God Save Texas

Three exceptional voices had the chance to tell these stories, each both similar and distinct, and when brought together, a piece of art emerges, no doubt destined for further examination in years to come. In its simplicity, it’s powerful.

Anchored by Richard Linklater’s exceptional feature-length “Hometown Prison,” HBO‘s God Save Texas may only be a three-part anthology docuseries, but in those three parts, it manages to be wide-ranging, timely and vitally important. .... Sosa’s “La Frontera” and Stapleton’s “The Price of Oil” are very good as well.

Linklater’s tender, personal inquisition of how that can happen is moving and memorable. .... With such dense topics driving each hour (Episodes 2 and 3 clock in under 60 minutes), each doc has sections that feel short-changed. .... While Stapleton’s entry can skew a little too dry, Sosa’s closing episode brims with life.

The three episodes don't break any fresh ground in terms of style or structure and aren't really trying to. They're put together like road-trip documentaries, and position each filmmaker as a combination host, reporter, local culture expert, and memoirist.