Concrete Cowboy

Concrete Cowboy is a 2020 American Western drama film directed by Ricky Staub, from a screenplay by Staub and Dan Walser, based upon the novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri. It stars Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome, Lorraine Toussaint, Byron Bowers and Method Man. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2020, and will be released on Netflix in 2021.[2]

This article is about the 2020 film. For the 1979 film, see Concrete Cowboys.
Concrete Cowboy
Directed byRicky Staub
Produced by
Screenplay byRicky Staub
Dan Walser
Based onGhetto Cowboy
by Greg Neri
Starring
CinematographyMinka Farthing-Kohl
Edited byLuke Ciarrocchi
Production
company
  • Tucker Tooley Entertainment
  • Green Door Pictures
  • Lee Daniels Entertainment
  • Neighborhood Film Co.
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • September 13, 2020 (2020-09-13) (TIFF)
Running time
111 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

The film is about a 15-year-old boy from Detroit who is sent to live with his estranged father in Philadelphia and learns about the local urban cowboys.[3]

Cast

Production

In August 2019, it was announced Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome, Lorraine Toussaint, Byron Bowers and Method Man had joined the cast of the film, with Ricky Staub directing in his feature directorial debut from a screenplay by himself and Dan Wasler, based upon the novel Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri. Elba and Lee Daniels served as a producers on the film.[4][3][5] The role of Amahle was originally written to be a drug addict, and when Liz Priestley auditioned for the role she built up a few days of sleep deprivation to make her performance believable. The character was later rewritten to be a nurse instead.[6]

Filming began in North Philadelphia in August 2019.[7] Staub originally got the idea for the film when seeing a man riding a horse down a Philadelphia street, which led him to researching the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club and discovering Neri's book.[8]

Release

The film was set to have its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2020, prior to its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] Its world premiere was then at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2020.[10] In October 2020, Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film for a release in 2021.[11]

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76% based on 42 reviews, with an average rating of 6.24/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Well-acted and solidly directed, Concrete Cowboy lassos old-fashioned uplift with its story of a father and son in a little-seen corner of American culture."[12] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]

References
  1. "Concrete Cowboy". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  2. Fleming Jr., Mike (January 12, 2021). "Netflix Unveils A 2021 Film Slate With Bigger Volume & Star Wattage; Scott Stuber On The Escalating Film Ambition". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  3. Fleming Jr, Mike (August 8, 2019). "Idris Elba, Stranger Things' 'Caleb McLaughlin To Star In 'Concrete Cowboys'". Deadline. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  4. Kroll, Justin (August 9, 2018). "Idris Elba Sets 'Ghetto Cowboy' as Next Film". Variety. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  5. Ramos, Dino-Ray (August 23, 2019). "Method Man Joins 'Waldo' and Action-Thriller 'Concrete Cowboys'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  6. Harden, Brandon (September 15, 2020). "Hollywood is talking about this film shot in Philly last summer". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  7. Vadala, Nick (August 9, 2019). "Idris Elba spotted training for new movie, 'Concrete Cowboys,' in Strawberry Mansion". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  8. Fiorillo, Victor (August 9, 2019). "Check Out These Photos of Idris Elba Riding a Horse in Philly". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  9. Keegan, Rebecca (August 3, 2020). "Inside the Telluride Film Festival That Would Have Been". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  10. Wiseman, Andreas (June 24, 2020). "Toronto Film Festival Reveals Plan For Slimline 2020 Edition With Mix Of Physical & Digital Screenings; Kate Winslet, Idris Elba & Mark Wahlberg Movies Among First Wave". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  11. Kit, Borys (October 26, 2020). "Netflix Picks Up Idris Elba Drama 'Concrete Cowboy' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  12. "Concrete Cowboy (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
  13. "Concrete Cowboy Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
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