On the Outs (2004)
Average Rating: 7.2/10
Reviews Counted: 29
Fresh: 27 | Rotten: 2
With powerful lead performances, this gritty docudrama about the desperate lives of three young women in Jersey City packs an emotional wallop.
Average Rating: 7.3/10
Critic Reviews: 12
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 1
With powerful lead performances, this gritty docudrama about the desperate lives of three young women in Jersey City packs an emotional wallop.
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Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 1,152
Movie Info
Three teenage girls struggle to survive in the urban jungle of their hardscrabble New Jersey neighborhood in this fact-inspired independent drama. Oz (Judy Marte) is an unapologetically tough 17-year-old who oversees a team of drug dealers, but beneath her hard shell is a soft heart as she cares for her younger brother who is mentally challenged (Dominic Colón). Suzette (Anny Mariano) is 15, and her mother is determined that her daughter is going to make something of herself -- which makes
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Cast
-
Anny Mariano
Suzette -
Judy Marte
Oz -
Paola Mendoza
Marisol -
Dominic Colón
Chuey -
Clarence 'Don' Hutchenson
Terrell -
Flaco Navaja
Jimmy -
Lee Brock
Social Worker -
Autumn Collier
Autumn -
Danny Rivera
J Stutter
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On the Outs Trailer & Photos
All Critics (34) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (27) | Rotten (2) | DVD (4)
Harrowing and heartbreaking, On the Outs is persuasively performed by fine actors, yet has the real feel of a documentary.
Top CriticIt succeeds, if unevenly.
A work of harrowing, visceral power.
An attention-grabbing showcase for three promising actresses in sharply drawn lead roles.
The performances are terrific: None is showy or actorish but earnest, truthful jobs laying bare souls in anguish.
A starkly honest and affecting dramatic feature directed by Lori Silverbush and Michael Skolnik.
Nothing short of awe-inspiring: riveting and real, a truly important work which is, blessedly, about something.
A trio of troubled Latinas linked by lawlessness in super-realistic, female empowerment flick not to be missed.
A sporadically powerful but uneven little film, in which moments of insight and conviction alternate with others that seem contrived and mawkish.
Judy Marte once again shows that she's an actress to watch. She's a commanding presence on screen and demands that you feel for her, even though her story is not the most sympathetic.
Granted that On the Outs doesn't explore any new realms of destitute city life but it still contains unspeakable moments of desolation and disillusionment.
The filmmakers' sense of outrage is palpable, matched only by the despair coursing through the movie's brief 81-minute running time.
Saves itself from after-school- special territory thanks to tough, human performances and plenty of streetwise authenticity.
Well-meaning but mediocre.
Lori Silverbush and Michael Skolnik's film must live and die on the strength of its lead performers. Luckily, most of the time they are up to the challenge.
Documentarians by trade, the directors use rough DV cinematography and no score to amplify their tale's sense of lived-in reality.
Though not highly structured, this is an intriguing docu-drama about teen delinquents in Jersey City.
Socially relevant and convincing, On The Outs should help to raise awareness that violent crime is no longer a man problem.
There's a real-life immediacy to these stories, each of which demands that viewers see beyond such convenient, dehumanizing labels as 'drug dealer,' 'crackhead' and 'pregnant teen.'
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Movie: ID: 291433174 Title: On the Outs Release Date: 2005-07-13 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 4 Status: 1
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This film was an exception. The recommended films looked like crap. But, this film was well worth the watch. Some harsh realities depicted...granted, I've never walked even remotely close to the paths of the main characters in this movie...so what do I know about the 'reality' but, nothing depicted here seemed in the least bit implausible. Completely believable characters in tough situations making bad decisions and facing very painful consequences. Not exactly the feel good movie of the year. But, sadly, I suspect, these are some of the life choices many teenagers are actually facing. Drugs. sex. violence. survival. pain. loss. suffering. with just a glimpse of hope.