Lenny Cooke

2013

1h 30m

Documentary

Biography

Drama

List

78%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

67%

Audience Score

250+ Ratings

Lenny Cooke, a once top-ranked high-school basketball player, learns a heartbreaking lesson in 2002 when he decides to skip college and place all his hopes on the NBA draft.

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Frank Ombres

Film Comment Magazine

That the first half of the film is largely older footage (previously shot for an earlier project by Adam Shopkorn) endows it with wistfulness. No matter how merry the events, they're obviously distant fragments of a broken dream.

Dec 30, 2013

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Leba Hertz

San Francisco Chronicle

Filmmakers Benny and Josh Safdie use real-time footage to follow this hopeful, affable young man as he becomes a bitter has-been over the course of a decade.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 19, 2013

Full Review

Sheri Linden

Los Angeles Times

A compellingly unconventional, elliptical sports documentary that explores the mysterious realm of might-have-been.

Dec 12, 2013

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...suffers from an almost total lack of an entry point for viewers without any real interest in or enthusiasm for basketball...

Rated: 2/4

Jun 27, 2022

Full Review

Zach Hollwedel

Under the Radar

The film's informed voyeuristic style ... allows Cooke's actions to speak louder than any words the often soft spoken protagonist might have shed on his life.

Rated: 5.5/10

Jun 10, 2016

Full Review

Eli Landes

FILMINK (Australia)

The Safdies have done remarkably well in resurrecting an old project, which although lacking in production value, simply needed to be seen by the world.

Apr 22, 2016

Full Review

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Luan R

very good documentary about this sad and crazy story!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/01/24

Full Review

Audience Member

A true and sad warning towards young kinds with big dreams and no life experience.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

harrison r

I wish the whole movie were edited like the final scene, that was what I expected! This is an unusual documentary, maybe unique, but not that interesting

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An interesting story but suffers from Lenny not really being a likeable character. I had more empathy for both Hoop Dreams stars.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Sad that he had all his eggs in one basket like that; but a great documentary nonetheless

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great to see should be shown at all the high end basketball camps.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

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Benny Safdie

Director

Josh Safdie

Director

Lenny Cooke

Actor

Carmelo Anthony

Actor

Amar'e Stoudemire

Actor

Harvey Araton

Actor

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Critics Consensus: Out of the Furnace is Tough but Uneven

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Synopsis

Lenny Cooke, a once top-ranked high-school basketball player, learns a heartbreaking lesson in 2002 when he decides to skip college and place all his hopes on the NBA draft.

Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Producer: Joakim Noah
Production Co: Shop Korn Productions
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 30m