Film and TV Reviews

Documentary ‘The Young Vote’ Introduces America to the Young People Shaping Its Future

The Young Vote is a powerful documentary by Diane Robinson, now streaming on PBS. The film highlights the stories of young changemakers.

One of the opportunities young people have to shape their future in the U.S. is the chance to participate in the democratic process and vote. Even where there are free and fair elections, voters need to increasingly navigate their way through fake news, AI-generated deep fakes, and a splintered and polarized media landscape where it’s more difficult than ever to know what to believe and who to trust.

Documentary ‘Zurawski v. Texas’ Shows the Horror of Abortion Bans—and the Bravery of Those Who Fight Them

As voters head to the ballot box to vote for the very leaders who will directly decide their reproductive healthcare access, the documentary Zurawski v. Texas is on national tour, screening in movie theaters across the country.

Executive produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton and directed by Maisie Crow and Abbie Perrault, the film achieves the remarkable, bringing audiences directly into the lives of three plaintiffs and their lawyer in the groundbreaking lawsuit from the Center for Reproductive Rights challenging Texas’ abject failure to honor medical exceptions under its abortion ban. The documentary gets up close and personal, shedding light on the devastating consequences experienced by each of the women—their doctor’s appointments, family interactions, surrogacy attempts, courtroom testimonies and a heart-wrenching funeral—at the hands of the state.

Is ‘The Good Doctor’ the New ‘Rain Man’?

After seven long seasons, The Good Doctor aired its final episode this summer. For a series that has been a large point of contention among the Autistic community, for better or for worse, the show has cemented itself a seemingly permanent spot in the conversation about Autistic media representation and, more broadly, how Autism is seen by the general public. 

I am Autistic, and I polled several fellow Autistic thought leaders and experts, and it’s official: The Autistic community mostly rejects the show, mainly for its oversimplified and flawed representation of Autism. 

Documentary ‘Preconceived’ Exposes Horrors of Crisis Pregnancy Center Industry: ‘I Came to You for Help. Why Did You Lie?’

Since the fall of Roe, anti-choice politicians have rushed to champion “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) as a legitimate alternative to qualified reproductive healthcare. As they funnel millions of taxpayer dollars into these unregulated clinics, abortion ban states suffer high rates of maternal and infant mortality and widespread maternal care deserts.

A new documentary, Preconceived (now available to stream), shines a clear light on this evasive industry, deftly navigating a complex landscape of deception, privacy, finances and faith.

The Beauty of Being ‘Young and Dumb’: A Review of ‘My Old Ass’

My Old Ass
starts like a classic teen comedy but resolves with a more poignant message about growing up—no matter what age you are.

In many ways, this story seems a familiar one about discovering oneself and falling in love. Yet the film resists a traditionally simplistic message about sexuality, gender and love—and in doing so, My Old Ass is a refreshing new take on the genre.

The Number One Movie in America Is a Safe Firearm Storage PSA

During its opening weekend in early August, It Ends With Us surpassed $80 million globally. Based on the book by Colleen Hoover, the film stars Blake Lively as flower shop owner Lily Bloom. Lily meets and marries charming neurosurgeon Dr. Ryle Kincaid played by director Justin Baldoni. The film follows their relationship from its passionate beginning to Ryle’s devastating physical abuse of Lily.

It’s natural to hate Ryle for the monster he unleashes on Lily, but it’s also important to remember that the 6-year-old boy who had to cope with killing his brother and best friend is also a victim. Unintentional shooting incidents—like the one that changed the trajectory of Ryle’s and Lily’s lives—are preventable if gun owners practice safe firearm storage.

Ain’t I a Princess? Including Black Women and Girls in Fantasy and Play

It is only fitting that Netflix chose Juneteenth to debut the Shondaland-produced documentary film, Black Barbie. The film tells the story of Black women who worked at Mattel and gave us the titular doll, showcasing the joy of freedom through play. And yet, while the film shows that today’s Black children may no longer have feelings of being “ugly” or “bad,” as demonstrated during Clark’s doll experiment, they clearly understood Black Barbie wasn’t the “real Barbie,” wasn’t the “hero” of her own story. 

To that end, are we needing to ask a similar question about other fantasies: “Ain’t I a princess?”

It is not enough for Black women and girls to enter fantasy and play as “corrective” heroes. While we are as indebted to the Black women imagineers who worked on the new Disney ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, as we are to the Black women at Mattel for giving us Black Barbie, we are equally in need of imaginations that transcend our limited realities and revel in our most whimsical dreams.

In ‘Girls State,’ Care and the Growing Gendered Political Divide

A new documentary, Girls State, shows how some of America’s most ambitious and politically minded young women respond to the gender inequalities they face at Girls State, a government leadership camp in Missouri.

The documentary shows us that institutions can no longer stymy these young women’s ambitions for more influence by telling them to first look inward. The girls see through superficial slogans for unity and defensive headlines. They’re ready for real changes. 

Jo Koy’s Golden Globes Monologue Was Full of Tired Sexism and Racism

On Sunday, Jan. 7, the annual Golden Globe Awards aired live from Los Angeles. From Barbie vs. Oppenheimer, to Timothée Chalamet vs. Nicholas Cage, this night had a lot of steep competition. But many could not have predicted the biggest “beef” to occur on that stage: host Jo Koy vs. everybody else.

Many critics, viewers and audience members sitting in the Beverly Hilton were not impressed with the opening monologue by the 52-year-old comedian, finding his jokes sexist or just unfunny.