White Riot (2019)
88%RT Audience Score: 75%
Awards & Nominations: 4 wins & 3 nominations
Raw and energetic like the music that inspired the 1970s political movement, White Riot offers invaluable insight into how music can change the world — and how Rock Against Racism still resonates
White Riot is a must-see for anyone who loves music, history, and sticking it to the man. This documentary is a wild ride that will have you tapping your feet and pumping your fist in the air. It’s a powerful reminder that the fight against racism and fascism is ongoing, but it’s also a celebration of the people who have stood up and made a difference. With great music, incredible footage, and a clear message, White Riot is a movie that will leave you feeling inspired and ready to take on the world.
Production Company(ies)
Liberty Films,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2020
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Dec 3, 2020
Genre(s)
Documentary/Music
Keyword(s)
documentary, music, punk, politics, Rock Against Racism, 1970s, Britain, Pauline Black, Topper Headon, Mick Jones, Dennis Bovell, Paul Simonon, Joe Strummer, directed by Rubika Shah, written by Ed Gibbs and Rubika Shah, produced by Ed Gibbs, reviewed by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, David Stratton, Paul Byrnes, Sukhdev Sandhu, Chris Waywell, David Fear, Dorothy Woodend, Sarah Ward, Jim Schembri, Edward Porter, Richard Crouse, genre, box office performance, budget, producer names, MPAA rating, critic names, actor names
Worldwide gross: $185,973
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $212,226
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,920
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 23,144
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Topper Headon – Self
Mick Jones – Self
Dennis Bovell – Self
Paul Simonon – Self
Joe Strummer – Self
Rubika Shah – Director, Writer
Ed Gibbs – Producer, Writer
Director(s)
Rubika Shah
Writer(s)
Ed Gibbs, Rubika Shah
Producer(s)
Ed Gibbs
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 3 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (50)
White Riot is a wild ride, a timely but never preachy reminder that Black lives mattering is not a new fight for those in the music industry.
March 24, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
ABC Radio (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
The film is a reminder as to how deeply entrenched are the roots of fascism, and not only in Britain.
March 20, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
The film is highly entertaining, suitably chaotic and unpredictable, but with a clear purpose — to show that RAR made a difference.
March 18, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
It’s a tribute to the fire and ferment of Rock Against Racism, and to Shah’s infectious passion for her subject, that White Riot feels at least half an hour too short.
February 12, 2021
Sukhdev Sandhu
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
‘White Riot’ uses archive footage and stills brilliantly. It dispenses with expositional voiceover and clocks in at a lean 80 mins. But all of that pales beside its central message.
February 12, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Chris Waywell
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Here’s a blueprint for resistance.
November 12, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
David Fear
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
The film hammers home the scope of the problem…
November 8, 2021
Dorothy Woodend
The Tyee (British Columbia)
Delivers a vital history lesson on a crucial piece of activism – as well as a reminder that inflammatory rhetoric always demands a response.
March 23, 2021
Sarah Ward
Concrete Playground
Compact and comprehensive, edifying and enormously entertaining, full of great music, bad language and knockout footage…a steaming hot slice of 1970s history and a clarion call about the unrest now unfurling across countries that should know better.
March 19, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Jim Schembri
jimschembri.com
We’re reminded how much passion and verve went into the period’s activism, and the film’s style has a similar rough energy.
February 12, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Edward Porter
Sunday Times (UK)
Racism and rise of neo-fascism are still with us but White Riot reminds the viewer that resistance not only comes in many forms but that fighting the good fight is never out of date.
January 29, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse
White Riot shows the power in standing together and fighting against the worst of humanity.
November 12, 2020
Joel Fisher
Battle Royale With Cheese…
Plot
White Riot is a documentary about how punk music influenced politics in late-1970s Britain, as a group of artists united to take on the National Front.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast includes punk legends like Mick Jones, Joe Strummer, and Paul Simonon.
Rubika-Shah.jpg
