Danvers Mail

What Does Family Mean to You?

MOVIE REVIEW
Can't Be Stopped

 -     

Genre: Documentary
Year Released: 2023
Runtime: 1h 13m
Director(s): Cody Smith
Where To Watch: Releases December 13, 2022. Available for pre-order now at MVD Shop


RAVING REVIEW: A powerful look at an art form often looked down upon, one whose story has more to it than meets the eye. This is the story of a graffiti crew in Hollywood that shows how deep this rabbit hole goes.


Initially, I assumed this would be little more than a documentary on graffiti artists and their reasoning behind why they chose this art form. While on the surface, it does cover this, there’s far more than meets the eye. We get to see a dive into their “family” and just what it means to be a part of this crew.

I knew about graffiti artists, and I’ve seen documentaries on them (I’ve seen two this year alone with STREET HEROINES and BANKSY MOST WANTED) in both of those films. I’ve been educated on what it means to create this street art. However, I hadn’t seen what precisely a crew like CAN’T BE STOPPED (C.B.S.) offers to the world. That’s where this film changed my understanding of a world few see.

Not only was C.B.S. more than just a graffiti crew, but they were also trailblazers; their work in the graffiti community set the path for generations ahead of them. Sometimes the most important thing a documentary can teach you is not to judge a community based on what you think you know. Often your knowledge and understanding are swayed at best or entirely wrong and even harmful at worst.

The most intriguing part for me here is that their “family” ultimately means more than many actual families. These artists have come from broken homes, struggled to stay out of gangs, recovered from various ailments, and more. It’s almost as though each artist is living their own coming-of-age story within this family. There are a lot of “traditional” families that could learn a thing or two about what family means from C.B.S. and others like them.

For more reviews and my YouTube channel, please visit linktr.ee/Overlyhonestmoviereviews

Follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Find my social media accounts on most platforms simply by searching Overly Honest Movie Reviews.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please say hi or send me any questions about movies.

[photo courtesy of MVD ENTERTAINMENT]