American Hardcore
A raw oral history of American hardcore punk, powered by rare concert footage and firsthand accounts from the scene's defining musicians.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- confrontational
- energetic
- irreverent
- music discovery
- punk history viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the documentary as an energetic and valuable oral history of American hardcore, strengthened by its firsthand interviews and rare performance footage.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, Lucky Lehrer, Vic Bondi, Joe Keithley, Moby, and other musicians recount the hardcore punk years in interviews.
The film chronicles the American hardcore network from 1979 to 1986 through bands, venues, fans, and rare live footage.
Rare live performances from Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, SS Decontrol, and the Dead Kennedys provide the movement's kinetic visual core.
Mohawks, fan culture, obsessive participation, and counter-cultural values are treated as central parts of hardcore's social world.
Films like American Hardcore, and why
The Filth and the Fury
music documentary built from artist interviews and archival performance footage, with an emphasis on underground scenes and cultural history
Punk: Attitude
archival music documentary portraying punk as a confrontational subculture through performance footage and participant testimony
1991: The Year Punk Broke
energetic documentary portrait of an influential music movement assembled through interviews, live footage, and fan culture
Instrument
raw, historically minded music documentary focused on an underground scene and its defining performers
Movie Details
- Director
- Paul Rachman
- Release Date
- 2006-09-22
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (63)
Cast
- Henry Rollins
- Ian MacKaye
- Lucky Lehrer
- Vic Bondi
- Joe Keithley
- Moby
- Springa
- Keith Morris
- Hank Williams III
- Phil Anselmo
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Night Flight Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is American Hardcore about?
- A raw oral history of American hardcore punk, powered by rare concert footage and firsthand accounts from the scene's defining musicians.
- What is American Hardcore like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of American Hardcore as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is American Hardcore violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in American Hardcore as mild.
- What did critics think of American Hardcore?
- Critics broadly regard the documentary as an energetic and valuable oral history of American hardcore, strengthened by its firsthand interviews and rare performance footage.
- Which films are like American Hardcore?
- Films with a similar feel include The Filth and the Fury, Punk: Attitude, 1991: The Year Punk Broke, and Instrument.
- How long is American Hardcore?
- American Hardcore runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch American Hardcore?
- In United States, American Hardcore streams on Night Flight Plus.
