Kicks is not a terrible film. Kicks is an inconsistent film that lost its way. A film whose persistence in grimness takes away from what the viewers should really be concerned with Brandons story.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Feb 14, 2022

[The] missteps aren't enough, thankfully, to detract from the strong work up to then. In fact, they're just enough to leave you hopeful for how Tipping might grow as a filmmaker...

| Jan 5, 2021

A funny, touching and street-smart coming-of-age dramedy that oozes with style and is propelled by an excellent script and equally great performances.

| Original Score: 8.5/10 | May 2, 2019

The movie just never stops being intense and engaging where it constantly have you both laughing hard and gasping in shock.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 30, 2018

Much like the new Jordans that drive the plot, Tipping wants to show off his stuff, and a lot of what he has in the trunk is pretty great.

| Aug 28, 2018

Ali is the highlight of the film as his presence and words to Brandon provide the film with a bit more focus.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 22, 2018

When Kicks is able to find the right balance between narrative emotion and spectacle, the result is one powerful piece of work.

| Aug 6, 2018

Kicks captures the look and feel of specific East Bay neighborhoods by examining their geographical and emotional microclimates.

| Sep 18, 2017

Still, what Tipping masters perfectly in the film is the constant ebb and flow of humor, and darkness, that runs through the narrative that is inner city boyhood.

| Apr 12, 2017

It's about manhood, growing up in the hood, and the inner struggles you don't see played out on the news... It's not a perfect movie by any means, but I'm interested to see what Tipping does next.

| Original Score: B- | Mar 22, 2017

A dangerous quest for a stolen pair of shoes becomes an odyssey through ravaged California minority neighborhoods where drugs are omnipresent and violence is never far away. It is a tale of lost innocence, absent fathers and rites of passage.

| Original Score: B | Feb 7, 2017

Poignant, mature indie drama about a teen and his sneakers.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 3, 2016

Kicks is tense, horrifying and hypnotic: a stunning premiere from a new filmmaking talent to follow.

| Original Score: 8/10 | Sep 29, 2016

The raw authenticity demonstrates with heartfelt conviction how innocent youngsters become caught in cycles of inner-city poverty and violence, and it doesn't offer easy answers.

| Sep 23, 2016

Tipping, who also co-wrote the polished script, captures this unique mix of adolescent anxiety, urban decay and societal friction in a remarkably confident fashion ...

| Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 23, 2016

The motif of a faceless, imaginary spaceman following the boy around is overly precious, but what does work is Tipping's focus on sensitive boys hardening in reaction to their father figures (or lack thereof).

| Sep 22, 2016

Call it Bicycle Thieves In The Hood. At least that's what Justin Tipping's simultaneously dazzling and frustrating debut, Kicks, seems to be shooting for.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 21, 2016

Director Tipping has delivered a very aware film that understands the priorities and struggles of his teen audience.

| Original Score: 6.5/10 | Sep 16, 2016

Tipping throws all sorts of tricks at the screen, most of which don't work.

| Original Score: C- | Sep 16, 2016

Tipping's admittedly artful style is relatively ambiguous, focusing mostly on cheap visceral thrills, to the point where it's impossible to glean what he thinks about the depths to which Brandon will go.

| Original Score: 1.5/4 | Sep 15, 2016