Becoming - Michelle Obama's Netflix documentary review

5.0
Score

Directing

Final Verdict

While the movie is only a snapshot of the story she tells in her autobiography, it is still nice representation of her as a person.

Join former first lady Michelle Obama in an intimate documentary looking at her life, hopes, and connection with others as she tours with her Becoming.

The new Netflix Originals document Becoming had its premiere on 6th of May 2020. It is directed by Award-winning director Nadia Hallgren and gives a unique view on the life of former first lady Michelle Obama.

Becoming – official trailer

Becoming – Michelle Obama’s Netflix documentary review

The autobiography Becoming, released in 2018 has sold more than 10 million copies by March 2019. In fact, it sold more copies than any other book published in the United States in 2018 and it broke this record in just 15 days! Needless to say, Michelle Obama didn’t need Netflix for promotion, and yet this documentary is out. You may wonder why?

It is certainly interesting, especially if you’ve read the book already, to see and hear Obama in action, while on her book tour. The charismatic, smily, fun, interesting, smart, and unique Michelle is someone many would love to meet and would aspire to be like.

While the movie is only a snapshot of the story she tells in her autobiography, it is still a nice representation of her as a person. You get to hear the main talking points of the countless interviews she gave, while on a book tour. Instantly, you get the positive vibes coming from her. Her wise and interesting ideas inspire many people.

In this documentary, you can briefly see some of the important people in Michelle’s life – Barack, her daughters, some of her close family, friends, and staff working for her.

While the documentary is 1.5h long, it passes by in no time. The charisma of the former First Lady shines through. It is interesting to watch and it might be inspirational to many.

Having read the book beforehand, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of a disappointment, given by the lack of depth in the story. The book is definitely more insightful and deeper.

I’m not exactly sure why Netflix produced this documentary. Surely, the Obama name would give enough publicity, so that it gets watched. However, if you really want to get to know Michelle Obama, you should definitely read the book. And the movie…well, you can watch it too, as a dessert. Treat it more like a ‘complimentary material’ rather than a full-blown documentary about Obama’s life though