Critic Reviews

It's unavoidably filled with sex and violence, but Zicherman, his writing staff, and an ace lineup of directors that includes Carl Franklin and Paris Barclay avoid any exploitative impulses, bringing nuance to every chapter of the story.

All in all, American Sports Story makes Hernandez a fully-developed person. Here, he’s not a total monster but also not a total victim (of his upbringing, background, bad choices, or an American institution that didn’t look out for or protect him).

Zicherman et al don’t just fill in the blanks in Hernandez’s sexual identity; they make it central to his character, using his family’s suspicions as cover for a broader critique of the inherent homoeroticism of male sport. .... Like football itself, American Sports Story makes itself tough to watch. It makes you wish things had turned out differently for Hernandez.

“American Sports Story” is not a radical reinvention, either of its subject or the Murphy oeuvre. Instead, it’s a dramatized crash course in what athletic ability can and can’t transcend.

We appreciate the fact that American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez treats its story with respect and not as a tabloidy story ripe for outrageous dramatic scenes. That and the generally good performances make the first season of this new franchise worth watching.

The key to making this work (even though 10 episodes are more than plenty) is Josh Rivera as Hernandez.

Devoid of stars but featuring a strong lead performance from Josh Rivera, it’s compulsively watchable and detailed, if—per Murphy tradition—about as subtle as a gridiron gang tackle.

Rivera captures the boyish charm and goofy charisma of Hernandez's public persona, while instilling his moments of doubt and impulsive rage with unsettling force. .... Sports Story is especially compelling when it focuses on the football-industrial complex itself — which it doesn’t do enough.

The series doesn’t need to warble on for as long as it does, but what compels you to watch is Rivera.

The series ultimately seems as cowed by the power of men and football as anyone else, shaking a head at worst practices, but letting their inevitability stand as immutable fact. American Sports Story is a worthwhile examination of a murderer’s motivations, but it could also have said something meaningful about all of ours.