Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Released Mar 2, 2016

1 hr. 41 min.

Drama

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List

94%

33 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Johnny and his sister Jashuan live with their single mother on a reservation. When their absentee father dies, Johnny feels compelled to strike out for a new life in LA, but fears leaving his sister behind.

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Critics Consensus

A naturalistic drama that quietly earns its emotional resonance, Songs My Brothers Taught Me further establishes writer-director Chloé Zhao as a gifted filmmaker and empathetic storyteller.

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Nadyezhda L

This was an early Zhao directed full length film using non-professional actors. There is little action and a loose plot, but the acting is real and thoroughly relatable. The setting is the Pine Ridge Reservation, and the cinematography is stunning. We are transported to the modern everyday lives of real people, real conflicts and real emotions. Some may say it is too slow, but like a long walk in nature on uneven ground and burrs in your socks, this film, this story, is well worth the patient effort.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/07/23

Full Review

Viviana G

Amazinglyl fantastic movie! So beautiful and moving! Go to see it now!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/30/22

Full Review

viviana g

It´s one of the most amazing movies I´ve seen in the last few years! I strongly recommend it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

isla s

This is a film about the indigineous people of America, which is what the director (Chloe Zhao) often focusses on - people on the outskirts of contemporary American culture, you could say, or else somewhat of a marginalised people. It has the look and feel of a documentary and it is sad to watch at times. I like the subtlety featured, which is continued in the directors later work. It deals with themes of rejection, adolescence and personal identity. It has less of a solid plotline type feel but its still a good watch, providing food for thought perhaps.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A beautiful piece of Indigenous cinema. If you enjoyed Nomadland you should check out this film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/09/21

Full Review

william k

Intense, naturalistic drama of young people living on a reservation has a complex narrative with lots of diverse characters; skillfully stage d and brilliantly photographed.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Chloé Zhao

Director

Irene Bedard

Lisa Winters

Dakota Brown

Dakota FIre Thunder

Cat Clifford

Cat Clifford

Jorge Dullknife

Jorge Iron Bear

Taysha Fuller

Aurelia Clifford

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Songs My Brother Taught Me: Trailer 1

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Ian Freer

Empire Magazine

A striking debut from a blistering talent. What it lacks in narrative oomph it makes up for in beautiful imagery, natural performances and a worldview all its own.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 14, 2021

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Beguiling.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 9, 2021

Full Review

Ella Kemp

Little White Lies

The mystery and magic grow the longer you let it rest. Understated, but still impressive.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 6, 2021

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Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

An impressionistic look at the American West and the complex relationship the Lakota Sioux have with their traditions and the world in which they now find themselves.

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

Songs My Brothers Taught Me is visually composed primarily of many of the so called Zhao flourishes or stylings, with particularly harrowing moments defining character experience but not the narrative thrust.

Rated: 70/100

Nov 18, 2022

Full Review

Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

It's respectful to the lives of the characters it portrays, but doesn't try to make them better than they are. Watching it, you get to feel their reality, and that's enough for one film to offer.

Oct 8, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Johnny and his sister Jashuan live with their single mother on a reservation. When their absentee father dies, Johnny feels compelled to strike out for a new life in LA, but fears leaving his sister behind.

Director: Chloé Zhao
Screenwriter: Chloé Zhao
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 2, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $34.2K

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