Common Sense Media Review
By Monique Jones
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sobering docu about violent history of policing in the U.S.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Power
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
POWER offers a close look at the history of policing in the United States. It lays out policing's roots in protecting those in the country who are rich and White and how policing took shape as a way to control, suppress, or eliminate perceived threats—including enslaved Black people and their descendants, Native Americans, immigrants, and economically disadvantaged people (White and non-White alike). The archival scenes of policing throughout the ages offer a comprehensive picture of how the violent history of this institution continues to exist within a racist and, in some ways, fascist, framework.
Is It Any Good?
This documentary is a very pointed wake-up call to viewers, demanding that they get a clear picture of the realities of policing in the United States. The country's relationship with the police will be perceived and described differently depending on who you talk to: The reality for a White male will certainly differ from the reality for a Black male. Director Yance Ford's Power gets to the root of why that's the case—and, like many alarming things, once you see it, you can't unsee it.
Power wants viewers to be haunted by what they've seen. It wants us to use that feeling as a conduit for change. Many Americans want a country in which everyone is treated equally and no one is treated unfairly because of their race or station in life. But in order to get to that kind of reality, Power demands that we listen to and understand the history of violence inherent in policing. Through archival footage, images from more recent police shootings, interviews with historians, and first-hand accounts from a Black police officer and an Indian American man who was a victim of New York's Stop and Frisk policy, viewers learn about the damage the U.S. police system has done. The result Ford wants is that his viewers will rise up and demand a better society. With what Power has to show, outcry is the only way to react.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the history of policing, as laid forth in Power. How did policing in the United States start? How has it changed?
Who tend to be the victims of policing in the United States? What does the film say we can—and should—do about that?
Why is the protection of property central to policing? Why does policing suppress protests?
Should documentaries strive to be objective? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 10, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : May 17, 2024
- Cast : Wesley Lowery , Elizabeth Hinton , Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
- Director : Yance Ford
- Inclusion Information : Queer Movie Director(s) , Transgender Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Activism , History
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Empathy
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : language and some violent content
- Last updated : April 13, 2026
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