The History of Concrete

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The History of Concrete

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1h 41m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

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61 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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Critics Consensus

The History of Concrete transforms a seemingly banal subject into a funny, moving, and genuinely revelatory exploration of the overlooked worlds and universal connections hiding in plain sight.

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

3 days ago

The gravitational joy of Wilson’s comic approach is watching how he follows his instincts and later applies his own sui generis mortar to the assembled vérité blocks.

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Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

4 days ago

Wilson’s film feels like a puzzle that is being pieced together in real time, right in front of you. Not every fragment fits so neatly with the other, but that is also part of the movie’s significant charm.

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Stephanie Zacharek

TIME Magazine

4 days ago

Wilson is an affable armchair tour guide into offline worlds you’d never have thought to explore, and the movie has a casual, ambling charm.

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Eric Marchen

Rogers TV

19 hrs ago

A-

A warm, comforting feeling prevails as you experience Wilson’s humorously heartfelt perspective, perhaps similar to why Hallmark Christmas movie fans seek out the same plot over and over again.

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Rachel Wagner

Rachel's Reviews (YouTube)

1 day ago

I didn't love it. It really depends on how much you like John Wilson and he was not for me

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Ray Pride

Newcity

2 days ago

8/10

Seeking a new subject Wilson finds it all around him in New York City in the deadpan, free-associational docu-comedy... in which his editing is more slipstream than stream of consciousness.

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Nicholas E

2 days ago

There’s a moment in here that felt so existentially scary to me on a personal level, and I don’t think I’ll be able to get it out of my mind. That aside, this was very funny. I didn’t think documentaries were allowed to be this funny. I’d recommend checking this out with an audience, if you can. It’ll play a lot better than watching at home. This movie is a delight though. I kind of wish I had an easier way to watch it again, or to take people to see this. Regardless, I’ll be recommending this one to people for the rest of the year. (CHECK OUT MY HORROR MOVIE PODCAST: Morbid Curiosities)

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Ron K

@Yinzer 1 day ago

Despite the narcissistic distraction of the director’s presentation of his life, this stream-of-consciousness documentary is entertaining when in focuses on the primary subject—which is only 50% of the runtime.

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Joan B

@JayBee1338 3 days ago

I was attracted by the title, but very disappointed in the disjointed presentation. It often felt scattered or juvenile, which diluted and cheapened some very important and universal themes.

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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
Box Office (Gross USA): $90.9K
Runtime: 1h 41m

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