--- title: "Show Me a Hero: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/show-me-a-hero/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/show-me-a-hero" critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 10 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Show Me a Hero (2015): what the critics said Critics' score 80 from 10 reviews: 9 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics are warmly in favour. The consensus is that David Simon has made an unlikely subject, the fight over public housing desegregation in 1980s Yonkers, into six gripping hours, and more than one review ranks it alongside his earlier work. Praise clusters around Oscar Isaac’s restrained central performance, which almost every review singles out, and around Simon’s habit of treating tenants and council clerks with the same seriousness as the mayor. The period detail and the Springsteen-heavy soundtrack also get their due. The spread is narrow. Reservations, where they appear, concern thinner supporting storylines, a running time some find heavy-handed and long, and direction by Paul Haggis that a few consider blunt. The one clear dissent comes from Paste, which reviews only the first two episodes and finds the script takes shortcuts and writes its non-white characters more thinly than its white ones. Nobody dislikes it. ## The AV Club — Joshua Alston Rating A. 14 August 2015. The critic calls it Simon's most concise and accessible work yet, and a timely, compelling period piece that makes a passionate case for the value of careful journalism while digging human stories out of complex legal and political issues. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/david-simon-s-show-me-a-hero-turns-public-housing-into-1798184622) ## Vulture — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 August 2015. The critic praises the series' radical humanism in treating all characters as equals regardless of social status and giving equal weight to their stories, making viewers care about marginalized lives and embodying an idealistic democratic impulse. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/08/david-simons-radical-humanism.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Tim Goodman Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2015. The critic describes it as a smart, gripping take on race and class in America that rewards viewer investment with strong storytelling and acting. It praises the humanity found in the characters and nuanced scripts, noting the universal themes of home and family alongside the direction by Paul Haggis. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/show-me-a-hero-tv-813151/) ## Radio Times — Gill Crawford Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the miniseries utterly compelling despite its subject matter of public housing desegregation battles in 1980s Yonkers. It highlights the strong pedigree from writer David Simon and director Paul Haggis along with excellent period detail and a Springsteen-heavy soundtrack. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-i0n13g/show-me-a-hero/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 March 2016. The critic finds the series a gripping exposé of political power and its corrupting effects. Oscar Isaac’s subtle, restrained lead performance stands out as the series’ greatest strength. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/mar/31/show-me-a-hero-box-set-review-1980s-new-york-nick-wasicsko-oscar-isaac) ## The Telegraph — Ben Lawrence Rating 4/5. 16 June 2016. The review calls the series compelling and complex despite its unpromising subject matter. It singles out Oscar Isaac’s nuanced performance for particular praise while noting thinner supporting storylines. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/2016/06/16/show-me-a-hero-sky-box-sets-review-compelling-and-complex/) ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 12 August 2015. The review calls the HBO miniseries a timely, nuanced and meticulously crafted look at race and class through the lens of Yonkers politics. It singles out Oscar Isaac’s central performance and the overall quality and ambition as standing out, comparing it favorably to Simon’s earlier work. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2015/tv/reviews/show-me-a-hero-review-david-simon-miniseries-hbo-1201559373/) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 17 August 2015. The critic praises the absorbing six-part miniseries about public housing policy and its continuing relevance. It highlights David Simon’s skill at portraying stagnant communities over individual heroes. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/show-me-a-hero-tv-review-public-housing-policy-brought-to-the-screen-by-offtopic-testimonies-10459382.html) ## Collider — Allison Keene Rating ★★★★. 13 August 2015. The critic finds the miniseries a difficult but worthwhile work capturing the bleak atmosphere and politics of late-80s Yonkers, praising the strong ensemble acting especially Oscar Isaac and the female characters while noting it can feel heavy-handed and overlong at times. [Read the review](https://collider.com/show-me-a-hero-review-oscar-issac-david-simon-hbo-miniseries/) ## Paste — Paste Staff Rating 8.2. 16 August 2015. The review of the first two episodes praises the ambition, stunning cinematography, and complex lead performance by Oscar Isaac but criticizes shortcuts in the script, heavy-handed direction, and weaker writing for non-white characters. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/show-me-a-hero-review-part-1-and-part-2) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/show-me-a-hero.md