film

As the series progresses, it evolves beyond hagiography, developing a serious critique of a man who is as arrogant as he is admirable.

Part of the joy of this series is the intellectual cut and thrust of its protagonists.

Fascinating.

If you care at all about the criminal justice debates that have been raging since last summer's protests - or about the more general question of how to change an unjust world in the wake of the pandemic - it's essential viewing.

Clearly not everybody wants Krasner's "social experiment", which makes this series all the more compelling.

In many ways this series is already looking like a real-life version of The Wire in its intelligent view of American big-city politics, except that instead of showing cops nobly going about their work, this (so far) is a damning critique of them.

The trio of film-makers marshal a lot of material consistently well. Each instalment looks primarily at one subject, while continuing to tie it into the wider drive to change the policy of mass incarceration.

Collecting insights from attorneys, judges, journalists, activists, police officers, and more, "Philly D.A." resonates from its rich tapestry of perspectives.

The filmmakers spent three years following the longtime criminal defense lawyer Larry Krasner for this essential, remarkably balanced vérité-style account of his unlikely tenure as the city's district attorney.

Philly D.A. is a beautiful, sprawling story that does justice to both the giant organizations and the many individuals caught inside them. It also reminds us that "doing justice" is so much harder than we may want to believe.