Drop Dead City

Drop Dead City
Film poster
Directed byMichael Rohatyn
Peter Yost
Produced byMichael Rohatyn
Peter Yost
CinematographyJerry Risius
Edited byAnna Auster
Don Kleszy
Production
company
Pangloss Films
Distributed byFear City
Release dates
  • November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21) (DOC NYC)
  • April 25, 2025 (2025-04-25) (New York City)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$159,523

Drop Dead City is a 2024 American documentary film which details the 1975 New York City fiscal crisis. It was directed by Michael Rohatyn and Peter Yost. It premiered at DOC NYC on November 21, 2024, and was given a theatrical release in New York City on April 25, 2025. The film is named after the infamous Daily News headline, "FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD".

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100, based on four critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote that the film is "wonkish but gripping."

Jason Bailey of RogerEbert.com gave it two and a half out of four stars, writing, "The filmmaking isn't exactly groundbreaking, but it doesn't need to be; the archival footage is splendid, blending contemporary newscasts, documentary footage, and interviews with commentary from reporters, historians, politicians, and artists."

References

  1. 1 2 "Drop Dead City - New York on the Brink in 1975". DOC NYC. Archived from the original on November 2, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "New Documentary "DROP DEAD CITY" Explores New York's Battle for Survival on the 50th Anniversary of the Fiscal Crisis that Nearly Bankrupted The City". Drop Dead City. March 19, 2025. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Drop Dead City". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Gleiberman, Owen (April 21, 2025). "'Drop Dead City' Review: A Gripping Look at How New York City Almost Went Bankrupt in 1975, Foreshadowing the Current Moment". Variety. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  5. ↑ Kailath, Ryan (April 20, 2025). "Drop dead again? New film finds NYC's 1975 fiscal crisis still haunting the city today". Gothamist. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Drop Dead City". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Drop Dead City". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  8. ↑ Bailey, Jason (April 25, 2025). "Drop Dead City". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.