Black Is King
Disney+ | Release Date (Streaming): July 31, 2020 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
84
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The TelegraphKat BrownAug 3, 2020
And there we were thinking the stage recording of Hamilton was going to be the best thing on Disney+ this summer. Fools! Yes, Hamilton has songs, but does it have motorbikes? Synchronised swimming? Beyonce singing on the moon in diamonds? Naomi Campbell? I haven’t even got to the poodles yet. Read full review
100
New York Magazine (Vulture)Craig JenkinsAug 3, 2020
It’s an inclusive experience and a gorgeous tale of metaphysical Afrofuturism. For what it is, it’s great. The question once more is: How does she top this? Read full review
100
The Associated PressMesfin FekaduAug 1, 2020
King Beyoncé’s new film takes you on a journey of Black art, music, history and fashion as the superstar transports you to Africa to tell the story of a young man in search of his crown, matched to epic songs she created while inspired by “The Lion King.” Read full review
91
The A.V. ClubShannon MillerSep 10, 2020
Black Is King reconfirms a notion that many understood back in 2016 with Lemonade: When it comes to pairing strong, resplendent imagery with equally rousing music, the only person who can potentially outperform Beyoncé is Beyoncé herself. Read full review
91
IndieWireJude DryAug 1, 2020
Overflowing with stunning visuals, Black Is King blends imagery from the Pan-African movement, African art and Western portraiture of African bodies, as well as Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s shared vision of Black excellence within Western culture. Read full review
90
PolygonJaelani Turner-WilliamsAug 18, 2020
Finding self-identity through the guidance of her ancestors, Beyoncé lays bare that celebrating Blackness isn’t just an appreciation of the past. Black Is King is a reclamation of our thriving future. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesLorraine AliAug 1, 2020
The message — explore and embrace the rich legacy of your ancestors because it’s part of you — may sound simple, but in Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s hands, it’s hardly a rudimentary platitude. With Black Is King, she creates a pageant of sight and sound honoring the Black diaspora, weaving a collection of vibrant, profound and defiantly creative scenarios into one abstract and mostly cohesive narrative. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comOdie HendersonAug 1, 2020
If nothing else, Black Is King is a jaw-dropping visual achievement. Read full review
83
ConsequenceOkla JonesAug 1, 2020
It’s not difficult to lose sight of the future when you can’t properly account for the past. Beyoncé’s direction and influence looks to change the narrative and to reinforce the fact that Black Is King … and queen. Read full review
80
Screen DailyTim GriersonAug 1, 2020
Stuffed with gorgeous costumes, vivid choreography and deft tunes, Black Is King doesn’t have the depth or anguish that made Lemonade so epochal, but its more inspirational tenor and consistently high artistry make this a feast for eyes and ears. Read full review
80
EmpireAmon WarmannJul 31, 2020
Just as she did with Lemonade, Beyoncé proves herself a master of the visual album once again with a timely and vivid meditation on Black pride. The film it’s born out of may be forgettable, but this is quite the opposite. Read full review
80
VarietyJeremy HelligarJul 31, 2020
Black Is King excels as a celebration of Blackness in its many forms: Black women, Black men, Black children, Black motherhood, Black fatherhood, Black pasts, Black presents, and Black futures. Read full review
80
The GuardianChanté JosephJul 31, 2020
It is compelling in every sense and takes you on a moving journey: not only through the story of The Lion King, but through a small portion of the beautiful cultures and traditions that exist within black communities globally. Read full review
76
TheWrapSteve PondJul 31, 2020
Black Is King doesn’t exactly stand with the best of her previous work — it’s a pleasure but not a landmark — but the Queen Bey goes through it with her head up and her crown intact. Read full review
75
LarsenOnFilmJosh LarsenAug 5, 2020
Black Is King—like the offstage sequences of Homecoming or the soft-glow segments of Lemonade—is ultimately a project of image cultivation. African history, African-American experience, Timon and Pumbaa—all bend in service of a staggeringly talented star. It’s an astral projection that nearly functions as an eclipse. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineSophia OrdazAug 3, 2020
Out of a dazzling fusion of the hottest trends of American R&B and Afrobeat, this visual album proposes a pan-African vision of legacy, abundance, and unity, making it Beyoncé’s most wide-reaching and ambitious effort yet. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy BurrJul 31, 2020
Even when the meager story line falters — more on that in a bit — the music and visuals mesh into a dazzling whole. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleAidin VaziriJul 31, 2020
Shot primarily in Africa over the past year (primarily before the coronavirus pandemic swept the world), the big-budget film plays out like a collection of opulent music videos. It’s not a live concert film, but it does take cues from the theatrical pacing of Beyoncé’s tour performances. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeJul 31, 2020
Artistically, King is less persuasive as a coherent statement than "Lemonade." But Black Is King may live its ideals more successfully than it preaches them. Read full review
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