Katrina: Contra viento y marea

The first two episodes were amazing, informative and had a cohesion that showed how much the residents of NOLA were let down with each decision the government made after Katrina hit. Then you get to the third episode and there is absolutely zero direction or timeline and it feels like a completely different series. Spike Lee ruined this series with his over use of displaying BIG WORDS on the screen which had zero contextual effect and random interviews that don't tie in together. It literally feels like a mad lib where one person is talking about this and the next is talking about that, leaving viewers confused as to what the actual message is.

This is a mostly well-made and well-paced documentary that powerfully details the devastating and moving stories of what happened during Hurricane Katrina.

The first two episodes are excellent, but the third feels like a letdown-shifting focus to hype a climate agenda and overshadowing the other important points that key voices are trying to make.

And Brad Pitt... fix the shoddy homes you built for people.

This is a mostly well made and paced documentary detailing the devastating and moving stories of what happened during Hurricane Katrina.

However after a solid first two episodes the third episode is muddled narratively (especially the first 20 mins ish) and the random addition of the PowerPoint style text on the screen which adds nothing and if anything cheapens the points they're trying to make.

If you're around my age, you'll remember watching the news back in 2025 and being shocked by what happened to New Orleans, an iconic place submerged in water.

This documentary explores the buildup to Hurricane Katrina, the devastating effect it had, and its legacy. Episodes one and two are incredibly good; they will shock you, appall you, and make you consider why the country turned its back on New Orleans. You'll wonder if things would have been different had it been another state.

Episode three has some fascinating content, but it's a bit of a mess and too long; it's a frantic conclusion poorly thrown together. You'll come away with the certain knowledge that there are some incredible and resilient people in New Orleans, but they are a people who were failed by their government.

Some of what I saw in the second episode made my blood boil; it felt as though I was listening to something from a hundred years ago.

I urge you to watch it; episodes one and two are essential viewing.

8/10.

Episodes 1 & 2 paint a vivid picture of the hurricane's prelude, impact and immediate catastrophic aftermath, largely through survivors' own eyes via camcorder footage.

Episode 3 feels like Spike Lee watched those episodes and decided he had to do it all himself. Thus, interviewees are reintroduced and events recapped like the previous two hours never happened.

Like, weren't they blunt enough for him? For me, they did an exemplary job of showing systemic racism permeated every aspect of this disaster without needing to put the words 'systemic racism' onscreen, as if anyone watching might've missed that point somewhere along the way.