Writer-director Lagueria Davis delivers a comprehensive look at the history of Black Barbie and her forerunners and poses poignant and timely questions about the importance of diversity in dolls.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 27, 2024

[A]s elegant and enriching as the doll that inspired it.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Jun 24, 2024

[An] expansive, informative, and thought-provoking documentary, which is part cultural anthropology, part corporate history, part sociological study, and part playful experimental art film

| Jun 21, 2024

The documentary is about what led to the 1980 release of Black Barbie, but the issues it explores run much deeper: the harm of lacking a “social mirror,” the slow pace of progress and the tensions around darkening a white fictional character.

| Jun 21, 2024

Unfortunately, [Davis] and Rhimes have taken what is at times a fun and informative film, and made it self-indulgent, over-long and at times ridiculously po-faced.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jun 20, 2024

The documentary is a touching, personal look at the impact of the Black Barbie doll.

| Jun 20, 2024

While the documentary isn't destined to be remembered, it fulfills its objective of dissemination and reflection on a facet that is not usually talked about. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jun 20, 2024

Thankfully, it doesn’t drift away from actual conversations in the classroom and the real world, making the last half hour of “Black Barbie” the most fulfilling part.

| Jun 20, 2024

But what begins as a statement of her true feelings quickly morphs into a celebration of the history of the Black doll Mattel released in 1979—20 years after the first (white) Barbie doll was launched...

| Jun 6, 2024

Black Barbie: A Documentary is essential viewing not just for people who are interested in this often-overlooked part of Barbie doll history but also for people who aren't fans of Barbie dolls but want to watch a fascinating pop culture documentary.

| Nov 24, 2023

A searing critique of what it means to be seen in mass media.

| Nov 13, 2023

It would behoove those enamored by the Barbie movie to take their time to watch this enlightening film that examines Barbie dolls' intergenerational impact, especially in marginalized communities.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Oct 24, 2023

Black Barbie is sharp, joyous cultural commentary when Davis keeps her focus...But once it expands the circle to peripheral talking heads...Black Barbie becomes burdened by competing agendas.

| Oct 6, 2023

As you would probably expect, Black Barbie isn’t just about black Barbie dolls. It’s about representation, and about the biases at play in an industry that for so long never ever conceived of the idea of black children wanting a doll like Barbie.

| Aug 12, 2023

This documentary acts as a historical primer for those who aren’t experts on the life and times of Barbie and as a scathing look at Barbie’s impact on the psyche of children.

| Jul 24, 2023

This documentary approaches a seemingly benign subject from a number of angles, putting human faces to a popular children’s toy.

| May 12, 2023

There’s a lot to unpack in Black Barbie: A Documentary, and while the film can seem scattered, Davis deserves a lot of praise for balancing the personal, psychological, and historical in as comprehensive a way as possible.

| Original Score: 6/10 | May 5, 2023

Davis makes a jam-packed argument that the road to Barbie diversity and inclusion has been long and marked by detours, intersections and, maybe a dead end or two.

| May 2, 2023

I'm glad this came out the year of the Barbie Movie and I hope people seek it out and have their kids play with all kinds of Barbies and dolls.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Mar 29, 2023

This imperfect documentary tackles far too much, but the overall message of the importance of representation and the strength and power of black women is one that is deeply meaningful and inspiring.

| Mar 27, 2023