FIGHT NIGHT: THE MILLION DOLLAR HEIST
Starring: Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, Don Cheadle, Terrence Howard, Sinqua Wall, Myles Bullock, Michael James Shaw, Dexter Darden, Jalyn Hall, Chloe Bailey, and David Banner
Creator: Shaye Ogbonna
AMARÚ
Fight Night is a fantastic piece of entertainment with a perfectly cast ensemble: Kevin Hart fast-talking his way through shit, Samuel L. Jackson yelling as only he can, Terrence Howard playing the smooth-ass right hand man, and Taraji P. Henson and Don Cheadle acting circles around everyone else. Damn near every well-known black actor, young and old, character or star, black-famous or otherwise, is in this (props to Dexter Darden for putting his stamp on the often-portrayed Muhammad Ali), and they add serious comedic, dramatic, and kinetic gravitas to make this heist series a well-oiled, thoroughly riveting, all-star packed thrill ride.
QUENTIN
Fight Night is the most entertaining series of the year. Although the heist and cast — hot damn, what a cast! — are the main draw, there is much more going on underneath the pitch-perfect 70s aesthetic as it effectively explores both black-on-black and white-on-black racial tensions of the era. Plus, it’s riveting as a cat-and-mouse police procedural, it's compelling as a mob drama, and it features a razor-sharp script with often hilarious banter and a groovy soundtrack. Add in several awards-worthy performances, none more deserving than Taraji P. Henson (even Kevin Hart refuses to phone it in), dare I say… it’s a knockout. That’s no jive, either.
