Strongman

Play trailer

Strongman

2009

1h 53m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

17 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Stanless Steel can perform incredible feats of strength but, as he reaches middle age, he struggles with career disappointments and difficult personal relationships that force him to confront his own weaknesses.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Richard Nilsen

Arizona Republic

One cannot help but think of Fellini's Zampano and Gelsomina.

Rated: 3.5/5

Mar 18, 2011

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Strongman is a tantalizing example of the kind of documentary I find engrossing: A film about an unusual person that invites us into the mystery of a human life.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 2, 2011

Full Review

Keith Phipps

AV Club

Though Levy's film feels shapeless at times, what it loses in structure, it gains in handheld intimacy, letting viewers get to know the mercurial but fundamentally sweet Pleskun.

Rated: B

Jan 27, 2011

Full Review

Nikola Grozdanovic

The Playlist

Not to take anything away from Levy's heartwarming approach into the unfamiliar world of strongmen, but it would take more than just a bit of willpower to stay in the same room with Stan and his inflated ego for more than half an hour.

Rated: B-

Nov 15, 2013

Full Review

Nathan Rabin

The Dissolve

Strongman is a heartrending character study of a man blessed with superhuman strength, but defeated and overwhelmed by the everyday bullshit of life.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 14, 2013

Full Review

Clint O'Connor

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Fascinating, funny and intimate portrait of Stanless Steel, who likes to lift and bend things.

Rated: B+

Jun 17, 2011

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Member

An intimate and strangely impassive glimpse into white lower working class America in the late 1990's. It has a feel of Louis Theroux to it and has done amazing human moments

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Didn't this director have a delete key? Way, way, too long.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

bizarre and too plain or my tastes. more like a hillbilly soap opera where one character can bend a penny but only does the trick once.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

my finger hovered over the stop button for 1 hour and 53 minutes... I will spend the next 1 hour 53 minutes wondering what I just witnessed.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Incredible doc. One of those ones where you know you're gonna love it just from the trailer, and it doesn't disappoint one bit. Perfect mix of Cassavetes, Herzog, and The Honeymooners of all things. Will be reviewing this one on Smug Film soon for sure.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A glimpse inside the lives of people you don't want to be - or even know. Would probably be better about 20 minutes shorter.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Zachary Levy

Director

Stanley Pleskun

Actor

Zachary Levy

Producer

Jane Brill

Film Editing

Jonathan Oppenheim

Film Editing

Zachary Levy

Film Editing

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Over the Hills and Far Away

76%

75%

Over the Hills and Far Away

Watchlist

Chris & Don: A Love Story

94%

84%

Chris & Don: A Love Story

Watchlist

Collapse

83%

83%

Collapse

Watchlist

Racing Dreams

100%

93%

Racing Dreams

Watchlist

The Life of Reilly

98%

83%

The Life of Reilly

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics Consensus: The Mechanic Could Use A Tune-Up

View more photos

Synopsis

Stanless Steel can perform incredible feats of strength but, as he reaches middle age, he struggles with career disappointments and difficult personal relationships that force him to confront his own weaknesses.

Director: Zachary Levy
Producer: Zachary Levy
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 31, 2014
Runtime: 1h 53m

Most Popular at Home Now