Reviews & Quotes | Always In Season

Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO) | Reviewed by Monique Threatt, Indiana University, Herman B Wells Library
"This engaging albeit tragic documentary delves into America’s ugly history of criminal lawlessness, and the uncivilized twisted psyche exhibited in lynching people of color. [...] I recommend this documentary to adults interested in, or studying American and African American History, Criminal Justice, Psychology, and Sociology."

Library Journal
"A soulful, blistering look into the shameful heart of America’s legacy of public lynchings of African Americans by white citizens ... Though tough to watch, Season is important viewing that promises, as one of the reenactors says while wiping tears from her face, to keep the issue 'in the light.'"

"Thought-provoking film that opens the door for discussions on racial issues, the criminal justice system, and African American history"

Films for the Feminist Classroom | Reviewed by Leah Christiani
"Always in Season [...] forces viewers to reconcile with uncomfortable facts and consider how historical narratives shape contemporary injustices."

The New York Times
"The documentary Always in Season makes a powerful case that the history of lynching in the American South is not just history — that murders still haunt the present-day sites where they occurred, and that such killings can and do happen today."

IndieWire
"Combining observational footage with first-person testimonies and expert insights, Jacqueline Olive’s Always in Season is the first feature documentary to spotlight recent grassroots efforts to acknowledge the victims of lynching, repair the damage, and reconcile. The film explores the lingering impact of the lynchings of African Americans from over a century, and connects this form of historic racial terrorism to racial violence today."

Variety
"Archival materials offer details of the gruesome past, and interviews and present-day reporting are nicely counterbalanced by moments of visual poetry that capture the lyrical aspects of rural Southern life — even as we suss out its less-than-sweet side."

BLACKFILM
"Jacqueline Olive’s unwavering debut film puts Lacy’s pursuit for justice into a wider historical context, inspiring a powerful discussion about lynching across racial lines … Olive’s film honors and acknowledges the injustices that have been inflicted, while emphasizing that only through the uncomfortable conversations and acceptance of our nation’s history will we begin to heal together."

Filmmaker Magazine
"The entire experience is haunting, difficult and necessary, a depiction of an America that we think of as relegated to the past but that continues to encroach on the present."

AFROPUNK
"With a background in journalism, Olive is factual and to the point. As a filmmaker, she is passionate and unwavering. While Ms. Olive’s debut feels like an instant success, it is a labor of love that took nearly ten years to make. The film is tough but necessary."

The Hollywood Reporter
"Infuriating and eye-opening"

Screen Daily
"An artful, deeply felt documentary"

Vox
"Unforgettable"

RogerEbert.com
"A nuanced, layered reminder of how far we still have to go to correct the injustices of this country’s past and present."

Democracy Now!
"An exceptional documentary in every respect"