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Strong Island

Strong Island

2017107 minTV-MAMidcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Director
Yance Ford
Starring
Yance Ford

Examining the violent death of the filmmaker’s brother and the judicial system that allowed his killer to go free, this documentary interrogates murderous fear and racialized perception, and re-imagines the wreckage in catastrophe’s wake, challenging us to change.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Strong Island?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Strong Island streaming on Netflix.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Strong Island?

Strong Island earns 4 badges, led by Critics' darling and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Strong Island worth watching?

Strong Island's Midcredits score is the 62nd percentile of all films, from 11K ratings across 6 sources. 51% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

62nd percentile

Better received than 62% of films

27th percentile among Documentary63rd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)69th
Approval (how many liked it)54th

67 /100

69th percentile of all films

32nd percentile among Documentary68th percentile among 2010s

Critics 86 · Audience 65

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

51% liked it

54th percentile of all films

24th percentile among Documentary54th percentile among 2010s
51% rated it 7–1049% rated it 1–6

Critics 100% · Audience 56%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 9 wins / 9 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Documentary Feature

Reach

How many have seen it

84th percentile

11K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Documentary85th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 23% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the documentary is a deeply personal, emotionally raw family portrait centered on grief and the aftermath of a killing.

Fans praised

  • deeply humanizing portrait of a grieving family
  • raw emotional honesty and cathartic personal storytelling
  • stark, poetic cinematography and intimate visual style

Detractors panned

  • unfocused, digressive narrative with excessive family background
  • plodding pacing and repetitive, slow interviews
  • fails to investigate the crime objectively or present counterarguments

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive80

devastating grief and catharsis for fans; detractors feel manipulated

Cinematography75

stark close-ups and photograph technique praised even by critics

Acting70

mother's powerful, authentic interviews; detractors find interviewees melodramatic

CharactersDivisive65

William remains vague; mother and father drawn intimately by fans

OriginalityDivisive60

personal memoir format distinguishes it from typical true crime docs

Plot and storyDivisive35

unresolved, disjointed story structure lacking investigative clarity

EndingDivisive30

no resolution leaves both camps frustrated

PacingDivisive25

nearly all detractors and some fans cite slow, repetitive pacing

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Strong Island like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicElegiac
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film treats its subject with grave seriousness and raw emotion, avoiding irony or distance.
The rideThe film sustains a tense, melancholic pressure from start to finish as it revisits trauma and injustice.
StructureThe film uses a fragmented, reflective structure, moving between the past event, family memories, and present-day interviews, as noted in reviews.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsInfuriating · 4% of films: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lasting weight of unresolved tragedy and a searing anger at systemic injustice.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeDocumentary form lacks a narrative archetype; the film is an investigation of a real event and its aftermath, not a plot structure.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfPrejudiceSociety
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9% (this title): Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% (this title) · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Society

Prejudice · 3% of filmsJustice · 13% of filmsGrief · 6% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe documentary centers on how racialized perception and fear led to a murder and a failure of justice, while also exploring the personal grief of the filmmaker's family.
StanceThe film interrogates racialized perception and the judicial system through the lens of one family's experience, with consequences for the broader community.

The world

Late 20th centuryUrbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Hildur Guðnadóttir
SettingLong Island, New York, 1992 and present-day reflection
MusicThe score by Hildur Guðnadóttir is likely sparse and emotionally resonant, supporting the film's brooding tone.

Content guide

Is Strong Island okay for kids?

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • Poland16
  • Switzerland12

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Strong Island have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Strong Island?

Cast

Yance Ford
as Self

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Strong Island?

Movies like Strong Island include Audrie & Daisy (2016) and The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (2014), both true-crime stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Strong Island?

2.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: true crime. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.