The History of Concrete

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The History of Concrete

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1h 41m

Documentary

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98%

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46 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 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.

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Matt Zoller Seitz

RogerEbert.com

7 hrs ago

2.5/4

Watching it produces a feeling akin to the one experienced when visiting Wikipedia to learn about a specific subject, clicking the hypertext link on a descriptive term or proper name contained within it and being taken to another page …

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Zachary Barnes

Wall Street Journal

2 days ago

Personal in outlook yet pluralist in content, “The History of Concrete” doubles as a history of his own perceptiveness. It roams from the sidewalk to the soul.

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Kimber Myers

Crooked Marquee

3 days ago

B+

The History of Concrete is a marvelous experience, fascinating and funny, strange and strangely moving. It will appeal most to fans who watched his show, but it also could serve as an entry point for those who want more weirdness and wonder ...

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Christopher Campbell

Nonfics (Substack)

2 days ago

I didn’t find The History of Concrete to be hysterical in the least, though I do recognize and get its humor, but I have to commend Wilson for his wit as well as the nonliteral way he plays with words and pictures to make for a truly cinematic experience.

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Al Alexander

Movies Thru the Spectrum

2 days ago

C-

By the end, I was ready to hurl a heavy cinder block at the screen. Alas, like Wilson, I’d likely miss the mark.

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Rain Jokinen

MullingMovies.com

2 days ago

I am sure some people coming into it will come away very confused. For me, I was just happy to see the world through John Wilson's eyes again.

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John Wilson

Director

John Wilson

Producer

Clark Filio

Producer

Shirel Kozak

Producer

Allie Viti

Producer

Josh Safdie

Executive Producer

The History of Concrete: Trailer 1

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The History of Concrete: Teaser

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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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