An honest documentary about Trejo's life that'll leave its audience believing in second chances.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 16, 2020

Whether or not Trejo has actually paid his debt to society for the ills of his youth isn't for us to judge anyway. All we can know is that he's never stopped making amends.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Aug 6, 2020

Truly one of the most heartfelt documentaries I've seen in quite some time. There are emotional punches at every turn, strong interview choices to back the stories, and a figure at the center of the story that's awe-inspiring.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Aug 5, 2020

After a harrowing first hour, the rest of the documentary is almost relentlessly upbeat.

| Aug 1, 2020

Brett Harvey does the work to deliver a slickly made documentary.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Jul 25, 2020

Even if you don't know Trejo's name, you'll recognize his face, and Harvey's nicely modulated biography will certainly make you remember his extraordinary life.

| Original Score: B | Jul 23, 2020

fascinating and inspirational

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 23, 2020

Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo has everything you want from an inspirational biographic documentary.

| Original Score: 8.5/10 | Jul 22, 2020

This would be the kind of documentary that makes itself-but Harvey, Scorgie, and company add a level of truth to the tale that makes it punch harder.

| Original Score: A | Jul 16, 2020

What sets Brett Harvey's slickly made documentary apart, besides its engaging subject, is its convincing portrayal of a man who saw the error of his ways and worked to change himself.

| Jul 15, 2020

Like Trejo, the documentary is rough, rugged, and undeniably fascinating.

| Original Score: 9.5/10 | Jul 13, 2020

The astronomical rise that actor Danny Trejo has experienced, as told in the documentary Inmate #1, is fascinating. Not only did Trejo ascend from the ground up, he had to dig himself from the depths before even hitting the horizon.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 11, 2020

Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo is not only the rare documentary about a living actor whose life truly deserves such treatment, his story and presence is so compelling and uplifting that you will come away from it wishing that there was more of it.

| Jul 10, 2020

The film comes from the heart, it's a raw, uplifting portrait of a person with a giving, and humorous soul.

| Original Score: 4/3.5 | Jul 10, 2020

Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo is a remarkably thorough and well-considered film.

| Original Score: 9/10 | Jul 9, 2020

Harvey takes advantage of the access he has to Trejo's life and crafts an insightful, thoughtful and beautifully executed portrait of this amazing person.

| Original Score: 10/10 | Jul 9, 2020

A compelling and heartfelt documentary...

| Jul 9, 2020

There are a lot of laughs in his Hollywood redemption story, which also reveals Trejo's hard-won gentleness.

| Jul 8, 2020

Trejo fans will find a great deal to enjoy here and the film also offers an insight into aspects of the film industry that don't get much coverage, going back to his days as an extra and bit part actor.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 8, 2020

Its subject is so inherently likable that a feature-length dose of Trejo's boundless energy feels like the kind of adrenaline shot we can use right about now.

| Jul 7, 2020