Netflix is often championed as the go-to place for true crime and real-life documentaries, but that doesn’t mean that other streaming services don’t also offer must-watch moves in the genre.
Case in point, Aftershock just arrived on Hulu and the feature-length documentary is receiving rave reviews. In fact, based on its critical reception it’s making a strong case for a spot on our roundup of the best movies on to stream this week.
What is Aftershock about?
Aftershock tells the true stories of two bereaved fathers who galvanize activists, birth workers and physicians in the wake of losing their partners due to preventable complications during childbirth.
The two men, and their grieving families, aim to take on one of the most pressing problems in American society today: The U.S. maternal health crisis. The documentary also looks at common postpartum issues and broader problems within the American medical system as a whole.
The issue of systemic racism, and how that impacts the treatment received by Black patients, is also placed at the center of this documentary with some uncomfortable trues dolled out. The movie is directed by Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee and initially premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2022.
What do critics say about Aftershock?
Aftershock has been extremely well received by critics, the documentary currently scores 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with several outlets lavishing praise on the film and its important message.
Lisa Kennedy of Variety was seriously impressed with Aftershock: “Directors Tonya Lewis Lee and Paula Eiselt deliver a vital and moving documentary that shows the lives behind shameful statistics."
Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com praised the doc calling it “an eye-opening and alarming documentary," while The Hollywood Reporter’s Lovia Gyarkye was similarly impressed, saying Aftershock is “a distressing portrait of Black maternal mortality in the United States.”
Should you stream Aftershock?
The short answer is absolutely you should. Between the documentary's important subject matter, and its glowing reviews there’s really no reason to skip this one. If you’re a Hulu subscriber then you should be adding Aftershock to your watchlist asap.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a new true crime doc to watch, then Netflix has you covered. My Daughter’s Killer is a new movie that focuses on a father’s quest for justice against the man who murdered his daughter. It’s a pretty harrowing watch and just leaped into the Netflix top 10 most-watched list earlier this week.
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