Charm City Kings

Play trailer

2:13

Charm City Kings

R

2020

2h 5m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Growing up in West Baltimore, teenage Mouse (JAHI DI'ALLO WINSTON, Queen & Slim, Proud Mary, The Upside) feels the fierce pull of different forces: Between notorious ex-con Blax (Grammy-nominated best-selling artist MEEK MILL) and concerned Detective Rivers (WILLIAM CATLETT, TV's "Black Lightning"), and between the straight path set for Mouse by his concerned mother (TEYONAH PARRIS, If Beale Street Could Talk, Dear White People, TV's "Empire") and the dangers of gang life, which took his brother's life. The one truth Mouse knows is that he loves the power, artistry, and energy of "The Ride" -- the exhilarating motorized-dirt-bike scene that is both a pastime and passion on the streets of Baltimore. During one eventful summer, Mouse has to steer his way through two father figures, a first girlfriend, and the illegal but irresistible thrill of stunt-riding that makes him and his friends feel like CHARM CITY KINGS.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Charm City Kings falls shy of more effective similarly themed coming-of-age films, but strong direction and engaging performances make its flaws easy to forgive.

Read Critics Reviews

Tomris Laffly

Time Out

10/14/2020

4/5

The spirit of old-fashioned coming-of-age fare roars in director Angel Manuel Soto's sun-dappled Charm City Kings.

Go to Full Review

Angie Han

FilmWeek (LAist)

10/10/2020

A really engaging story worth watching for the performances.

Go to Full Review

Max Weiss

Baltimore Magazine

10/10/2020

3/4

Ultimately, Charm City Kings passes the Baltimore smell test, which is saying a lot.

Go to Full Review

Craig D. Lindsey

Crooked Marquee

08/30/2021

D

TV scribe Sherman Payne's script is as predictable as they come...

Go to Full Review

Witney Seibold

Critically Acclaimed Podcast

04/22/2021

The natural style and authentic locations add a great deal of excitement and purity to 'Charm City Kings.' I just wish the story weren't so predictable.

Go to Full Review

Clement Tyler Obropta

Film Inquiry

03/20/2021

With its challenging performances, elaborate dirt-biking stunts, evocative cinematography, and unique setting for a coming-of-age narrative, it's one of the great gems of 2020.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Get S

@RT32782580 Mar 19

How you got Meek Mill (A Philadelphia Native) in a movie about the dirt bike culture in BALTIMORE CITY! That was strike one. Strike two, the young kid who the movie was centered around did a terrible job of trying to mimic the Baltimore accent making this movie extremely hard to sit through. Baltimore City has a lot of young talent that always goes unnoticed ! It would’ve been refreshing to see an actual kid(s) from the city take on this role and do it’s justice because Jahi Winston did not.

See more

dave d

@RT34924333 11/29/2022

Jahi Di'Allo Winston shines in a complicated role and Charm City Kings is an off the radar gem. Other than a 3rd act turn, the film is generally a completely plausible one. These types of movies haven't been made for all races and it's about time there is one focusing on the city of Baltimore and how hard it is to make something of yourself in this place called America. It's not perfect, but for a complete culture this film should have been seen by tens of millions not tens of hundreds. It is a really good inner-city coming of age drama with a few laughs to keep it going. It is based on a documentary on the dirt bike and motorbike scene in Baltimore. It is well worth the time. Final Score: 9/10

See more

08/04/2022

The greatest 02 hours: and 05 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See more

avindu g

@RT86379654 04/23/2022

A great movie about the youthful pursuit of genuine freedom and expression. It's a big bad world that awaits a young man. But this cleverly acted out and well made story let us witness how a young man's future shapes up when met with a web of cross roads.

See more

03/10/2021

Great acting, powerful story and great pace of story telling. So much better then I thought it would be.

See more

ziggy d

@ZiggyD 02/22/2021

This movie does not take viewers into urban street bike culture as the title and previews would suggest. The first real glimpse into that world comes during the closing credits.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Angel Manuel Soto

Director

Jahi Di'Allo Winston

Mouse

Meek Mill

Blax

William Catlett

Detective Rivers

Teyonah Parris

Teri

Kezii Curtis

Sweartagawd

All Day and a Night

54%

60%

All Day and a Night

Watchlist

TRAILER

for All Day and a Night

A Million Little Pieces

27%

51%

A Million Little Pieces

Watchlist

TRAILER

for A Million Little Pieces

Monsters and Men

84%

69%

Monsters and Men

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Monsters and Men

Loaded

17%

21%

Loaded

Watchlist

American Skin

35%

95%

American Skin

Watchlist

TRAILER

for American Skin

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

20 Under-the-Radar Black Movies You Should Seek Out

Indie Fresh List: The Wolf of Snow Hollow, The Forty-Year-Old Version, and More

The Indie Fresh List: A Gig Economy Drama, a Brazilian Actioner, and a Supernatural Rom-Com

Charm City Kings: Trailer 1

2:13

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Growing up in West Baltimore, teenage Mouse (JAHI DI'ALLO WINSTON, Queen & Slim, Proud Mary, The Upside) feels the fierce pull of different forces: Between notorious ex-con Blax (Grammy-nominated best-selling artist MEEK MILL) and concerned Detective Rivers (WILLIAM CATLETT, TV's "Black Lightning"), and between the straight path set for Mouse by his concerned mother (TEYONAH PARRIS, If Beale Street Could Talk, Dear White People, TV's "Empire") and the dangers of gang life, which took his brother's life. The one truth Mouse knows is that he loves the power, artistry, and energy of "The Ride" -- the exhilarating motorized-dirt-bike scene that is both a pastime and passion on the streets of Baltimore. During one eventful summer, Mouse has to steer his way through two father figures, a first girlfriend, and the illegal but irresistible thrill of stunt-riding that makes him and his friends feel like CHARM CITY KINGS.

Director: Angel Manuel Soto
Producer: Marc Bienstock, Clarence Hammond, Caleeb Pinkett
Screenwriter: Christopher M. Boyd, Sherman Payne
Production Co: Overbrook Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Rating: R (Some Violence|Sexual References|Pervasive Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2020
Runtime: 2h 5m

Most Popular at Home Now