--- title: "Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised): the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/summer-of-soul-or-when-the-revolution-could-not-be-televised/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/summer-of-soul-or-when-the-revolution-could-not-be-televised" critics_score: 90 critics_reviews: 22 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 90 from 22 reviews: 22 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are unanimous: all twenty-two are positive. The praise gathers around the footage itself, shot at the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival and unseen for fifty years, and around what Questlove has done with it in his first film as director. Critics keep naming the same moments: Stevie Wonder at the drums, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone. Nearly every review credits the cutting between performances and interviews with attendees for turning a concert film into a record of Black pride and politics in that year. Reservations are hard to find. The spread runs only from warm to rapturous, and the lowest scores come from critics who are still plainly enthusiastic. /Film alone notes that some of the historical passages drag before the music pulls the film back. Several reviewers dwell on the festival’s decades of neglect as much as on the filmmaking; none counts that against it. ## Financial Times Rating ★★★★★. 14 July 2021. The critic calls it the film of 2021 so far, praising how the rescued footage has been sculpted like a born filmmaker into an irresistible time capsule with raw sizzle. They single out the jaw-dropping performances and graceful handling of the project’s heart for praise. [Read the review](https://www.ft.com/content/3cf7f06f-d5a2-4bd9-8272-568686f89866) ## Little White Lies — Leila Latif Rating 3/5/5. 29 January 2021. Festival review. Questlove's directorial debut vividly revives the forgotten 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival through crisp archival footage and contextual interviews. The critic highlights its broad scope in capturing Black American identity, politics, joy, and grief beyond a simple concert film. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/festivals/summer-of-soul-or-when-the-revolution-could-not-be-televised/) ## The Telegraph — Music Critic Rating 5/5. 15 July 2021. The critic hails the film as a dazzling, joyous and emotional documentary that restores lost footage into a fierce homage to Black music and its ties to civil rights-era culture and politics. They single out the mind-blowing drum solo by a young Stevie Wonder and other glorious performances for praise. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/summer-soul-review-dazzling-dive-wild-groovy-volatile-sixties/) ## IndieWire — Tambay Obenson Rating A-. 29 January 2021. Festival review. The review highlights the joyous, pulsating panorama of Black pride captured in the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival footage and Questlove's debut as both celebratory and historically resonant. It calls the film a welcome addition to festival documentaries despite its buried history. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/summer-of-soul-review-questlove-sundance-1234611019/) ## Los Angeles Times — Glenn Whipp Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2021. The critic praises the film as a rousing revelation of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival's music and cultural significance. It singles out the previously unseen performances and the way the documentary counters historical erasure of Black achievements. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-06-24/summer-of-soul-review-questlove-music-documentary) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2021. Festival review. Questlove's Sundance premiere uses 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival footage to explore Black culture and its ties to the era's social revolution. The review praises the revelatory performances and the film's ability to make history feel alive and relevant beyond nostalgia. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/summer-of-soul-or-when-the-revolution-could-not-be-televised-sundance-review/5156298.article) ## Sight and Sound — Devika Girish Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 February 2021. Questlove's film revives footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, presenting it as a vital time capsule of Black music, culture, and politics in the late 1960s. The critic praises how it deftly weaves performances with interviews and archival context to highlight themes of community, mourning, and pride. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/summer-soul-revolution-could-not-be-televised-ahmir-questlove-thompson-1968-harlem-cultural-festival-doc) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 18 July 2021. The critic calls Questlove’s film one of the best concert movies of all time and an absolute joy. They single out the rediscovered footage of stellar performances by Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson and Nina Simone, interwoven with political context, for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/jul/18/summer-of-soul-review-questlove-documentary-harlem-cultural-festival-1969) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Sheri Linden Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2021. Festival review. The critic praises Questlove's assured directorial debut for interweaving knockout concert footage with a capsule portrait of 1969 as a turning point in Black identity and charged reminiscences from attendees and performers. The result is a rousing yet thoughtful restoration of a forgotten cultural moment. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/summer-of-soul-film-review-sundance-2021-4116564/) ## The New Yorker — Richard Brody Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 5 July 2021. The critic calls it one of the best films of the year for its joyful assembly of unseen concert footage. It highlights the music's power, especially specific performances by Stevie Wonder and Sly and the Family Stone, while noting the festival's historical context of Black cultural assertion. