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Poster for Bully

2011 | 92 min | Documentary, Drama

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for the curious. If you loved O.J.: Made in America or The Pursuit of Happyness, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Eye-opening.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 32 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

This year, over 5 million American kids will be bullied at school, online, on the bus, at home, through their cell phones and on the streets of their towns, making it the most common form of violence young people in this country experience. The Bully Project is the first feature documentary film to show how we've all been affected by bullying, whether we've been victims, perpetrators or stood silent witness. The world we inhabit as adults begins on the playground. The Bully Project opens on the first day of school. For the more than 5 million kids who'll be bullied this year in the United States, it's a day filled with more anxiety and foreboding than excitement. As the sun rises and school busses across the country overflow with backpacks, brass instruments and the rambunctious sounds of raging hormones, this is a ride into the unknown.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    85% on Rotten Tomatoes, 74 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.2 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Won 1 PGA Award: Producers Guild of America Awards: Best Documentary Picture. Plus 7 other awards.

  • Box office & staying powerSolid

    $4 million worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 24K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Lee Hirsch

  • Kirk Smalleyself