Can't understand the low ratings, but I figure a lot of people don't like the idea of black cowboys, tough, they exist and always have. I can imagine what type of people are giving this a 1/10. Have you learned nothing in this last year?

It's not just a coming of age film, but a cultural lesson, one I had no idea about.

Most of the characters are based on real life cowboys in Philadelphia. Fletcher Street was a real stable until it was destroyed by the Philly authorities for 're development'.

The acting is solid. Idris Elba (Pops) is very good as the strong silent type, his son, Caleb McLaughlin (Cole), grows up fast because he has too. His first day of honest hard work was pretty funny.

This is a well rounded, factual film that shines a light on the injustice in America today and how communities that are trying to do the right thing are screwed over by the system. They ain't rich so they're fair game, same old, same old.

Who would have thought cowboys in Philly and Black no less? Concrete Cowboy is a small Netflix drama about 15-year-old Cole (Caleb McLaughlin) reconnecting with his estranged cowboy dad, Harp (Idris Elba, also producer), in aging stables of Philadelphia, where a group of cowboys have their horses and their identities. Anyone who loved The Rider will find Concrete Cowboy just as interesting about horses and humans, although Cole is much too underdeveloped in this film to compete with Rider's Brady.

Although the film, based on G. Neri's Ghetto Cowboy (2011), has a generous supply of formula for a coming-of- age melodrama, the film infuses enough reality, including real cowboys to play parts, to make an enjoyable introduction to a culture most of us would never have known. Lenser Minka Farthing-Kohl finds beauty photographing the beautiful animals in the blighted 'hood, especially in sol-mo.

The Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club is like no other, a Philadelphia organization for which the film makes no apology for its preaching about a slice of society ignored by pols and the public in general.

The film travels in formula with Cole initially rebellious and then transformed by the horse experience, Harp going soft on the Cole, ignoramuses threatening the cowboy life, etc., well, you get the idea. What keeps it above average is the measured development overseen by director Ricky Staub, whereby incrementally the story reveals good guys and bad, and the cowboys will ride on.

Like Cole and Harp, the story is about finding peace with loved ones and the world, both of which may guide us to a place called home. Even though the characters are outside the normal pale, they are worthwhile, sometimes talented folk who deserve a break. The fact that they are Black, urban cowboys is fascinating and itself a metaphor for repressed minorities everywhere.

Enjoy movies like this, cute, rebellious teenagers, drugs, separated parents, who are "returned" to the other parent and learn great life lessons, but cute if that goes to the sound of blues and rap, with little animals, in the country ghetto , but a lot of love involved ... It is important to know that more than a tribute was made to the real Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club and in the end the members give their testimonies, beautiful...

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I lost count of the number of movies I've watched completely blind to any prior information. Concrete Cowboy is the most recent addition to that list. Ricky Staub and Dan Walser make their debuts as director and screenwriter of a feature film, respectively. From the synopsis alone, I expected some sort of variation of the formulaic coming-of-age story, which in this case takes a rebellious kid back to his father who lives far, far away from the everyday city lifestyle. Not even twenty minutes into the narrative, and it's quite easy to anticipate everything that's going to happen. From character development to specific plot points, it's a generic screenplay that holds no surprises.

However, Staub offers a solid directorial debut that elevates the entire movie, demonstrating talent behind the camera. Most importantly, Staub shows a remarkable commitment to a project that never lost the director's clear vision of the story he wanted to tell. This leads me to the only production element that actually made me open my eyes a little bit more upon its revelation. I knew that this film was based on a novel, but I didn't realize that real-life Philadelphia cowboys starred in the movie - information stamped wide and clear in the trailers. The end credits - don't forget to watch these after the film finishes - offer short interviews with the non-actors, which feel heartwarming and genuine.

Listening to these people talk about their love for horses and the continuous fight to keep the stables for themselves gives a whole other layer to previous interactions in the movie with the actual actors/characters. Besides, I now understand and forgive the fact that some scenes featuring non-actors feel a bit bland. Idris Elba plays the father role extremely well, but Caleb McLaughlin - 19-years-old already - steals the spotlight with an emotionally powerful performance that demanded more from him physically than expected. His character follows the usual arc of a young teen who needs to learn important life lessons through hard work and tough love. Everyone else offers decent displays, but the cast doesn't overcome the real issues with the film.

An uninteresting, cliche drug business subplot drags the entire movie, gradually and negatively affecting the film's already slow pacing. Throughout the runtime, the viewers are constantly moved from the main storyline to this side narrative that doesn't even impact the outcome of the movie, partially removing impact from subsequent plot points. Walser's screenplay follows a generic storytelling method, relying heavily on the cast's ability to give more energy to each scene, which doesn't occur often. Technically, Minka Farthing-Kohl's cinematography adds to the murky aesthetic, but the camera work is a tad too shaky for my taste. Luke Ciarrocchi's editing could be better - many choppy transitions from scene to scene. Sweet score from Kevin Matley.

Concrete Cowboy holds a formulaic, unsurprising coming-of-age story that could have been more captivating had it focused on the main narrative. For the millionth time, a cliche subplot involving a drug business negatively impacts the film's purposefully steady pacing, as well as the overall interest in the primary storyline. Nevertheless, Ricky Staub proves to be a committed director with a clear vision, bringing real-life Philadelphia cowboys to the movie, who added much-needed authenticity. Caleb McLaughlin is outstanding as a generic yet compelling young protagonist, while Idris Elba plays the demanding father role well. Despite some issues with some choppy editing and shaky camera work, it's an overall well-produced Netflix flick to watch during the weekend.

Rating: C+

IN BRIEF: Cliché-ridden and highly predictable, but a real crowdpleaser that's mighty good.

JIM'S REVIEW: (RECOMMENDED) Not much more to add to Toby's comments except to say that the clichés were piled a bit too high for my liking. In fact, it's harder to figure out which is piled higher: the heaps of horse manure or the worn-out clichés in this soulful saga of urban cowboys living that cowpoke code of honor. The latter does win out, barely, although writer / director Ricky Staub does have a nice ear for authentic sounding dialog and a willingness to build on stronger character development in his coming-of-age tale.

Still, Concrete Cowboy is well made and well acted, even if the story is deeply contrived and loosely based on real life events. All in all, there is much on view to be entertained including Idris Elba's compelling performance as Harp, a Marlboro man oozing testosterone from every pore and Caleb McLaughlin's convincing portrayal of Cole, an at-risk youth who learns about life the hard way. Both characters are thrown together to learn important life lessons about family, real masculinity, self-respect, and the ability to care for each other.

Too bad the plot is just too contrived and lacking any genuine surprises. Everything in Mr. Straub screenplay, co-written with Dan Waiser, is so rote...and overwrote. That said, the actors and real life non-actors from the real equine community in Philadelphia, of which this inspirational film is based, do very convincing work. Both Mr. Elba and Mr. McLaughlin have fine father-son bonding scenes, and, in supporting roles, Loraine Toussaint and Jharrrel Jerome provide more than enough interest. All add to the traditional appeal of a modern cowboy story, similar to Arthur Miller's 1961 ode, The Misfits, in its idolatry of the western drama genre of lost boys and despair.

Concrete Cowboy may not be as solid as it wants to be, but it tells its story with pride and a lot of insight about this dying community and its Western values. Despite the "been there, done that" vibe, the film rides tall in the saddle. Worth seeing. (GRADE: B)

"Concrete Cowboy" is a Drama movie in which we watch a teenager going to live with his father for the summer. There he will come in front of different Philadelphia community than what he expected, cowboys and horses.

I liked this movie because it was a big surprise for me since I did not expect a plot like this. The direction which was made by Ricky Staub, it was good and he used very well some nice and true references in his movie. The interpretations of both Idris Elba who played as Harp and Caleb McLaughlin who played as Cole were very good and the combination of both worked very well while the connection of their characters were obvious through the whole duration of the film. Other interpretations that have to be mentioned were Jharrel Jerome's who played as Smush, Ivannah-Mercedes' who played as Esha and Jamil Prattis' who played as Paris. All in all, I have to say that "Concrete Cowboy" is a nice movie to spend your time and I am sure that you will also learn something new.

A heartfelt movie about the real life phenom of cowboys in Philadelphia, that told an interesting story but lacked character depth. It was missing the connection that emotionally connects you the characters. I loved the vibe though, somber yet hopeful.

As an African American who grew up in rural adjacent Mississippi (Memphis Metro), went to graduate school in Philly, and currently lives in DC, I appreciated the mash up of so many different worlds in this film, despite the clumsiness of the overall storyline.

Also, Philadelphia is such an interesting and diverse city! I enjoyed learning about the Fletcher Street cowboys, but viewers aren't really given a snapshot into much else in the city except for drugs and violence. That's really a shame considering Philly's amazing food scene, mural arts, rich music tradition, etc.

2 out of 5 stars.

Concrete Cowboy is a bad western drama film that has a promising story but is drawn out with a slow dull direction. The cast ensemble is decent. Caleb McLaughlin did okay. But the script and direction is a slow burn drama that makes the film difficult to get into.

The film was too long, too predictable and the interaction with the horses was poor - when will directors realise that horses do not make so much noise all the time? Really poor scenes with the boy and the 'wild' horse, terrible continuity- lead rein attached then not attached etc. As an equestrian I was uncomfortable with how the horses were kept, which was not good for the story. The two boys were good, the father's character barely drawn and strange and the ending flimsy.

Urban cowboys deserved a better film.

Concrete Cowboy is well-acted and beautifully shot. The plot was predictable, yes. However, the unique setting, gorgeous & gritty cinematography, and heartfelt performances more than make up for the familiar story beats.

Instead, we have a movie that's somehow both too subdued and too melodramatic all at once. Everything is ALMOST great (performances, story, message, characters, direction) but never exceeds being another forgettable Netflix drama.

I had no idea it was based on a true story. I learnt a lot watching this and the way they tied the modern storylines with the old was really nice, very naturally done.