The History of Concrete Review: John Wilson Builds Something Special

John Wilson turns an ordinary subject into a funny, heartfelt and unpredictable feature documentary that builds on everything fans loved about How To with John Wilson.

If you’ve never watched the three seasons of HBO’s docuseries ‘How To with John Wilson’, do yourself a giant favor and go check it out. Nearly every episode begins with a mundane topic such as making small talk or working out, but documentarian John Wilson manages to find interesting people or tangents and somehow ends up in a fascinatingly unpredictable and different place than where he started.

In a natural follow-up to his docuseries, John Wilson has made his first feature documentary aptly titled‘The History of Concrete’. Don’t let the name fool you; while there is plenty to be learned about concrete in the film (did you know concrete and cement are two very different things?), it still manages to take you on a journey that’s as hilarious as it is full of heart.

Once Wilson settles on the premise of his film, part of the story itself is him selling the idea to the producers. You can imagine their excitement at the premise of a movie all about concrete. The documentary then begins its journey of not only educating the audience about the composite material itself, but also finding ways to make the stories more entertaining.

John Wilson Finds the Story Beyond the Concrete

If you’ve experienced the work of Wilson, you know a lot of the entertainment is found in the real people he meets. For example, Wilson shadows an absolutely mesmerizing gentleman who zaps gum off the street, as well as a captivating liquor salesman who moonlights in a rock band. To say much more about these folks is to ruin the fun of the film itself.

Part of the fun of watching the work of John Wilson is just experiencing the journey of where his adventure takes you. You’ll experience plenty of real humans, a lot of emotion, tons of laughs, and you’ll likely learn something.

Verdict

‘The History of Concrete’ is the perfect follow-up to John Wilson’s acclaimed HBO docuseries. The feature documentary debut takes a tested formula and expands it perfectly without it overstaying its welcome.

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