‘Aftershock’ shakes critics: ‘Eye-opening and alarming documentary’ spotlights U.S. maternal mortality rate among Black women
A new Hulu documentary called “Aftershock” was released on July 19, following two bereaved fathers who rouse activists, birth-workers and physicians after their spouses pass away due to preventable childbirth complications. Directed and produced by Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee, “Aftershock” boasts an incredible 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. Watch the trailer above and find out what critics are saying below.
Per the film synopses from Hulu, we witness two families become ardent activists in the maternal health space, seeking justice through legislation, medical accountability, community, and the power of art. Their work introduces us to a myriad of people including a growing brotherhood of surviving Black fathers, along with the work of midwives and physicians on the ground fighting for institutional reform. Through their collective journeys, we find ourselves on the front lines of the growing birth justice movement that is demanding systemic change within our medical system and government.
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Nick Allen of rogerebert.com calls it “an eye-opening and alarming documentary about a health issue for Black women in America, who have a history of higher maternal mortality rates as seen in countless stories of hospital negligence.” He later goes on to state that we learn an unfortunate history that is not taught at schools (or is glossed over if it is) and that “the result is a triumphant birthing scene of earned tears, showing what greatness comes from care, and how the overall industry has a lot more work to do for Black women.”
Natalia Keogan of Paste Magazine praises “Aftershock” for the emphasis placed upon “the filmmakers’ commitment to the human faces behind this epidemic.” “While viewers may have expected a sobering, somber account of Black maternal mortality, the visceral impact of the human lives lost is the very first takeaway the directors impart on the audience.” Keogan hopes that the documentary results in the saving of lives in the future and “immortalizes two mothers whose deaths never should have occurred, giving space for the innumerable victims of this crisis to similarly take action and memorialize those they’ve lost to senseless medical racism.”
Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter states that the documentary’s “greatest achievement is its refusal to peddle in hopelessness.” This emphasis on hope for the future is matched by the conclusion which is “a powerful reminder that if Black lives matter then Black wombs must matter, too.”
Catalina Combs of blackgirlnerds.com might have the best soundbite stating that the documentary “toppled preconceived notions and took me out of the bubble I was living in.” The review goes on to state that “Aftershock” “succeeds in revealing what’s wrong and highlighting what you can do about it. “It shakes and moves you, which is the mark of a great documentary.”
“Aftershock,” an Original Documentary from Onyx Collective and ABC News, premiered July 19th on Hulu.
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