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Lawrence Ware

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Lawrence is a philosopher of race at his day job and a curator of dopeness when time allows. Words in The New York Times, Slate Magazine, The Root and others. Email him at [email protected]

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
The Wiz (1978) 38% EDIT “The acting is not great, but the reason for that could easily be that the director failed the actors. ” – The Root Nov 11, 2025 Full Review Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) 93% A EDIT ““Killers of the Flower Moon” is not a great film, but it is an important one. ” – The Root Oct 27, 2023 Full Review Queen & Slim (2019) 82% C EDIT “Queen & Slim Should Have Been a Great Movie” – The Root Oct 13, 2023 Full Review Us (2019) 93% A EDIT ““Us” offers no easy answers, but indicts us all. ” – New York Times Oct 13, 2023 Full Review The League (2023) 96% A+ EDIT “ Jackie Robinson may have integrated Major League Baseball over 70 years ago, but this film shows that it was, and continues to be, a white man’s sport. ” – The Root Oct 13, 2023 Full Review He Got Game (1998) 82% A EDIT ““He Got Game” shows that being young, gifted and Black in America is not easy. In fact, if you’re not careful, it can destroy you.” – The Root Oct 13, 2023 Full Review Joker (2019) 68% B EDIT “What the film wants to say — about mental illness or class divisions in society — is not as interesting as what it accidentally says about whiteness.” – New York Times Oct 13, 2023 Full Review Boyz N the Hood (1991) 96% A+ EDIT “In essence, this is a postapocalyptic world. Except what was destroying their landscape wasn’t an alien invasion or a virus. It was ravaged by white supremacy. ” – New York Times Oct 13, 2023 Full Review Menace II Society (1993) 84% A EDIT “With a tragic hero at its heart, the Hughes brothers’ debut drama painted nuanced portraits of characters rarely fleshed out in other films.” – New York Times Oct 13, 2023 Full Review Master (2022) 75% EDIT “What’s amazing about this film is that the literal demons depicted in the movie are less scary than the things it shows that happen in the real world.” – Slate Mar 26, 2022 Full Review Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) 96% EDIT “"Hampton and the Black Panther Party were always heroes to me; this is a film that does justice to their memory."” – New York Times Feb 17, 2021 Full Review Do the Right Thing (1989) 92% EDIT “Spike Lee's third film, Do The Right Thing, turns 30 years old on Sunday, July 21, but its message is so fresh that it could have been made today.” – The Root Jul 22, 2019 Full Review Rosewood (1997) 87% EDIT “America has not truly dealt with the race massacres that happened far too often early in the 20th century, and this filmmaker, aware of that, did his part to raise awareness.” – The Root Jul 16, 2019 Full Review Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) 97% EDIT “"This film manages the delicate feat of embracing its source material while also satirizing it."” – New York Times Feb 18, 2019 Full Review Green Book (2018) 77% EDIT “The screenplay essentially turns Shirley into a black man who thematically shapeshifts into whoever will make the story appealing to white audiences - and that's inexcusable.” – New York Times Feb 18, 2019 Full Review Sleight (2016) 83% EDIT “This is not a perfect film, but I don't expect that from a superhero film. I want solid characters, convincing acting and solid action. The fact that this film gives all of that while being centered in the black experience makes it a must-see.” – The Root Jan 9, 2019 Full Review Come Sunday (2018) 69% EDIT “Come Sunday Takes the Challenges of Faith Seriously. We Need More Movies Like It.” – Slate Jan 9, 2019 Full Review Black Panther (2018) 96% EDIT “"Black Panther" lived up to the hype.” – New York Times Jan 9, 2019 Full Review BlacKkKlansman (2018) 96% EDIT “The filmmaker rips from the headlines, but the struggles remain the same.” – Slate Jan 9, 2019 Full Review
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