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A mind boggling "coincidence" from 25 years ago which ultimately leads the filmmaker to track down his 5th grade class (and 5th grade teacher) to see what they remember of a bullying incident from 50 years ago. In a playful yet poignant way, he begins to understand his complicity and the elusive nature of memory.
"The shame Rosenblatt feels for having bullied another is palpable, but he has taken that and made a work of art that is sad and funny and very much in touch with the human condition."
— Pam Grady, SF Chronicle
"Conjuring the past with an enticing array of cinematic devices—close analysis of film footage, the playful animation and manipulation of still photographs, copious interviews on camera and in voice-over, and his own trenchant and rueful monologues—Rosenblatt evokes lifetimes of anguish while also pondering the ethics of telling the victim’s story."
— Richard Brody, The New Yorker
Critic's Pick: “'Bullies' is a deeply personal essay about the director’s childhood, centering on an instance of bullying in which Rosenblatt participated when he was in fifth grade. It’s an exhumation of the long-buried past, told with a mix of found footage, animation, first-person voice-over and traditional interviews. It may not be the most topical or newsy of the documentary selections, but it is, hands down, the most artful."
— Michael O'Sullivan, The Washington Post
