Explicit Ills

R

Released Mar 6, 2009

1 hr. 27 min.

Drama

List

54%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

39%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Various lives intersect within urban Philadelphia in unpredictable and dramatic ways. Babo (Francisco Burgos), a young asthmatic boy, resides with his mom (Rosario Dawson) in a rough part of town, and their quirky neighbor Demitri (Martin Cepeda) is intent on improving his life by posing as a smart kid. Elsewhere in the city, Jill (Naomie Harris) is having a marital crisis and must contend with her teen son, who has become obsessed with bodybuilding.

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Critics Consensus

Though its politics can be heavy-handed at times, Mark Webber's directorial debut is sincere and well-acted.

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c v

An erratic film that shows the dangers of drugs and the universal struggle of poverty in the United States. I get why the drug dealer and the painter were in the film, but honestly if they had less screen time, I believe this would have been a better film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is a great ensemble cast, especially the boy who play Babo. The concept for a great movie is there, it just is executed poorly. Some of the most fantastic camera work I have seen in a movie though, hats of to Rosario for a very deep part.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/11/19

Full Review

Audience Member

I don't really like giving one star votes but there was nothing fresh about this story and it couldn't hold my attention. I'm a fan of Rosario Dawson and she's why I watched it but she was only part of a vignette so it just wasn't enough to save it. I watched most of it but didn't finish it, unless there was some sort of amazing ending (which I doubt) this one was just boring to me...kind of on the same lines as those cigarette commercials that went on for a while as a public safety announcement that show mortality in a way that's not really effective.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I don't really like giving one star votes but there was nothing fresh about this story and it couldn't hold my attention. I'm a fan of Rosario Dawson and she's why I watched it but she was only part of a vignette so it just wasn't enough to save it. I watched most of it but didn't finish it, unless there was some sort of amazing ending (which I doubt) this one was just boring to me...kind of on the same lines as those cigarette commercials that went on for a while as a public safety announcement that show mortality in a way that's not really effective.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ensemble drama clumsily works its way to a Big Message

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

another lost review flixta!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

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Mark Webber

Director

Rosario Dawson

Babo's Mom

Francisco Burgos

Babo

Martin Cepeda

Demitri

Rebecca Comerford

Kelly

Paul Dano

Rocco

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Andrew O'Hehir

Salon.com

This gentle, lovely and consistently surprising survey of life in a Philadelphia inner-city neighborhood that's gradually succumbing to gentrification marks the writing and directing debut of 28-year-old actor Mark Webber.

Dec 17, 2021

Full Review

Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

A movie that too often feels comprised of arty public service announcements can only be considered a lost opportunity.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 20, 2009

Full Review

Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 13, 2009

Full Review

David Harris

Spectrum Culture

There is nothing worse than heavy-handedness when it comes to a political film and Explicit Ills, produced by Jim Jarmusch, is ham-fisted in its own subtle way.

Rated: 1.5/5

Aug 5, 2020

Full Review

Kevin Carr

7M Pictures

suffers from a simultaneous affliction of overwriting and underwriting

Rated: 1.5/5

Mar 2, 2011

Full Review

Bill Gibron

Filmcritic.com

all social smoke and mirrors.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jul 8, 2009

Full Review

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Synopsis

Various lives intersect within urban Philadelphia in unpredictable and dramatic ways. Babo (Francisco Burgos), a young asthmatic boy, resides with his mom (Rosario Dawson) in a rough part of town, and their quirky neighbor Demitri (Martin Cepeda) is intent on improving his life by posing as a smart kid. Elsewhere in the city, Jill (Naomie Harris) is having a marital crisis and must contend with her teen son, who has become obsessed with bodybuilding.

Director: Mark Webber
Executive Producer: Gary P. Adelman, J. Andrew Greenblatt, Jim Jarmusch
Screenwriter: Mark Webber
Distributor: Peace Arch Entertainment Group Inc.
Production Co: Mangusta Productions
Rating: R (Language|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 6, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 25, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $28.6K

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