Dark City: Beneath the Beat
Excellent docu on Baltimore club scene; positive messages.
Dark City: Beneath the Beat
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Dark City: Beneath the Beat is a 2020 documentary centered on the unique culture and individuals who comprise Baltimore's club music scene. There are many positive messages and role models, as many of the subjects interviewed are working to highlight the musicians, dancers, performers, producers, and community activists who are trying to create something positive in a city that's often known for its problems. The director of the documentary, TT the Artist, has also started a music label that seeks to provide a larger platform for artists of color, particularly women of color. In terms of content, there's frequent profanity, especially "f--k" and "bitch," and the "N" word is infrequently used. A trans person discusses how they were called homophobic slurs growing up. Brief shot of someone vaping and someone holding a beer bottle. Archival aural news footage on the death of Freddie Gray. Song lyrics reference violence and homicide.
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What's the Story?
DARK CITY: BENEATH THE DARK shines a light on the thriving and unique Baltimore club music scene. Through interviews with dancers, musicians, producers, locals, and community activists, the documentary takes a look at the clubs, events, and individuals who have helped to make this particular scene something special, and worthy of notice outside of Baltimore. The director of the movie, TT the Artist, discusses her time in Baltimore, and how her move to Los Angeles is both a way for her to continue pursuing her musical career and a way to get her record label that's dedicated to highlighting the work of female musicians of color, Club Queen Records, a wider audience. Through dance contests, music video interludes, DJs, and activists working with kids to inspire them to find confidence in themselves and a safe space from the streets, Dark City: Beneath the Beat shows an uplifting side to Baltimore culture.
Is It Any Good?
This is a wonderful documentary on a unique club music scene. Dark City: Beneath the Beat takes us inside Baltimore's thriving and too-often overlooked dance and club music world, and how those who have shaped and participated in it are immensely talented and fiercely devoted to their hometown. It's a brief documentary that manages to reveal so much about its recent history, what it has meant and means to those who have taken part in it, and the ambitions many have who want to see these performers and this culture find a wider audience, beyond the city limits of Baltimore. It's inspired and inspiring, creative and thoughtful, and offers a comprehensive view of what Baltimoreans of color have and continue to contend with, and how art offers a positive antidote in the midst of difficult times.
One of the bigger challenges for documentaries centered on a local community is to find a way to make the documentary something of interest for those who know very little about the community or city. Dark City: Beneath the Beat doesn't have that problem. Yes, there is very much a local focus on a specific region and culture, and that helps to make this an enjoyable viewing for those who want to learn about how things are in places that are new and unfamiliar to the viewer, but there's a broader dynamic at work throughout. The larger message shows the power of art and creative expression to liberate individuals and communities from difficulties from within to provide a voice for those to express their experiences. This documentary strikes a perfect balance between the local and global, and is edifying, provocative, and engaging from beginning to end.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the positive messages in Dark City: Beneath the Beat. How could this documentary inspire change in other cities?
Who are some of the positive role models in this documentary? What makes them positive role models?
How does this movie show the power of art to transform communities for the better?
Movie Details
- In theaters: April 15, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: April 15, 2021
- Cast: Michael Antonio Hunter
- Director: TT the Artist
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Documentary
- Topics: Arts and Dance, Music and Sing-Along
- Run time: 65 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: February 19, 2023
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