64
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleDirector Brendan Toller uses archive footage and droll animation that keep the stories revelatory and entertaining.
- 90Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayLos Angeles TimesNoel MurrayWhat emerges is a rich portrait of one of 20th century pop culture’s great facilitators, whose keen observations, quirky personality and natural affinity for the outré helped greatness happen.
- 75The A.V. ClubJosh ModellThe A.V. ClubJosh ModellA bunch of Fields’ war stories are rendered with simple animations, and while those aren’t as effective as the dozens of great photographs that dot the film, they do break up what might otherwise be an overly talky doc.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreWhich is what this film actually lacks, provocation. The film celebrates him, but the lack of critical mulling over from people who aren’t in his fan club doesn’t keep him from seeming somewhat unlikeable.
- 63Slant MagazineWes GreeneSlant MagazineWes GreeneIt ends on a muted whimper of a note that one doesn't expect given that the film's subject is such an immensely entertaining raconteur.
- 60Village VoiceChris PackhamVillage VoiceChris PackhamToller's film is narrated entirely by Fields via a series of lengthy recorded interviews that unwind jerkily, like a misshapen bolt of yarn over hundreds of still photos, Super-8 footage, and hand-drawn animations.
- 50IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichIf there’s any interiority to Fields, Toller isn’t interested in finding it; Danny Says would much rather provide the umpteenth account of Andy Warhol’s social circle (to mention but one of the movie’s many asides) than dig beneath the dirt in an attempt to learn more about one of the key figures who helped shape that scene.
- 50The New York TimesBen KenigsbergThe New York TimesBen KenigsbergIf Mr. Fields’s contributions to pop music deserve more fame, the movie plays like an overcorrection, a spirited but repetitive testament to one man’s excellent taste.
- 50RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyRogerEbert.comGlenn KennyA figure as unusual and distinctive as Fields certainly deserves a commemoration. The bad news here is that he deserves better than what Danny Says serves up.
- 50The PlaylistOktay Ege KozakThe PlaylistOktay Ege KozakEven though it’s far from perfect, “Danny Says” is recommended to fans of punk and rock history.