“Atlanta” matches method with message to sensational effect
The basic template in Donald Glover’s genre-bending drama is the fairy tale
AS HE DRIVES away from a coffee shop, Marshall Johnson (played by Justin Bartha) is trailed by a mysterious turquoise car. It pulls up at his house, he answers the door—and is served with a reparations claim. His ancestors were slave-owners and, amid a rippling restitution push, Marshall’s life unravels. Colleagues frantically take DNA tests to prove they are of blameless stock. “I’m Peruvian,” his estranged wife declares. “You were white yesterday,” he replies.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Once upon a time”
From the April 16th 2022 edition
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