Series Review: Genius – MLK/X [2024] on Disney Plus

Genius does it again! The National Geographic anthology series gives us another stellar season focused on the two civil rights icons of our century.

Starring Aaron Pierre (Malcom X) and Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Martin Luther King), MLK/X delves into the story and motivations behind the two icons, what put them on these paths, and what ultimately killed them. All of that while paying tribute and respect to the story and everyone around them.

In fact, it’s not the first time Genius creators have done this. We’ve seen it before in previous seasons. Genius: Aretha is much better than Respect. If anything, it respects the legal of Aretha Franklin more than her own movie did. That’s why I’m not surprised that the MLK/X season ended up being this good and respectful.

However, nothing is perfect.

MLK/X exhibits a clear desire to humanize its subjects, conveying the men, women and personal sacrifices behind the myths and legends. While it generally succeeds on that level, the denseness of that history comes at the expense of slowing its march.

I get that it’s a tough balance, and I can clearly see that the creators and writers did their best considering the subject. And I applauded it. I just wanted a tiny bit more to fill out some of the blanks in everyone’s motivations.

Should You Watch It?

By giving more weight to the personal side of the men’s lives and what their wives (Coretta and Betty) contributed to the movement, those decisions made “MLK/X” one of the more well-rounded personal portraits of each.

Where Can I Watch It?

You can stream Genius: MLK/X exclusively on Disney Plus.