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January 23, 2026
The History of Concrete review
Sundance film festival: the documentarian’s feature debut, essentially an extended episode of his HBO series, turns an exploration of concrete into a meditation on change
TL;DR
- John Wilson's documentary "The History of Concrete" adopts the observational comedy style of his HBO series "How To With John Wilson."
- The film's premise is inspired by a Writer's Guild of America workshop on "How To Make and Sell A Hallmark Movie."
- Wilson uses concrete as a symbol of decay and metaphor for hardscrabble, imperfect change.
- The documentary touches on themes of transition, the difficulty of moving forward, and challenges in filmmaking.
- Despite a loose narrative, the film is described as funny, compelling, and surprising.
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