The Apollo is a necessary chronicling of the history of Black folk and the enduring sociopolitical spirit of our talent, from music to dance to comedy.

| Feb 10, 2020

Williams does a terrific job of layering decades of iconic music through the film.

| Nov 21, 2019

There's probably a multi-part documentary series that could be built out of all that footage that zips by, from Ella Fitzgerald regally singing at the mic to a young Lauryn Hill bombing on amateur night.

| Nov 1, 2019

[E]ssential history and quintessential performance expertly woven together to remind us what lasting, vibrant artistry and community looks like.

| Nov 1, 2019

While "The Apollo" itself might have taken a more inventive approach, it derives its power from the artistry it captures.

| Oct 31, 2019

The Apollo feels like both a necessary lesson and a gift.

| Original Score: A- | May 9, 2019

Williams eventually pulls his strands together, with an effective and moving juxtaposition of words, images, and history in the closing moments.

| May 9, 2019

Rarely has a history lesson been so damn entertaining.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | May 6, 2019

A meditation of African-American identity as manifested in a 1,600-seat theater on 125th Street in Harlem, and a sometimes lyrical, often angry portrait of what happened inside those walls and what it meant.

| Apr 25, 2019

While it was a safe place for black artists, "The Apollo" shows just how intimidating that stage could be.

| Apr 25, 2019

Anyone unfamiliar with this weekly talent show - which could sustain its own documentary - will want to scope it out based on the endearing moments shared here.

| Original Score: B | Apr 25, 2019

The Apollo goes a long way to ensuring that the memories created in this one-of-a-kind space will be neither fleeting nor forgotten.

| Apr 25, 2019

The movie, through its addictive and exhaustively researched film and video clips, salutes a shocking range of genius...

| Apr 25, 2019