NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½

Spike Lee’s congeniality, storytelling gifts, and passion for his hometown are evident across NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½, his eight-part, 7.5-hour documentary about how New York City has responded to twice being the world’s focal point for disasters nearly 20 years apart. Featuring an astonishing number of interviewees, many of them heroes from the Black community, Lee spices up the talks with bright on-screen text, humorous interjections, and requests for them to repeat key statements. And his use of archival footage, clips from famous films, and epic, NYC-centric classical music makes for a captivating, well-rounded experience.

Leading with a thorough chronicle of the COVID-19 pandemic and the misdeeds of President Agent Orange (as subject Busta Rhymes dubs him) that led to Donald Trump being voted out of office, Lee stumbles somewhat in his handling of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Perhaps intending to convey the day’s chaos, Lee presents an overly busy sequence of quickly edited, frequently juxtaposed clips with overlying informational text and the lyrics to Bruce Hornsby’s accompanying “The Way It Is,” creating a rare overwhelming experience — and not in a good way, as crucial information is missed in the storm.

The film rebounds with Episode Three’s deep dive into 9/11, the most focused, well-crafted, and emotionally rich two-hour stretch of the project. And though the last-minute cutting of conspiracy theorists results in a noticeably shorter fourth episode, Lee’s handling of the aftermath of the attacks remains plenty effective.

Grade: A-minus. Rated TV-MA. Available to stream via HBO Max

(Photo: HBO Films)