ShockYa: Concussion is an intriguing title for this particular film, which follows Abby (Robin Weigert) as she decides to make extraordinarily changes to excite her daily life after suffering a head injury. The concussion is the impetus for what is to come after, which involves Abby pouring out her sexual frustrations to her employee, Justin (Johnathan Tchaikovsky), and leads to her becoming a female prostitute. Since Abby’s journey is a highly tantalizing, complex one, perhaps its title is in fact appropriate, since it does not attempt to pass judgment on Abby or her decisions but instead merely identifies the inciting incident for her life change.
TRR: A sports film that's less about the game of football and more about one man's journey to do right by his own conscience, Concussion is a well-acted drama that features a strong supporting cast. And both football fans and non-fans alike should be impressed by the earnestness of star Will Smith's performance, which proves to be a welcome departure from his usual on-screen persona.
FGE - The film itself has great pacing, making sure that there aren’t many dull moments to lose the audience’s attention, but the film does not communicate an effective timeline of these events. In the right role, Will Smith can really move the audience, and this is no exception.
THR: Will Smith stars as the Nigerian-born doctor who helped identify the brain damage afflicting many pro football players.
Movies "torn from the headlines" were once a Hollywood staple, going back to the gangster films of the 1930s. But in recent years, as projects take longer and longer to come to fruition and as studios grow more cautious, it’s rare to find a truly timely, topical drama. Concussion is one of the exceptions. It dramatizes a crisis that is still making headlines today: the dangers of serious brain damage caused by the violent collisions of pro football. The NFL fought to bury the evidence of these medical perils, and the league can’t be happy about a high-profile movie bringing the issues into the limelight. Credit should go to producer Ridley Scott and to the executives who backed the movie, keeping alive a tradition of muckraking that once did Hollywood proud. Although the film is imperfect, it has unmistakable urgency, and Will Smith’s star power should ensure...
