Philly D.A.
  • Network: PBS
  • Series Premiere Date: Apr 20, 2021
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10

Critic Reviews

  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Lloyd
    Apr 20, 2021
    60
    Given the complexity of the subject, the inertia of institutions and the polarized state of ... everything, as well as the limitations of even an eight-hour film, it is also almost inevitably a frustrating one, hopeful and dispiriting by turns.
  2. IndieWire
    Reviewed by: Christian Blauvelt
    Feb 3, 2021
    58
    It’s hard not to think that a feature-length film with a much more clear focus, and not a series juggling so many ingredients in an impersonal fashion, could have more powerfully shown the impact of one man in this important office on the people he serves.
  3. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Robert Daniels
    Feb 3, 2021
    50
    Is never quite as immersive as promised, and at odds with a Krasner campaign pledge. ... At its best, “Philly DA” shows the myriad of moves problematic systems perform to insulate themselves from real improvement. It also charts the root of these ingrained problematic practices. ... Unfortunately, “Philly DA” is too hulking of a series to fully balance the competing tensions.