Sunday Best

Play trailer

Sunday Best

2023

1h 27m

Biography

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

99%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Watch on Netflix

Stream Now

Nina Metz

Chicago Tribune

A fine effort that explores Sullivan’s commitment to pushing back against network forces, sponsors and other interested parties who were opposed to the presence — the celebration, really — of Black people on the show.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 14, 2025

Full Review

David Fear

Rolling Stone

Sacha Jenkins’ invaluable documentary reappraises Sullivan’s legacy not as a TV pioneer -- that’s always been set in stone -- but as a show-don’t-tell social activist.

Aug 4, 2025

Full Review

Lisa Kennedy

New York Times

Illuminating and so entertaining, “Sunday Best” nevertheless elicits a mournful pang.

Jul 22, 2025

Full Review

Lapacazo Magrira Sandoval

New York Amsterdam News

What Jenkins unpacks here is nothing short of revelatory.

Aug 11, 2025

Full Review

Lee Zumpe

Tampa Bay Newspapers

This documentary is more than just a nostalgic walk down memory lane: [Sacha] Jenkins reminds us of the opposition Sullivan faced even at the height of his popularity.

Aug 10, 2025

Full Review

John Stark

Mac the Movie Guy

As a junkie for for documentaries about old Hollywood, this felt pretty comprehensive given the runtime. Though, I’ll lament the use of AI to recreate Ed Sullivan’s voice, and consider it distracting and unnecessary.

Rated: 80/100

Aug 9, 2025

Full Review

Read all reviews

Frank K

Absolute Must-See! - Best movie on Netflix. I would love to see it on the big screen - Great movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/11/25

Full Review

John Y.

A good history of the role Ed Sullivan played in providing a national stage for Black artists that otherwise wouldn’t be able to have such large exposure. However, sometimes the complete story wasn’t told. For instance, Bo Diddley was shown making his breakout performance on the Sullivan show. What wasn’t mentioned is that this was his only performance on the show because Ed banned him for life because he didn’t play the song that Ed was expecting him to play. But overall, some excellent material here.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/10/25

Full Review

Movie F.

I used to watch the Ed Sullivan show when growing up and had no idea how influential he was. Fantastic documentary with great music.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/07/25

Full Review

Marie G

Ed Sullivan, a man ahead of his time. A delightful, nostalgic evening of film viewing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/07/25

Full Review

M P

This doc is an intimate portrait and a celebration of music and cultural change. I highly recommend it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/07/25

Full Review

Phyllis E.

Great! Revealed a side of Ed Sullivan I’d never known.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/07/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Sacha Jenkins

Director

Ed Sullivan

Self

Rafael Marmor

Producer

Margo Precht Speciale

Producer

Chris Leggett

Producer

Peter Bittenbender

Producer

View more photos

Director: Sacha Jenkins
Producer: Rafael Marmor, Margo Precht Speciale, Chris Leggett, Peter Bittenbender, Mark Monroe
Distributor: Netflix
Genre: Biography, Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 21, 2025
Runtime: 1h 27m

Most Popular at Home Now