Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Netflix's 'Barry' Will Make You Even More Bummed About Obama Leaving White House
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 21, 2016
Modified Dec 21, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 21, 2016
Modified Dec 21, 2016
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last week, along with the surprise series The OA, Netflix dropped a movie about Barack Obama, called Barry. I didn't rush to watch this, because I didn't expect it to be very good — it's possible recent shows like The Get Down and Vinyl have turned me off "Old New York" period productions, as they often come off as era caricatures. There was also the fear that a Netflix Original movie on such a wonderful and complex man would be reductive, to say the least.
It may be the timing of it all, and the strong desire to mentally escape the Trumpocalypse via focusing on the good people in the world, but I enjoyed it. It doesn't dive too deep, but it gives you a snapshot of this man—and the obstacles he overcame—during his time at Columbia University, starting in 1981. It's a movie that will show you how character gets built.
With that in mind, taking a 1 hour and 44 minute dive into the story of a good human, who has done good things, who is about to leave us (against his own will) in the hands of Evil, might make you cry, tremble, and scream. The entire time I watched Barry a second reel was playing in my head, a movie about Donald Trump during his formative years, showing how a man so opposite in nature of Barack Obama had come to be. If Obama was being tested, educated, and trying to understand the world and others while overcoming his own struggles, Trump was being manufactured in a privileged incubator of greed, narcissism, and grotesque materialism. While Obama was living in a rundown building on 109th Street, Trump was building his Dark Tower on 5th Avenue, and that distinction alone is a perfect visual contrast of the two men.
The movie, smoothly directed by Vikram Gandhi, focuses on Obama's life in 1980s New York, where he's attending Columbia University; it's there that we see him experience racism, contemplate who he is, chain smoke, attend parties, struggle with the death of his father in Kenya, bond with his mother, and date. Screenwriter Adam Mansbach's intention is simply to give you an idea of who he was before he became President, and it succeeds there; even if it never feels too profound, you'll feel connected. A huge part of why this film is watchable is 100% because of its star, Devon Terrell, who delivers the most incredible performance, even beyond his perfect vocal impression.
It's worth a watch, but again be warned: Barry felt like a Goodbye To All That, in which the All That is decency in the White House.
Tagged
barack obama
barry
netflix
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City
What do you see when you record the whole of the boroughs?
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 5, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. ET
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
It's a busy month at the branches.
By
Alec Hamilton
Arts & Entertainment
Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries
It's a busy month at the branches.
By
Alec Hamilton
NYC music in October: The Strokes, a Blink-182 cover band, and Polish experimentalism
By
Hank Shteamer
Are you a New Yorker? The Department of New Yorker Verification will now decide.
By
Hannah Frishberg
In the mood for a pastoral autumn experience? Try Queens.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .