90
The Hollywood Reporter by Deborah Young
It is a searing and topical indictment of racial prejudice and hatred in America that makes for uneasy viewing and is not easily forgotten.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
100
The Guardian by Jordan Hoffman
It is a striking work of storytelling. By assembling the scattered images and historical clips suggested by Baldwin’s writing, I Am Not Your Negro is a cinematic séance, and one of the best movies about the civil rights era ever made.
100
Masterfully addressing the American racial divide, past and present, director Raoul Peck’s six-years-in-the-making documentary, I Am Not Your Negro, is a galvanizing, ominous film, thrumming with a sense of history repeating itself.
100
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
What makes I Am Not Your Negro a mesmerizing cinematic experience, smart, thoughtful and disturbing, goes well beyond words.
88
RogerEbert.com by Matt Zoller Seitz
Baldwin's voice as a writer comes through powerfully anyway. It was wise to have Jackson read Baldwin's words plainly in his own voice, rather than attempt an impersonation.
91
The Film Stage by Michael Snydel
Peck has made one of this year’s finest documentaries. At once pulsing with anger and yearning for compassion, it’s an examination of past and present America as a cycle where the backdrop has changed and particulars have remained the same.
91
While the subject matter is difficult, the documentary itself is easy to watch and exciting to grapple with. Its biggest strengths are Jackson’s voice and Baldwin’s commentary, which combine to create a distinctively world-weary tone.
100
Village Voice by Odie Henderson
Readers of Baldwin’s work already know that it’s as timely and relevant today as it was when he wrote it decades ago. I Am Not Your Negro powerfully highlights this point for today.
100
Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro is the rare movie that might be called a spiritual documentary.
90
Screen International by Tim Grierson
Baldwin’s insights originate from 1979, but they still speak volumes, and Peck makes their observations sting.
I am a huge Baldwin fan so loved getting to hear bits of his unfinished project "Remember This House." Raoul Peck does a great job placing Baldwin within the larger context of the Civil Rights Movement. Samuel L. Jackson uses a less recognizable side of his voice, emphasizing Baldwin's style.