Critic Reviews

• Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

  Choppy coming-of-age story.

• Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

  An across-the-board delight featuring a spot-on ensemble cast that treats the most awkward and embarrassing moments in the rites of passage with affectionate hilarity.

• Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

  The growing-up stuff is kind of wonderful.

• Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

  Famuyiwa has kicked up fertile new storytelling territory for black filmmakers.

• Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

  Inane coming-of-age comedy.

• Susan Stark, Detroit News

  Since positive images of middle-class black friendships and romance remain rare while gangster tales, drugs and gang gunfire dominate the screen, The Wood gets bonus points.

• Tom Meek, Film Threat

  It wants to be Boyz in the Hood (Boyz in the Wood) but the obscenity laced dialogue and raw objectification of woman renders it a contrite pretender more along the lines of Booty Call and Trippin.

• Leslie Felperin, Sight and Sound

  Never delves much deeper into the three friends' psychology than a sitcom pilot would, though the cast try their best.

• Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer

  A charmer, a heartfelt memoir full of the buoyant good spirits and free-wheeling fun that, say, American Pie never had.

• Brent Simon, Entertainment Today

  A well-intentioned exercise in humanism... but as art or a successful narrative, the movie is ultimately empty.

• Wade Major, Boxoffice Magazine

  Heartfelt honesty and a determined refusal to resort to exploitative stereotypes help make The Wood an uncommonly uplifting experience for audiences of all races and backgrounds.

• Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

  Three middle-class African-American men yearn to stay forever young as they struggle with their relationships with women.

Read all 12 critic reviews