A Bob Marley film fails to catch his rhythm
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (PG-13)
★★★★ A crucial few years in the life of reggae’s superstar
Sadly, the new Bob Marley biopic “fails to convey much about Marley at all,” said Vikram Murthi in IndieWire. Though the political radicalism of the reggae legend, who died of cancer at age 36 nearly 43 years ago, is ripe for reexamination, the movie produced by his own estate “neglects to illuminate or entertain,” and proves watchable only because of the performances of its two co-stars, who “admirably attempt to imbue Bob and Rita Marley with genuine life.” Focusing on a brief snapshot of Marley’s life, One Love “manages to suck you in immediately, only to leave you hanging,” said Meredith G. White in The Arizona Republic. It opens shortly before the 1976 assassination attempt on Marley, which left both Bob and Rita wounded but didn’t prevent them from both appearing in a peace concert intended to stop an eruption of deadly political violence in Jamaica. Alas, “this is when the film takes a dramatic nosedive,” following Marley as he relocates to London and begins work on his iconic 1977 album, Exodus. After Marley finally returns to Jamaica and performs in a historic, second peace-promoting concert, One Love abruptly ends as it began—with a series of title cards—and “I didn’t come to the movies to read.” British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, playing Marley, “seems to be giving it his all,” said David Fear in Rolling Stone. Meanwhile, Lashana Lynch delivers a portrayal of Rita so vivid it “feels like it’s going to burn a hole through the screen.” While their commitment is admirable, “it’s still not enough.”
Will Trent
The prime-time network procedural lives.
Will Trent, a series built around the bright yet fallible Georgia state investigative agent created by novelist Karin Slaughter, bent the genre just enough in its first season to feel fresh, and got an extra boost from its charismatic lead, Ramón Rodríguez. In Season 2, Trent’s caseload begins with a hunt for a prolific unidentified car bomber, a case that sparks a potential romantic relationship between Trent and a bomb specialist, complicating his relationship with his ex, Angie. With Erika Christensen and Susan Kelechi Watson. Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 8 p.m., ABC
Constellation
Space is a place of dark mystery in this new limited series about a destabilized former astronaut. The always compelling Noomi Rapace stars as the sole survivor of an accident on the International Space Station. When she returns to Earth, much about her life feels foreign or wrong to her, including her young daughter, and she battles to understand if she has fallen into madness or discovered a vast conspiracy. Jonathan Banks plays a prize-winning physicist who takes up her cause. Wednesday, Feb. 21, Apple TV+
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
It’s back to the pits for a roaring sixth season of the docuseries that ignited America’s interest in Formula 1 racing. In 2023, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen remained the driver to beat, and as the 25-year-old Belgian phenom looked to extend his dominance, pressure mounted on Ferrari, Mercedes, and the other top teams to find ways to propel their drivers to the podium. Friday,
Feb. 23, Netflix
Sacred Soil: The Piney Woods School Story
There aren’t many institutions in America that can match the educational experience offered by the Piney Woods School. This inspiring and poetic documentary focuses on several students at the historically Black boarding school founded in 1909 outside Jackson, Miss., by a Black educator committed to empowering his charges by cultivating a wide range of skills. As today’s students face their own challenges and chase their own goals, the school’s legacy comes into sharp focus. Friday, Feb. 23, Hulu
Vegas: The Story of Sin City
Las Vegas, as host of both the Sphere and last week’s Super Bowl, has been much in the eye of the nation recently. This new four-part series, which is as lively as the city itself, revisits the past century of Vegas’ history as a gambling and entertaining mecca that has undergone booms, busts, and reinventions while simultaneously reshaping American culture as a whole. Historians, ex-showgirls, and such Vegas icons as Wayne Newton and Paul Anka help tell the tale. Sunday, Feb. 25, at 10 p.m., CNN
Other highlights American Experience: Fly With Me
Stewardesses are given their due in a documentary that shows how those avatars of the airline age changed perceptions of women and helped create opportunities across all industries. Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 9 p.m., PBS; check local listings
30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
Barbie and Oppenheimer lead the film nominees at the annual event seen as a top forecaster of Oscar results. Saturday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m., Netflix
Shogun
Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, and Hiroyuki Sanada co-star in new series adaptation of James Clavell’s feudal Japanese epic. Tuesday, Feb. 27, Hulu