disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

THE LEGEND OF THE UNDERGROUND -- An Important Documentary That Is Equal Parts Shocking and Poetic

6/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
Photograph Courtesy of HBO.
The new HBO documentary The Legend of the Underground is one of those movies that is enormously hard to review if only because it is so dangerous for the people involved to talk about it. However, Giselle Bailey and Nneka Onuorah have made an essential film to contribute to a necessary conversation.

The movie shines a light on the rampant discrimination in Nigeria by following a group of non-conformist men who are faced with the choice between oppression or fleeing their home country. It’s heartbreaking to see that this still happens anywhere in the world, especially since these issues haven’t received much in the way of public attention.

There is a significant shift around the halfway mark in which the film begins to focus less on the discrimination and Nigeria and more on how the non-conformist community has come together in an attempt to survive, both metaphorically and literally. The first half is shocking and eye-opening, and the latter half is poetically beautiful.

This is a movie about resilience in the face of adversity, and it is absolutely moving as such. The fact that these people are able to put up with so much and yet still find a way to achieve joy in their life is astounding. Bailey and Onuorah don’t shy away from the horrors of the discrimination, but also beautifully depict the things that make the community so amazing.
Picture
Photograph Courtesy of HBO.
Perhaps due to fear of their safety, the film doesn’t go into much detail on the individual subjects’ lives. However, it does a great job of making a compelling subject out of the movement as a whole. There are plenty of moments in the movie that give the audience enough of an emotional connection to latch onto.

It would have been nice to see the film go a bit more into detail on the way in which these non-conformist men use dance to express themselves, something which is explored in the second half of the movie, but again, the filmmakers don’t want to go too deep with any one person in order to protect them. Still, this culture makes for the most fascinating part of the film.

The movie has a wonderful visual style inspired by the scene that is depicted in the back half. It’s frequently gorgeous to look at, particularly during the dance sequences. But Bailey and Onuorah also integrate other footage, like recordings of violence against the non-conformists, in a way that is extremely effective.

The Legend of the Underground is a very important documentary bringing attention to an issue that needs to be discussed on a global scale. Hopefully audiences will see this and leave inspired, both to make a difference and to live life to the fullest.

The Legend of the Underground hits HBO and HBO Max on June 29.

Rating: 4/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About