The Underground Railroad Review

The decision to release The Underground Railroad, the latest epic limited series by Academy Award winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins, all at once was certainly a peculiar one considering the brutal subject matter and the source material, the book of the same name by Colson Whitehead. Viewers sometimes need time to slow down and absorb the full impact of what they are seeing before moving on as the series definitely had those moments. If anything, more breathing room would have been appreciated with the series primarily focusing on moving on from point A to point B at the expense of development. That being said, it still gives viewers a compelling central character to gravitate towards as a guide through the era of slavery in the American deep south and introducing us to a star in the making in lead Thuso Mbedu. However, the pacing and that perspective only limit how far the series could ultimately go. That being said, it still worked far more often than not due to the series’ keen ability to find the smaller moments in the midst of the brutality.

The Underground Railroad chronicles the journey of Cora Randall (Mbedu) as she attempted to escape the antebellum south in search of freedom. Finding the legendary Underground Railroad, she quickly became acquainted with the elaborate undertaking which was everything it was made up to be and more thanks to its system of engineers and conductors operating across a secret network of underground tracks and tunnels across the south. As Cora travelled from state to state, following in her mother Mabel’s (Sheila Atim) footsteps as she left her daughter behind looking for a better life, something Cora never believed possible for herself. Faced with the dynamics and the rampant and often brutal racism of the time and the lack of education and social skills to fully process what was happening, she would prove dynamic and resourceful in overcoming these hurdles. It was through Cora’s many interactions with the people she met along the way and their experiences that she felt the true gravity of the opressed and those looking to make new lives for themselves in spite of that. Suffice it to say that it wasn’t going to be easy but their collective determination to overcome their circumstances was truly inspirational to watch.

As much as Cora may have believed she was done with her past, being sold to a Georgia plantation, that past was not done with her. Chasing her across the south was infamous slave hunter Arnold Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton) and his trusty young partner Homer (Chase W. Dillon). Fueled by a contentious history with Mabel, Ridgeway became obsessed with capturing Cora and bringing her back. The cat and mouse game between the two, perhaps a little too contrived and convenient, just added another level of tension to the story. Coming from a tragic backstory of his own, Ridgeway went astray at a young age out of some misguided jealousy. However in the end, The Underground Railroad was Cora’s journey of self-discovery and the rollercoaster that was her growth over the course of the series was easily the best part. Taking all her pain and rising to the occasion and growing up fast was compelling to watch as Mbedu’s impeccable range, charisma, and screen presence took viewers on a journey that brought viewers in on a very intimate level. Edgerton proved a worthy foil, bringing plenty of charm and menace to Ridgeway, a character with depth and principle that guided his actions.

On a technical level, The Underground Railroad was just as impressive. Directing every episode and writing or co-writing several others, Jenkins definitely put his stamp on the series and that continuity helped with the flow of the series. Running at an average of 60 minutes per episode, the series is an investment which arguably works against binge viewing. Meanwhile, the cinematography was absolutely beautiful to look at as was the set designs and costumes. Last but certainly not least, besides Mbedu’s star-making performance, the score from frequent Jenkins collaborator Nicholas Britell is the other big star of the series, giving it an epic and memorable feel.

At the end of the day, The Underground Railroad is a engaging snapshot of an important time in American history that should not be missed but don’t rush through it.

still courtesy of Amazon Studios

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.