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The History of Concrete

Play trailer 1:47 Poster for The History of Concrete In Theaters Sep 18 1h 41m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 35 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
Following the finale of his acclaimed HBO series "How To with John Wilson", NYC documentarian John Wilson looks to the bedrock of his beloved New York City for inspiration and structure. Concrete, the world's most widely used building material, appears as an ever-present life force, and John sets out to make the definitive documentary on the matter. After attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, he decides to use the industry-approved Hallmark formula to tell this seemingly drab story and increase his movie's appeal. But his foundation soon begins to crumble--literally and figuratively--as he struggles to balance artistic freedom with the realities of the modern film industry.
Coming Soon In Theaters Sep 18 Buy Tickets

Cast & Crew

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John Wilson

Director

John Wilson

Producer

Clark Filio

Producer

Shirel Kozak

Producer

Allie Viti

Producer

Josh Safdie

Executive Producer

Critics Reviews

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David Fear Rolling Stone Feb 5, 2026
The question was always: Could he sustain something like that in a longer format? The answer is a resounding [in John Wilson voice], “Um, well… yes.” Go to Full Review Peter Howell Toronto Star Feb 2, 2026
It’s hard not to love this head-scratching dive into a different kind of grey matter. Go to Full Review Nicolas Rapold Sight & Sound Jan 30, 2026
Wilson’s debut feature The History of Concrete shows the expert essayist as sneakily profound as ever, contemplating life and art and piecing together meaning from the fragments. Go to Full Review Robin Clifford Reeling Reviews 5 hrs ago
B-
You will learn more about concrete than you ever though you would. Go to Full Review Michael Nordine Movie Brief 6 hrs ago
3.5/4
Concrete itself might not be beautiful, but it can be used to create things that are — including, apparently, documentaries. Go to Full Review Brian Orndorf Blu-ray.com 6 hrs ago
B-
Mixes personal life and professional woes, producing an intermittently fascinating and frustrating viewing experience. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
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The History of Concrete

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The History of Concrete

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Movie Info

Synopsis Following the finale of his acclaimed HBO series "How To with John Wilson", NYC documentarian John Wilson looks to the bedrock of his beloved New York City for inspiration and structure. Concrete, the world's most widely used building material, appears as an ever-present life force, and John sets out to make the definitive documentary on the matter. After attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, he decides to use the industry-approved Hallmark formula to tell this seemingly drab story and increase his movie's appeal. But his foundation soon begins to crumble--literally and figuratively--as he struggles to balance artistic freedom with the realities of the modern film industry.
Director
John Wilson
Producer
John Wilson, Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, Allie Viti
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
Central Pictures
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 18, 2026, Limited
Runtime
1h 41m
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