Blaze

R

Released Aug 17, 2018

2 hr. 7 min.

Biography

Drama

Music

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List

95%

93 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A reimagining of the life and times of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement.

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Critics Consensus

As lyrical and bittersweet as the music its subject left behind, Blaze takes a decidedly unconventional -- yet richly rewarding -- approach to the musical biopic.

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miguel s

A great movie about a wonderful time and place (Austin Outlaw Country) that ended before we knew how great it was. A nearly unknown singer songwriter among many that created some songs that should be classics just like an untold number of his fellow troubadour. Some like Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell survived to be acknowledged as great, some like Townes Van Zandt burned up and out in their fame and many others like Blaze died or faded away anonymously with the era that created them. What a wonderful look into that world of starving strung out geniuses that turned on Nashville and stuck with the bluegrass cowboy folk music built on lyrics and musicianship vs the sold out cynically formulaic wasteland of today inhabited by the likes of Taylor Swift and countless cowboy hat wearing pretty Back street boys.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/11/23

Full Review

john m

A lot of fun look at the Austin music scene, but everything else is pretty lame. Most of all, Ben Dickey is just not interesting to watch here. Completely flat and boring and really ruins the whole movie considering he's the entire purpose and soul of it. Fun to see some supporting cast members here including a Texan douche businessman Richard Linklater. Just wish this had a better performance in the center and more script rather than just showing the Austin scene with a score behind it.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

His character will win you over, and the layout of the storyline works well. I really liked the tone of the film. It plays like one of his songs, of which you’ll definitely get a taste. FREE advice: Turn on the subtitles. I don’t think the sound mixing was top-notch and the way they speak is a little tricky to pick up. Once I did, the film was much more enjoyable.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/16/21

Full Review

Audience Member

I'm stumped. Why everyone adores this film has me scratching my head. I can see the positives... the colors, the mood and the acting in particular. But through most of the film, everyone is drunk or mumbling...I can't understand a word that's being said...or sung for that matter. Is the moody mumbling passing as gravitas? The songs are just okay, nothing special. They're your basic country or folk song patterns with lyrics that are decent (provided you can hear them), but worthy of a biopic that deifies the guy? No. Absolutely not. As a singer songwriter myself, I've known a dozen or so solid artists over the years who TRULY had great songs and never made it either... that's what happens in the music biz 99 percent of the time. While it's nice to see one plucked from the obscurity bin by a Hollywood elite, why Hawke picked Foley when there are so many better unknown artists to focus on is a mystery. I barely made it to the end as I was simply bored. Put it this way: when you turn to your cat and ask, "Do YOU like this movie?" and she starts pawing at the treats bag, and THAT'S what you find entertaining, you know the film is dull. I'm a huge fan of just about everything Hawke does but he lost me with this one.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

We need more movies made about the not-so-well-known legends. Beautiful movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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georgan g

Hard to follow plot as it switched continuously from past, present & day of his death. Had to see how long his beard was to know what time period was happening!

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Ethan Hawke

Director

Ben Dickey

Blaze Foley

Alia Shawkat

Rosen

Charlie Sexton

Townes Van Zant

Josh Hamilton

Zee

Kris Kristofferson

Edwin Fuller

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Blaze: Trailer 1

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Chris Nashawaty

Entertainment Weekly

Dickey looks like a big, shaggy dog with a wounded paw who's been left out in the rain overnight. And he's a real revelation.

Rated: B+

Dec 26, 2018

Full Review

Tim Grierson

Screen International

A songwriter making his major acting debut, Dickey captures the burly, vulnerable quality of Foley's lyrics and vocal delivery, creating a palpable sense that the songs were excavated from the darkest corners of his soul.

Dec 26, 2018

Full Review

Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

Hawke is more fascinated with passion than profile. And here, that's more than enough.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 14, 2018

Full Review

Ryan McQuade

InSession Film

Blaze is a very unique story and experience and proves that Ethan Hawke doesn’t just have to act in order to impress audiences.

Rated: B+

Apr 4, 2024

Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

Blaze is wonderfully rich, heartbreakingly real, and told with overwhelming intimacy. Ben Dickey’s portrayal of Blaze Foley is a sight to behold. Go and seek out this film!

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 16, 2022

Full Review

Matt Cipolla

Film Monthly

There's a great movie in here, but Hawke hasn't quite found it.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 25, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

A reimagining of the life and times of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement.

Director: Ethan Hawke
Executive Producer: Gurpreet Chandhoke, Louis Black
Screenwriter: Ethan Hawke, Sybil Rosen
Distributor: Sundance Selects
Production Co: Ansgar Media, Village Studios, Cinetic Media
Rating: R (Language Throughout|Drug Use|Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 17, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 23, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $698.6K
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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