Critic Reviews

One of the most transcendent stories on television this year.

David Makes Man feels like a show that can grow into itself nicely, finding exactly what it wants to show the audience and what it knows it doesn’t need to as it goes along. But right from the start, there’s a distinct rhythm that’ll hook you; a tonal confidence that’s as rhapsodic as it can be calm.

In the end, this show may wind up going the way of Rectify, an almost pure form of character drama in which storylines take a backseat to the sheer pleasure of watching a human being evolve before one’s eyes, as David Young does on David Makes Man. Either way, I know I'll be watching.

The rhapsodic and dreamy timbre of Moonlight, the film that won the Best Picture Oscar in 2017, comes to life again in David Makes Man, a gorgeous, attention-grabbing new series on the OWN Network.

Patterson is so astonishingly good at channeling the specific energy, tics, and speech patterns McDowell spent Season 1 developing for David—as are Arlen Escarpeta as Adult JG (originated by Cayden K. Williams) and Erica Luttrell as Adult Marissa (originated by Lindsey Blackwell)—that I’m willing to be convinced. If you were a fan of David Makes Man when it first premiered, I hope you’re willing to be convinced, too.

This viewer, at least, remains curious and eager to see more of David’s story, one that is told with élan and confidence and played with preternatural skill.

The way it simply lingers in David’s worlds, and in his head, pays enormous emotional dividends in later episodes. Those installments aren’t quite as stylish as the premiere, but they allow for a touch more humor and whimsy, which proves a welcome trade-off.

The show endows its hero with a complex internal life. ... It’s impossible to predict, based on the five languidly paced episodes sent to critics, where the show will end up–but McCraney seems too invested in the people around David to leave them behind. Even as it immerses us in his subjectivity, David Makes Man builds vivid, sympathetic supporting characters.

Coming-of-age tales are nothing new, but few have the authenticity and poignant power of David's. [19 Aug - 1 Sep 2019, p.13]

Each episode contains and depicts its distinct arcs with sure-footed certainty, although visuals are meant to seduce us and make us question if what we’re seeing is real. But McCraney, who co-wrote the Oscar-winning “Moonlight,” ensures there is a reason behind each dreamlike flourish.