User reviews

Created by Julia Willoughby Nason, Jenner Furst, and Nick Sandow, directed by Furst, and with Jay-Z and Harvey Weinstein serving as executive producers, this six-part documentary tells the almost unbearably tragic story of Kalief Browder; a 16 year old who was arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack. With his family unable to afford the $900 bail, Browder spent 1,111 days in Rikers, despite never being convicted of a crime. Turning down nine plea deals, Browder refused to admit to something he didn't do just so he could go home. With his case brought to court and delayed multiple times, Browder spent over 800 days in solitary confinement, where his mental health rapidly deteriorated. Indeed, the episodes dealing with his time in Rikers, and the experience and effects of long-term solitary confinement, are almost too horrific to bear.

Were this fiction, the litany of abuses he suffers, and the details of how the system failed him, would be rejected as ridiculous, with his nightmare continuing even upon his release; in two separate incidents, he was shot and stabbed, and was later sectioned, as he became increasingly paranoid and unstable. Telling the parallel story of the anguish of his doting mother, if I had one criticism, it would be that the narrative is stretched too thin. Much like The Keepers (2017), there isn't enough material here to warrant this many episodes, and it does lapse into repetition at times. Nevertheless, this is harrowing stuff; highly recommended.

This series made me feel vomiting about the Justice system in America. That's funny that many people think that USA is a land of freedom and democracy. Justice, fairness and democracy are words made & used by politicals and rich people to make u believe we live in a good world. In God we trust but not more !

After watching When They See Us I felt compelled to watch this. It made me so angry and upset. I wanted to jump in the TV and save him. It's disgusting how he was treated. I'm not going to put any spoilers on as its not fair on those who haven't seen it yet. Just know this, I could say an awful lot more

For me, there are two ways to rate this docu-series. The first is on an emotional or abstract level. The second is purely technical.

This six-part documentary, or docu-series, somewhat follows in the line of other true crime docu-series of late such as the Making a Murderer about Steven Avery or The Jinx, on Robert Durst. There aren't as many "twists" as with the Steven Avery story – Browder's is pretty straightforward. But the structure of storytelling is so noticeable so as to be distracting. Each episode follows a formula: presage the episode, then conflict builds to a climax, then a summary of the episode, then a teaser of the next episode, all woven together in a highly stylized way. As this pattern repeats, you hear certain sound bites more than once, you see the same pieces of footage again and again interpolated with close-ups of speeded-up clocks, to the point I wondered if I'd inadvertently replayed an episode. I found myself thinking that the whole thing was stretched out to fill six episodes when three would have contained it – the length of a feature film.

At the same time, this repetitiveness might be deliberate, meant to achieve an emotional end rather than just keep the brain stimulated and interested – we hear Browder tell ABC's Nightline at least a dozen times that he refused to plead guilty because he didn't do anything. We hear Van Jones say more than once how Browder wasn't a perfect person, but the position he took was perfect. We see the same security footage from Rikers multiple times, reinforcing the brutality of the experience. It's not enough, the filmmakers seem to be saying, to show you this just once. You're going to have an experience that evokes the experience Browder himself had – an endless string of court dates leading to adjournment, repetitive violence; system inadequacy on multiple levels ad nauseam. So, in this way, the film's technique is effective.

Some cynical viewers are likely to say, then, that it's the manipulation of the filmmakers which provoke an emotional response to sympathize with Browder and his ordeal. I don't think so. I think the filmmakers used the medium to present some small sliver of what his ordeal was like so there was something – beyond a kneejerk judgement – to truly sympathize *with.*

It's an old trope – "I'm gonna put the *system* on trial!" – but it's never been more apposite than it is in the case of Kalief Browder. We could simply be told – in a short news article or even in an internet meme – that 97% of criminal cases go to plea bargain, that due to a limited number of judges and criminal defense attorneys, without plea bargaining, the system would collapse. We could be told, then, that if a man claims he's innocent of an allegation (theft of a backpack), and gets denied bail because he broke probation by being arrested for allegedly stealing said backpack, and then languishes in one of the most violent prisons in the world while exercising his constitutional right to a trial… for THREE YEARS – just knowing these facts doesn't pack the full punch of sitting through the footage of Browder getting gang-beaten or witnessing his mother break down on camera.

Van Jones, at one point observes that, like with Syria, the casualties are "just a number" until one child washes up on a beach – then the world takes notice. Jones says, "Browder is that baby." Certainly Browder got the world to pay attention to the major flaws in the New York criminal justice system. But I like what someone else says in the documentary even better – that Browder, in standing up for his rights and refusing to cop a plea for something he says he didn't do, no matter how bad the violence of jail, the torture of endless months of solitary confinement, acts like America's last true patriot. And I think this is where, today more than ever, America needs to really come to terms with itself in defining and understanding what patriotism really is.

10/10 stars.

I just finished watching this documentary and I am in tears. This is a must see. It's heartbreaking to see how our justice system failed Kalief. This is still happening to thousands of black men but no one hears about it because most just plead guilty to crimes they did not commit. Kalief did not give up, he fought the justice system head on. I am heartbroken with how this documentary ends but I will not spoil it for you. Please watch this, hopefully it opens at least one person's eyes to the injustice of our system.

