Critic Reviews

The film ends on up notes, but its strength is that it's not really a feel-good movie, instead shining a light on both how far we have come in terms of race in America and how very far we still have to go.

American Promise shows the emotional toll that each boy endures, not only from the image that their privileged peers have of minority males but, accordingly, their own lack of confidence.

Because the stories are so specific, and because they play out over such a long period of time, it is hard not to be fascinated by this intimate look at how particular families deal with the great parental challenge of shepherding their children through the all-important educational experience.

The documentary is often fascinating, even as it eschews any kind of traditional narrative.

The documentary is unwieldy, unfocused and frustrating at times... But the movie is also, somehow, dazzling.

The result is an extended home movie that is also a sociological experiment.

American Promise succeeds in touching on a wealth of subjects without overreaching.

Ultimately, American Promise seems split between a personal perspective and a broader one. It’s a bold experiment that’s also a textbook case of filmmakers being too close to their material.

Despite the film’s intentions, Idris and Seun can’t really stand in for anybody but themselves. What they go through, as middle-class kids in a privileged school system, seems far less race-based than the filmmakers would have us believe.

The documentary's lack of a cohesive thesis may frustrate at times, but its power lies in its exposition of the mundane.