With Alex Wheatle, McQueen incorporates a heavy dose of music to compliment the main character's creative interests, yet there are several quiet moments that require patience from the audience. Related: Shaun Parkes & Malachi Kirby Interview: Small Axe Alex Wheatle is essentially a character study about a man's evolution from a timid observer into a passionate and active participant in local protests, most notably after the 1981 New Cross massacre, in which 13 Black youths died in a mysterious house fire. Alex WheatleĪlex Wheatle won't be as popular as Education in the long run, but its filmmaking is more inventive and centers on real events from the early '80s. Sheyi Cole portrays the title character, who begins the narrative in jail and subsequently reflects on his experiences as an immigrant in the Brixton region of London. Overall, McQueen fully succeeds with his narrative execution in Education, and there are several book references that will appeal to curious streamers. There's a science fiction element that bookends the narrative, but the storyline mostly locks into the titular concept and explains why the system is designed for Kingsley to fail, at least if he doesn't receive the appropriate assistance from people who genuinely want to help. However, the episode as a whole isn't necessarily cinematically dazzling, aside from some introspective scenes that feature little dialogue. It's a memorable moment, one that underlines the empathetic nature of the film. The thematic focus centers on the implication that West Indian students somehow lower the educational standards in England, and so various adults rally together for informal discussions about topics that aren't necessarily taught at the local schools.Įducation features one of the most heartbreaking sequences in McQueen's miniseries, as Kingsley sobs after struggling to read for his mother. Unfortunately, he's removed from his school due to a low IQ, and sent to a new institution that doesn't provide a meaningful education. EducationĪs the fifth and final Small Axe episode, Education closes out the Amazon Prime miniseries with a message of hope. Kenyah Sandy stars as Kingsley Smith, an adolescent who dreams of being an astronaut like Neil Armstrong. Here's our ranking of each installment in the Small Axe miniseries on Amazon Prime.
For the purpose of this list, we're assessing the overall filmmaking and why certain episodes have been more well-received than others.
For example, some viewers may find the most value in the depiction of cultural nuances, whereas others may favor the powerful stories over the technical aspects of the productions. Related: Steve McQueen: All Of The Director's Movies Ranked Worst To BestĮach of the Small Axe episodes displays McQueen's extraordinary writing/filmmaking abilities, and will naturally resonate differently with streamers. Most recently, McQueen wrote and directed the 2018 crime thriller Widows. In pop culture, Steve McQueen is best known for writing and directing 12 Years a Slave, a 2013 adaption of the eponymous 1853 slave memoir by Solomon Northup. The 2008 drama Hunger stars Michael Fassbender as Bobby Sands, a real-life member of the Provisional Irish Republican who led a 1981 hunger strike in jail, while the 2011 film Shame (also starring Fassbender) focuses on a man's sexual addiction and personal decline. McQueen tells visceral tales about the human condition.
As a whole, Small Axe focuses on the experiences of West Indian people who emigrated to England during the '60s and '70s. The Small Axe miniseries on Amazon Prime consists of five critically-acclaimed episodes, so which ones are the best (and why)? British filmmaker Steve McQueen directed each installment, with Alastair Siddons and Courttia Newland serving as his co-writers.
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