Movie review
May 20, 2016 · 467 min · NR
Woke Score
Lower is better
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for O.J.: Made in America.
Woke representation / casting
Documentary uses real people, archival news footage, and contemporary interviews; no fictional casting or visible diversity quotas.
Woke political dialogue
Historical context on police brutality and racial distrust is presented through news clips and interviews as background for the 1995 trial; no modern activist slogans or lectures aimed at today’s audience.
Identity-driven story themes
Race is a core thread—how O.J. tried to transcend it, how it shaped his celebrity image, and how it influenced the trial’s public split; viewers clearly see this emphasis.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Strong focus on LAPD history of abuse toward Black communities, celebrity influence on justice, and media sensationalism; these critiques are tied directly to explaining the era’s events rather than broad modern ideological claims.
Review
O.J.: Made in America is a five-part ESPN documentary that traces O.J. Simpson’s rise from college football star to national celebrity, the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, his criminal trial and acquittal, and his later conviction for armed robbery. It places Simpson’s story inside the longer history of Los Angeles, showing decades of racial tension, police brutality against Black residents, and how those events shaped public reaction to the verdict. The film makes racial divisions and distrust of the justice system central to understanding why many viewers saw the acquittal as payback rather than a simple legal outcome.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant; the film presents documented history with added context, without altering known facts about Simpson or the trial.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Overwhelming acclaim and awards; very little reported backlash accusing it of pushing a woke agenda or identity politics; minor online comments about racial focus or runtime but no major campaigns.
Creator track record context
Director’s family civil-rights connections and preference for stories linking sports to race and society provide supporting context; most producers show no such pattern.
Production
