Equal

While the reenactments in Equal were distracting, we were enlightened by this examination of a piece of history we knew little about, and enjoyed what Porter brought to the project via a narration style only Porter could pull off.

Visually busy and winkingly self-aware, the documentary slicks each one of its subjects with a one-dimensional rebellious cool that initially feels fresh, then increasingly ahistorical. ... The stronger performances — especially by Wiley, Lonsdale and Alexandra Grey as Hicks — make this potential abuse of dramatic license pay off. ... Equal is a valuable if glossy resource.

While the four-part Equal sheds welcome light on a too-easily-forgotten history of pain and oppression, its cartoonishly stylized and relentlessly shallow approach is more tiring than engaging. [26 Oct - 8 Nov 2020, p.13]