Episode Guide
Living Black F***k School White Gang Priviledge New Jesus Outside The Box Kill Your Master Trigger Warning With Killer Mike is one of the best named documentaries I’ve come across in quite some time. Promoting a black agenda while weaving a surprisingly coherent and profound message about community and coming together, this is the sort of series you’ll either love or really, really hate. Aside from one controversial message around telling youngsters not to shoot for the stars and to set realistic targets, Killer Mike comes out swinging with a funny, thought provoking look at some of America’s biggest problems. While it doesn’t always hit the mark and some of the comedy is a little subjective, especially with the way it stirs up racial controversy, for the most part the documentary does well to keep the comedy and history consistent throughout. Step forward Killer Mike, a man known for his rap career and dabbling a little in activism, here to bring the world together…by pushing a black agenda and challenging conventional viewpoints. At face value, this is the sort of documentary that looks to further alienate the same groups he’s looking to bring together but behind this facade is a surprisingly deep and effective message at work. From challenging the perception of a white Jesus Christ to trying to live exclusively on black community-made products, Killer Mike takes us on a winding journey through some of America’s biggest challenges and taboos. Each episode begins with a quotation from a famous artist before a face to face with Mike as he tells us what’s on the agenda for this episode. From here, we follow his journey across Georgia and the greater area of America as he challenges conventional thinking and discusses ways to improve and change the current systems in place. A clever use of humour woven throughout and recurring jokes around a man named Mario are consistently well-placed and keep the tone light despite the hard hitting nature of some of these viewpoints. In terms of production value and camera work, there really isn’t much here that hasn’t been done elsewhere. Trigger Warning follows a very conventional way of shooting with its combination of handheld cameras and face to face interviews. The welcome inclusion of some of America’s history is a nice touch though and combined with a few interesting facts, give you a reason to keep watching through to the end. Split across 6 episodes, Trigger Warning is certainly an accurate name for this documentary and it’s likely to spark controversy and in some people toward the cultural agenda Mike has. A clever use of humour and some genuinely thought provoking questions about American society give this a much softer approach than it may well have had without it. If you can take to the first episode and find the humour is to your taste, stick around. For everyone else, Killer Mike’s new documentary may not be your cup of tea.
