Family movie night? There's an app for that
Download our new mobile app on iOS and Android.
Free Meek
By Melissa Camacho,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Edgy, dramatic docu calls for criminal justice reform.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Free Meek
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
FREE MEEK is a documentary series about Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill, and the events that made him an outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform. In 2017 Mill, whose legal name is Robert Williams, was sent to prison to serve out a 2-4 year sentence by Pennsylvania judge Genece Brinkley after violating the terms of his extended probation by getting arrested several times. But Mill's defense attorneys argue that Mill's probation, which was handed down by Brinkley in 2008, is inappropriately long, and has kept him unfairly in the system. Meanwhile, a re-investigation into the 2008 conviction points to evidence that Mill's conviction is a result of corrupt police work, a lack of evidence, and unreliable witness testimony. They also allege that Genece Brinkley has exhibited an ongoing bias against their client throughout the ten years that she's been ruling on his case. The hope is that she is removed from the case, Mill's conviction is vacated, and that he is retried and found innocent of the original charges.
Is It Any Good?
This series serves as an interesting and emotional call for criminal justice reform to end the way it consistently works against members of the black and other underserved communities. It uses Meek Mill's well-publicized legal problems to document how minorities become trapped in the system, with little hope of ever truly getting out of it and improving their lives. Interviews with Mill, his family, and his defense attorneys, along with conversations with journalists, music industry insiders, and celebrities like political commentator Van Jones, and rapper and advocate Jay-Z, deconstruct the circumstances surrounding each stage of the rapper's on-going journey. Many of these discussions position these events within a larger context, underscoring how socioeconomic disadvantages, lack of mentorship, and standardized racism should be factored into fixing and equalizing the overall system.
But while these conversations are compelling, some may not appreciate the edgy rapper serving as the face of reform, or the characterization that his five parole violations (committed in a span of six years) were understandable given the situation he was in. Nonetheless, Free Meek's message succeeds in making you stop and think, and is a disturbing reminder of what can happen when a system purportedly designed to treat everyone equally and fairly, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or class, fails.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the reasons why people end up in the criminal justice system, often times for many years. What laws have to be changed in order to improve people's odds of getting out of the system and living better lives? What changes outside of the legal system have to be made in order to keep people out of prison?
Does Free Meek offer any points of view that do not support the idea that Meek Mill should be freed from the system? If so, how strong are those voices?
Is it necessary to include swear words in conversations in order to make a documentary seem authentic or to make a song more interesting? Why do some types of music tend to incorporate more curse words than others?
TV Details
- Premiere date: August 8, 2019
- Cast: Meek Mill
- Network: Amazon Prime Video
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 27, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate