A joyful observation of Black lives, timely in this moment of global protest against racial injustice.

| Jan 27, 2021

Carl Jung's claim that the greatest burden a child must bear is the unlived life of its parents is rigorously tested, and validated, by this perfectly formed heartbreaker from the debut director Channing Godfrey Peoples.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 27, 2021

The film buzzes with life and sincere feeling. The performances resonate like a struck bell. But a few too many questions are left unasked.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 27, 2021

It's a rare American film that is willing to risk not having the protagonist learn the right lesson -- especially if the filmmaker, too, is ambitious to move on to bigger things.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 7, 2020

There are struggles still to be faced, but the message of Peoples's film is one of love, hope and change.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 27, 2020

The film owes most of its appeal to its ability to navigate some rather thorny post-race themes under the guise of a breezy social drama.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 25, 2020

Channing Godfrey Peoples's debut -- the mellow, tender-hearted Miss Juneteenth -- is a portrait of a life robbed of its dreams.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 25, 2020

For anyone who values diverse storytelling, Peoples' portrait of a hardworking woman on the up is a tale of hopefulness - and a reason to hope in itself.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 25, 2020

A skilful, nuanced take on a traditional survival narrative.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 23, 2020

Calmly navigating the intersections of a Black, working-class, American woman, Peoples ensures care, heart and hope are in every step.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 21, 2020

Nicole Beharie is the key to Miss Juneteenth; when others attempt to decide for her what her life should be like, she communicates a mixture of wryness, tenderness, and toughness.

| Jul 1, 2020

It's a story that doesn't ignore the realities of being Black in America, acknowledging deep-seated issues that the country continues to grapple with.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 24, 2020

This is what I would call a thoughtful entertainment. Well done and full of meaningful content.

| Jun 24, 2020

A really sweet movie. It's a little loose, but I think it really fits with the story itself, which kind of meanders its way into a kind of sweet feeling.

| Jun 24, 2020

Miss Juneteenth benefits from subtle, offhand performances from Beharie and Chikaeze; as a portrait of a community, it's layered and rich.

| Jun 22, 2020

Through her round-the-way-girl protagonist, Peoples reminds Turquoise and all of us that there's more than one way to get free.

| Jun 22, 2020

A warmhearted and pain-streaked melodrama that's deeply anchored in observation and experience.

| Jun 22, 2020

There's meaning and purpose in this commemorative spectacle, but as Peoples guides her characters toward a beauty-queen showdown that seems both predictable and not, she suggests that pageantry and performance have their limits.

| Jun 22, 2020

Marking an impressive directorial debut, Miss Juneteenth is a straightforward story of mothers and daughters... It's also a terrific showcase for star Nicole Beharie.

| Jun 20, 2020

Miss Juneteenth is a pleasing visual mix of Fort Worth filmed in pastel colors and rigorously lit, gorgeous portrait shots.

| Jun 19, 2020