This documentary is sometimes very painful to watch, it shook me like not many documentaries have. It is about tremendous injustice and also tremendous courage. It is about family and sadness, about fighting and seeking justice, about racism in our society, about judges and CO and what happens in prison, about solitary confinement and second chances. But most of all, it is about one young man, whose incredible strength could and will hopefully unable a change in the American justice system. It's a must-watch.

I don't know what I'm supposed to say, or possibly could say to encapsulate what I just watched. I have so many thoughts and feelings swirling within me right now that I could say a lot and also say nothing. Whatever I write about The Kalief Browder Story, words won't do it justice, just like the Bronx police, D.A., and judges, and Riker's Island C.O.'s didn't do Kalief Browder Justice. So, instead of me commenting upon this docuseries I encourage the conscious to watch yet another hard-hitting docuseries from Netflix.

A very moving story, painful to watch and very touching. However, this documentary is poorly constructed, terribly repititive and stretched out to a point the impact of often lost.

I really appreciate the thoroughness if this documentary. What a tragic story. Loved getting to know the family, particularly the mother. What an amazing woman. REALLY WISH HARVEY WEINSTEIN'S NAME WAS NOT ROLLING IN THE CREDITS! But this was a really informative story to learn about along with 13th and other documentaries or social injustices and systemic issues plaguing the U.S. I think they stretched it out into one too many episodes which is kind of a pet peeve.

Let me preface this by saying I'm somewhat of a junkie for stories like this. I enjoy empathising with people who've suffered, and the reality check that it gives me that there's so much to be grateful for.

This was a terrible ordeal and another in a long line of quite astonishing relics of this kind during this racially divided era.

However, I score it a 5 because of the appalling decision to drag this out like they did. As others have posted, this could probably have been a 2-part series; 3 at the most (it's 6 episodes in reality). Very tedious.

This docuserie shows splendidly how flawed the juridicial system is in a city known for its financial institutions, its skyscrapers and the many tv series happening in NYC.

As a none US citizen, I was shocked after I saw this documentary as I had a totally different picture of NYC. How can New Yorkers accept this happening as basic human rights are being violated? It has more something from a 3rd world country than from a developed country. Just shocking.

Thank God there are still some good people in the world who fight for those unprivileged and the poor.

Half way through I thought this was the typical American made up documentary. But towards the end it really touches you and shocks you. Heartbreaking.

The first episode started slowly..so I wondered about watching the rest. I am so glad I did because it really picked up after that. This incredible true story left me breathless. With a movie so real, it wasn't always easy to watch. You will need your tissues as what happened to this boy was beyond heartbreaking. Maybe the best documentary on Netflix. It is a story that must be told and it will be one you will never forget. I promise you that.

I sat throug it because I wanted to see the end. But shot after shot was a repetition of what was already told. They have so may experts and other people saying the same thing over and over again. Missing a personal aspect of these people and their involvement, which is what makes a documentary interresting for me. No disrespect for the story and the importance of it. But told so boring and stretched.

There is no way to explain everything he had to go through not just in Rikers island but after leaving as well. This is a story that shouldn't be forgotten Because there are so many more cases like this all over the United States. I hit me badly I couldn't stop crying must watch.

Interesting story that could be told in 2-3 episodes. Full of edits and repeated scenes, not good film-making.

Well I wasn't expecting the end of this documentary. I guess there was enough foreshadowing for it to be clear. I wasn't sure what to expect actually. I had never heard about this young man's story until I watched this doc. Jay Z was one of the executive producers of this documentary series. When Jay Z came out in the 90s, I never thought he would become a voice of reason and one of the richest rappers to date!!

This documentary touches on so much that is wrong with the American judicial system today- the punitive nature does not rehabilitate youth but unfortunately turns them into a mental health/complex trauma mess. Mr. Broder spent about 300 days in solitary confinement at Rikers while serving a 3 year jail sentence for a stolen backpack. I would love to do a study on his mom for the amount of adverse childhood events (ACEs) in her life that likely resulted in many of her health problems. Kalief's story is depressing and a hard listen but one that is needed to be told for their to be change.

Jay Z was on the Mark with describing this brave young man as a profit.

This young man is a candle in the darkness, brave and wise beyond his age and an inspiration that was the young NY Nelson Mandela.

Upmost Respect for Jay Z giving a voice and platform for this brave inspirational young mans story that will now get the worldwide attention it deserves.

I was in tears and inspired. Hopefully the brave path of defiance and action to stand against a fallen and broken system does not go as a period piece but as a driving force to rectify this broken system. All of us need to be as strong and take the stand Kalief Browder took in order to make change. Racial injustice and Black lives Matter need look no further than Kalief Browder. Change starts with everyone taking a stand and standing by each other to rewrite oppression and injustice. Words can not explain the bravery this young man displayed.

Remember his name KALIEF BROWDER 🙌

This young man should never be forgotten and always remembered.