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IMDb rating 7.2
Critic rating Average critic rating
Critic rating 7.3

Reviews

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Critic John Nugent
rated 8

A sweetly pitched — and appropriately unorthodox — tribute from a movie megastar son to his filmmaking legend father.

Read full review at Empire
Critic Peter Bradshaw
rated 8

Downey Sr is a potent personality, delivering hilarious one-liners about his life and work with a rasping New York voice – very different from his son’s more questioning, ironic tone...

Read full review at The Guardian
Critic Ashima Grover
rated 8

Shot in black and white, the chronicle of the avant garde, rebellious filmmaker’s life reflects the image of his old movies.

Read full review at Leisure Byte
Critic Brian Tallerico
rated 8

It's a Russian nesting doll of a bio-doc, a piece about family as much as it is filmmaking because the two are inextricable for its subject.

Read full review at Roger Ebert
Critic M.N. Miller
rated 7

...not just a celebration of a nonconformist filmmaker’s life but inadvertently shines a light on how the man and his maverick offspring manage to save their own.

Read full review at Ready Steady Cut
Critic Vikram Murthi
rated 6

There’s beauty in watching Sr. watch dailies, his spirit clearly buoyed by artistic possibility. He’s a man who says, “Yes” to every idea, even if it doesn’t prove fruitful.

Read full review at Indie Wire
Critic Jk Sooja
rated 6

...settles into a comfortable rhythm as it chronologically bounces along Robert Downey Sr.'s filmography, highlighting his quirky sense of humor, acidic wit, and eye for oddball scenes.

Read full review at Common Sense Media

Cast & Crew

Chris Smith
As Self
Chris Smith
Director
Alan Arkin
As Self
Norman Lear
As Self
Paul Thomas Anderson
As Self (archive footage)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sr. about? Toggle content

Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute to his father, Robert Downey Sr., a bold and visionary filmmaker who defined countercultural comedy in the 1960s and 1970s. This documentary chronicles his life and diverse career, showcasing the unconventional approach that made him a pioneer in the industry. Through personal anecdotes and archival footage, the film offers an intimate look at the man behind the camera, revealing the fearless spirit that inspired a generation of artists.

Where can I stream Sr.? Toggle content

You can stream Sr. on:

What movies are similar to Sr.? Toggle content

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as Sr. include Navalny, Bama Rush, The Real Charlie Chaplin, Val, Pelosi in the House, King on Screen.

When was Sr. released for streaming? Toggle content

Sr. was released for streaming on December 2, 2022.