Of The 21 Below Film

A powerful, gripping observational work that takes you into the heart of a family at breaking point.

Sheffield Doc/Fest

21 BELOW…I saw it from beginning to end–cried, laughed. It’s a terrific story of the collision of cultures–Jewish and gentile, Black and White, Middle Class and Welfare class, with very photogenic subjects and a lot of personal grace and restraint. I’m a big supporter of 21 BELOW, and think it’s a fascinating story about real people (and mensches, too)

Thelma Adams, Film & DVD Critic Us Weekly

audiences are transfixed by the tale because of how close the filmmakers were able to get to this middle class family and the problems they had.

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Sonny Bunch, The Washington Times

the heart of 21 Below is a personal and intimate journey of familial relationships, which at times is both humorous and heart breaking.

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The Film Panel Notetaker

I nearly found myself hyperventilating during sections of the film.

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Beth Murphy, PRINCIPLE PICTURES

There is a natural, almost traditionally narrative ease to 21 Below that makes it far more engrossing than the unflattering synopsis of “Jewish girl goes home to broken family” suggests. 

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Robert Bell, EXCLAIM!

Buck’s film says a lot about how complicated and impossible families can be, but it also works as a visceral update on the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner theory. 

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Michael Tully, HAMMER TO NAIL

21 BELOW is sad stuff, but captured and crafted into a riveting film. There are countless documentaries about dysfunctional families, and many of them can be depressing. 21 BELOW stands apart as a rare example of everyday events molded into a powerhouse experience. Within these homes, subtle nuances of cultural difference come into focus. 

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Matt Dentler, IndieWire Blog

While difficult to describe in print, the intertwining threads of the story are easily grasped in this well-edited portrayal of a family in the throes of dysfunction.

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Mark Rabinowitz, IndieWire