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Bully

Play trailer 0:30 Poster for Bully PG-13 2012 1h 39m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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85% Tomatometer 138 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Filmmaker Lee Hirsch examines five cases of youths who endure vicious persecution at the hands of their peers. Ja'meye, 14, winds up in reform school after pulling a gun on the youths who tormented her for years. Cameras record the abuse suffered by 14-year-old Alex as he's beaten and teased on the bus. Star athlete Kelby, 16, is ostracized and worse after she comes out as lesbian. Most tragic of all, two boys, one 17 and one 12, commit suicide to escape the torture.
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Critics Consensus

Hard-hitting and gracefully filmed, Bully powerfully delivers an essential message to an audience that may not be able to see it.

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Critics Reviews

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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com Apr 14, 2012
3.5/4
It doesn't pull punches or try to paint a more palatable picture, director Lee Hirsch delivering his saga of kid-on-kid brutality with a didactic verisimilitude that's decidedly chilling. Go to Full Review Lisa Kennedy Denver Post Apr 13, 2012
3.5/4
Bully" is smart and compassionate about the pain of its wounded subjects and the frustration felt by their parents, seemingly abandoned by the system. What the powerful film lacks is insight into bullying. Go to Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader Apr 13, 2012
Hirsch seldom gets face time with any bullies or their parents, and he tends to ignore the complicated social and psychological patterns that feed the problem. Go to Full Review Richard Crouse Richard Crouse Jan 31, 2021
4.5/5
This isn't a Michael Moore style doc, with a glib host walking you through the issue at hand. Instead this is a fly-on-the-wall doc, cooly observing and reporting on its subject. Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 4, 2020
3.5/4.0
If Bully doesn't make you angry, then you're not paying attention. Go to Full Review Felicia Feaster Charleston City Paper Jan 16, 2020
What the filmmakers have captured is extraordinary. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Gabriel M @Anonymous12 Jul 3, 2025 A poorly made film that resembles a YouTube video with paid actors that should’ve stayed rated R due to abusive use of profanity and discussions of suicide. See more Trafalgar L @TDWaterLaw93 Nov 22, 2024 Raw, emotionally charged and hard hitting. "Bully" is a documentary film that examines bullying and the effects it has on today's youth. I think it was a daring endeavor for them to make this film. Because, it hit the nail on the head and it should have a mandatory screening for children as they enter adolescence because bullying in middle and high school is more serious and it often leads to suicide ideation. Bravo to everyone involved in the making of this documentary. See more Munkhjargal A @RT28084692 Aug 1, 2024 This movie turned out to be a very good movie. It has become a work that has been greatly enjoyed by the audience. I think that the work was born because of the director's poor thinking. It turned out to be a movie that I liked very much. I would like to thank the director and actors. See more Bahad j @RT27093708 Jul 31, 2024 I felt like the characters in this movie could feel the happiness and difficulties that they faced in real life. See more Бавуу Э @RT26109709 Jul 31, 2024 Filmmaker Lee Hirsch examines five cases of youths who endure vicious persecution at the hands of their peers. Ja'meye, 14, winds up in reform school after pulling a gun on the youths who tormented her for years. Cameras record the abuse suffered by 14-year-old Alex as he's beaten and teased on the bus. Star athlete Kelby, 16, is ostracized and worse after she comes out as lesbian. Most tragic of all, two boys, one 17 and one 12, commit suicide to escape the torture. See more Geke g @RT40239519 Jul 27, 2024 Such a good movie. Perfect. See more Read all reviews
Bully

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Cast & Crew

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Lee Hirsch

Director

Ja'Meya Jackson

Self

Kelby Johnson

Self

Lona Johnson

Self

Alex Libby

Self

Jackie Libby

Self

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Bully

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Bully

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Bully

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Movie Info

Synopsis Filmmaker Lee Hirsch examines five cases of youths who endure vicious persecution at the hands of their peers. Ja'meye, 14, winds up in reform school after pulling a gun on the youths who tormented her for years. Cameras record the abuse suffered by 14-year-old Alex as he's beaten and teased on the bus. Star athlete Kelby, 16, is ostracized and worse after she comes out as lesbian. Most tragic of all, two boys, one 17 and one 12, commit suicide to escape the torture.
Director
Lee Hirsch
Producer
Cynthia Lowen, Lee Hirsch
Screenwriter
Lee Hirsch, Cynthia Lowen
Distributor
Weinstein Co.
Production Co
The Bully Project, Where We Live Films
Rating
PG-13 (Disturbing Content|All Involving Kids|Intense Thematic Material|Some Strong Language)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 30, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 18, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.5M
Runtime
1h 39m
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