Mr. Soul!

2018

1 hr. 30 min.

Documentary

List

96%

27 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

The history of the PBS series, from its creation through its eventual loss of funding.

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Critics Consensus

Mr. SOUL! aims an overdue spotlight on a groundbreaking chapter in the history of American public television -- and the host who helped make it all happen.

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Michael W

This HBO documentary was alright. The entire crew did a pretty good job on making this documentary about Ellis Haizlip and the rise and fall of the talk show Soul. It was pretty interesting to learn about what made the show so popular and what it represented to the fans. If you haven't seen this documentary, you might enjoy it. It wasn't very good, but not too bad.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

‪”Mr. Soul” is a fantastic documentary about a Nixon-era TV show (“Soul!”) not enough people know existed. The film unfurls so gracefully it reads as fiction. It is an attitude check-inspiring revelation of buried Black American culture along the lines of “Summer Of Soul.” The film holds up a mirror to American society today. Without explicitly calling it out it shows how closely the passive hate & active systemic racism that Nixon promised (in code) to his “silent majority” 50 years ago parallels the white nationalism celebrated by the American Right today. The show itself was astounding for the talent assembled, the subjects confronted, the bold chances taken, the outfits, the backgrounds, & the visionary host of the show, Ellis Hailzlip. And the music. And the poetry. And the dance. The term “groundbreaking” does not do the show justice; mostly through archival footage the film conveys clearly that “Soul!” was far beyond anything seen on American television before or since. Brilliant. Recommended.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/22

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greg r

This thing is floating a 100% rating. What a joke. It's a couple of hours of zero entertainment. So much potential lost. None of the artists are given any time in the show. It's all just simply a movie trailer that lasts two hours. Dull. So so dull.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

A good storie with enjoyable characters, good music, and a interesting perspective about life and How It goes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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brent m

This excellent, informative and entertaining documentary about the NET (now PBS) series "Soul!" (1968-73) tells the captivating story about the first Afrocentric television show featured on a national network. As a showcase for Black talent, this groundbreaking program introduced the public to an array of rising stars in music, literature, poetry, dance, acting and activism, as well as prominent African-American figures in the arts, sports and politics. It gave the Black community a much-needed voice and paved the way for future Black programming, especially the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Arsenio Hall (who was himself featured on the show as a teenager). But, in addition to paying homage to the show, "Mr. Soul!" presents a fitting tribute to its creator and host, Ellis Haizlip, an openly gay African-American man (a genuinely rare commodity 50 years ago). His vision for the show, both in terms of celebrating the Black community and raising the bar for television quality, was truly radical and innovative for its time -- or virtually any time in broadcast history for that matter. Those who have never heard of Haizlip or "Soul!" owe it to themselves to see this superb release, now available for online streaming.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Uplifting vibrant with some of the best musical footage I've ever seen.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Melissa Haizlip

Director

Samuel D. Pollard

Director

Blair Underwood

Narrator

Melissa Haizlip

Writer

Blair Underwood

Executive Producer

Melissa Haizlip

Producer

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Chris Vognar

San Francisco Chronicle

"Mr. Soul!" is like a wrinkle in time, a time capsule that needed to be opened. In uncovering rare gold, it's a film that reminds us just how much we don't know.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 29, 2021

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Variety

"Mr. Soul!" is an enthralling testament to a show that was so far ahead of its time it now looks like a bulletin. One that hasn't aged a day.

Dec 16, 2020

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Richard Brody

New Yorker

An enthralling and illuminating documentary...

Sep 7, 2020

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Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

Director Melissa Haizlip brings a justified admiration to this portrayal of her uncle, who would now be in his 90s.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 11, 2021

Full Review

Douglas Davidson

CLTure

Mr. Soul! is an effulgent and joyous celebration of the life-changing public broadcasting program. ... Imagine for a moment what pop culture might be like without Questlove and you may have a small sense of what things would be like without SOUL!.

Rated: 4.5/5

Mar 2, 2021

Full Review

Armond White

National Review

Stuck between race entertainment and race dissent, as if radicalism is a public service, Mr. Soul is merely the latest example showing how documentaries have become a radical underground industry.

Feb 27, 2021

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Synopsis

The history of the PBS series, from its creation through its eventual loss of funding.

Director: Melissa Haizlip, Samuel D. Pollard
Executive Producer: Blair Underwood
Screenwriter: Melissa Haizlip
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2021

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