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/07/05/questloves-summer-of-soul-pulses-with-long-silenced-beats) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★☆. 16 July 2021. The critic describes the film as an extraordinary documentary that brings incendiary stars and knockout performances to life from footage unseen for 50 years. They single out the grounding in political context alongside the thrill of the vital, propulsive music and imagery. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/summer-of-soul-review-a-thrilling-step-back-in-time-5t05kjqq6) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2021. Questlove's documentary unearths the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival as an essential, empowering event of Black music and pride that deserves recognition alongside Woodstock. The critic notes its smart cultural and historical layers alongside the thrilling performances. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/summer-of-soul-questlove-review) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Rating Critic's Pick. 30 January 2021. Festival review. The critic hails the documentary as a revelatory concert film that captures a pivotal moment in Black American history and music. It praises Questlove's direction for blending spectacular performances with insightful historical context about cultural re-evaluation post-Civil Rights era. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/summer-of-soul-review-ahmir-questlove-thompson-harlem-cultural-festival-1234891390/) ## Film Comment — Devika Girish Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2021. The critic highlights the film's staggering lineup of 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival performances and the infectious energy of the crowds. The pleasure lies in the call-and-response between performers and audience that captures the era's heartbreak, rage, and hope. [Read the review](https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/film-comment-recommends-summer-of-soul/) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Barsanti Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 2021. The critic describes the film as an essential music documentary and public service that resuscitates the forgotten Harlem Cultural Festival through stellar performances and contextual narratives around politics and personal memory. It argues the event was every bit as zeitgeist-defining as Woodstock. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/summer-of-soul-review-questlove/) ## The i Paper — Christina Newland Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 15 July 2021. Questlove’s documentary is profound and joyful as it revives footage of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. It singles out the film’s blend of restored performances and contextual archival material to redress the erasure of Black history. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/summer-of-soul-review-questlove-documentary-concert-film-harlem-cultural-festival-1105167) ## Collider — Ross Bonaime Rating A-. 2 July 2021. The critic praises Questlove's debut as a joyous and loving story that rectifies the historical erasure of the Harlem Cultural Festival, showcasing its cultural significance alongside powerful performances from legends like Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone. [Read the review](https://collider.com/summer-of-soul-review-questlove-documentary/) ## Consequence — Clint Worthington Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2021. Festival review. The critic describes Questlove's debut as a revelatory ethnographic text that captures the transcendent music and deeper cultural meaning of the Harlem Cultural Festival for Black communities in 1969, blending performances with historical context. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2021/01/sundance-review-summer-of-soul/) ## Deadline — Dominic Patten Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 28 January 2021. Festival review. The dexterous directorial debut unearths hidden history of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival through triumphal performances by legendary musicians. It melds festivity and fervor while highlighting cultural erasure and the battle against oppression. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2021/01/summer-of-soul-review-questlove-sly-stone-nina-simone-sundance-1234683057/) ## /Film — Ben Pearson Rating 8.5/10. 29 January 2021. Festival review. The critic praises Questlove's directorial debut as a joyous celebration of the long-forgotten 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, highlighting its stellar musical performances and the powerful case it makes for cultural preservation and Black pride. Some history segments drag a bit, but the electricity of the music and interviews overshadows the flaws. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/579113/summer-of-soul-review/) ## NME — Leonie Cooper Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2021. The critic praises Questlove's documentary for finally giving the overlooked 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival its due recognition and ownership. Standout elements include powerful archive performances by artists like Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, and Mavis Staples alongside Mahalia Jackson. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/summer-of-soul-review-questlove-2986808) ## The Wrap — Steve Pond Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 June 2021. Questlove’s documentary is a vibrant document of an inspiring event in which politics and music are inextricably linked. It interweaves thrilling concert footage with the context of race relations and cultural flows in late-’60s Harlem. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/summer-of-soul-film-review-questloves-vibrant-concert-film-captures-a-pivotal-harlem-moment/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/summer-of-soul-or-when-the-revolution-could-not-be-televised.md