Review: 'Becoming King'

I spend a lot of time surfacing stuff that might otherwise get lost in the never-ending tidal wave of content that premieres each week.

That curation effort is especially important during Black History Month, because it's common for a title with some connection to Black History Month to be released, with very little context about WHY you should watch it. Other than the fact that it highlights a Black story or performer.

Which is a shame, because there are some titles that would be worth making the time for even if they came out in November. But they aren't necessarily projects that scream "watch me!" at first glance.

I certainly felt that way based on the logline I saw from the new Paramount+ documentary Becoming King:

An emotional portrait of David Oyelowo’s journey to play the legendary civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in SELMA. Filmed by his wife Jessica Oyelowo and featuring behind-the-scenes footage, intimate home videos, and interviews with friends and mentors like Ava DuVernay, Lee Daniels, George Lucas, and Oprah Winfrey, the documentary follows David from his humble beginnings in Nigeria to the long, grueling road that led to the role of a lifetime and a destiny fulfilled.

That description framed the hour-long film as something that might be nice to watch on an otherwise boring night. But it certainly didn't convince me that I should go out of my way to make time for it.

But I'm glad I did, because Becoming King is a fascinating, sometimes heartbreaking story of Oyelowo’s seven-year struggle to play King in Selma. The film was resurrected more times than the average vampire and because his wife was filming the process, viewers get an intimate look at the actor's self-doubts, internal battles and just the distractions of life that threatened to derail the film more than once.



Even when Selma was finally ready to begin production, Oyelowo was dealt a personal blow that left him doubting whether or not he could continue with the film. But he obviously did, and watching Selma again after seeing Becoming King (it is also available on Paramount+), I had a new appreciation of what it took to get that story on the screen.

The documentary is filled with a number of really fascinating behind-the-scenes stories, including the incredibly improbable way that Oyelowo was introduced to Ava DuVernay. He brought her into the project after Lee Daniels had to bow out (a move that Daniels says broke his heart) and it was just one of the many strange twists of fate that resulted in Selma finally being made.



But Becoming King is also worth watching because it provides an intimate look at one of this generation's most under-appreciated actors. The film opens with Oyelowo revisiting the one-room apartment where his family grew up in Nigeria. It recounts his early career, including the very public complaints that came his way after he become the first man of color to play a King in the Royal Shakespeare Company. Oyelowo has struggled to build a career for himself and it's a story worth highlighting, no matter the month in which you watch it.

Becoming King is a must-watch if you are considering a re-watch of the stunning civil rights film Selma. But it's also worth watching to see the profile of an actor whose name you should know and whose work you should celebrate.

Becoming King is currently streaming on Paramount+