User Reviews

In mid-December, AMPAS released the "shortlists" for nine Oscar categories, including the three short categories (doc, live action, and animated). I've followed the Academy Awards closely for most of my life, but--and I think this is true of most people, including even the AMPAS voting members-- the shorts have always been a blind spot for me. Having some spare time over the holidays and seeing that many of the contenders were available through streaming, I decided to get a jump start.

While doing my initial search of AFTER MARIA, I saw that it had a 4.5 user score on IMDb. I saw the subject matter--strong women, Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria--and assumed there was probably some strong Trumpian resentment swaying that vote. I had just spent three days over the holidays with my Trump-loving, tribalist, very conservative, very racist father-in-law prior to seeing this movie, and when it was over, I couldn't help but hear his angry voice providing very self-assured counterpoints to what I had just seen. "Well, what kind of jobs did they have in Puerto Rico? Why weren't they looking for jobs? Unemployment is so low and they had free housing for a year; why couldn't they find jobs? What were they doing with all that time? They couldn't learn enough English to make a phone call? They couldn't be a little more proactive? They just want a handout? A natural disaster happens, and they come crying for Trump to buy them houses even though they hate him and hate the United States?"

To be clear, those are not at all my thoughts or opinions. However, after watching this film, I found myself wondering what position I would be in if I had watched it with someone who DID have those opinions. I would have nothing new to support myself with; I would be in a worse position than I would have been prior to seeing the film.

A documentary like this is the very definition of "preaching to the choir." This movie presupposes two very important things: 1) you understand the colonial history of Puerto Rico and realize the debt that the federal government owes to the island and 2) you believe that the government, for the good of society, has a responsibility to use taxpayer money to provide its citizens with services such as disaster relief. If you're an American who's not of Puerto Rican descent, then, very unfortunately, given the state of history education in our country, the odds are against you knowing #1. If you are a conservative and/or a libertarian, then you almost certainly feel very passionately against #2. The film provides minimal facts to educate viewers about #1, and it demonstrates nothing in support of a persuasive case for #2 aside from a rather facile belief in the possibilities of unconditional empathy. Showing people talking about earrings on FaceTime, celebrating birthday parties, and dancing in the streets while waving Puerto Rican flags is hardly a judicious use of 35 minutes of screen time if you're trying to persuade anyone to take public assistance seriously.

So I can assume that the filmmakers are assuming that their viewers will already know #1 and support #2, in which case, what is the purpose of this film? Without any specific call to action ("donate here..." "call this number to voice your concern..." "do this to help..."), the filmmakers preach to the choir but then fail to mobilize them toward any coordinated, meaningful action. Some of the interactions between the women are interesting--the girl's story is sad, and one of the women comes across as especially resilient and levelheaded--but, truth be told, they're not interesting enough (as seen on camera here) to justify this tepid film.

A government, if it's to have any worthwhile purpose at all, does have a responsibility to provide social services to its citizens. I don't begrudge paying taxes because I enjoy things like sidewalks, libraries, museums, trash collection, the meteorological service, postal service, etc., etc. I don't begrudge paying taxes because I believe a community in which EVERY person has easy access to quality education, health care, shelter, entertainment, and basic necessities is a society that is healthier, safer, happier, smarter, and more prosperous for EVERYONE. Puerto Ricans are United States citizens and should be treated with dignity. Unfortunately, this film is a huge misfire.

When I clicked to add my review to IMDb, I was expecting to see some screeds from Trump supporters. I was surprised to see that most of the negative reviews appear to be coming from other Puerto Ricans. Better documentaries with similar aims are out there, but this isn't one of them.

Fake! Garbage! Totally waste of time! It does not represent the reality that we live in Puerto Rico with Hurricane Maria.

This is an embarassing for the people of PR, those who worked to move forward, those who didnt get a cent from FEMA because of how rigged is the system and bacause of leeches like the ones shown in this documentary. A whole year living in a FEMA paid hotel and didnt bother to work or do something, in hopes of living for free for life. What a shame.

Out of the thousands of stories that could've been used to portray life after Maria.....from people actually in Puerto Rico.....this movie decides to follow a storyline completely unattached to the reality of the situation in Puerto Rico. The title of the movie needs to definitely be changed to After FEMA.

Feels like the director chose the laziest way possible to get this movie done.

Please remove this documentary, is the biggest offense and missrepresentation of us and our culture and the real issues that puertorrican underwent while staying in Puerto Rico after the hurricane.

This cant be called a Documentary. A documentary consisting of, derived from, or relating to documents. presenting factual material . This looks cheaply made, too short , no content and diffidently lack of research. Please find the real story from the front line individuals who experienced the full force of before and after the Hurricane. Please remove from this one-side story from Netflix.

Watching After Maria on Netflix: A total cherry-picked misrepresentation, packing an agenda, of the real struggles of Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria. They could have done so much with that title. Instead, they just picked a small amount of families (who kinda seems they were not doing much for their situation) to represent the MILLIONS of people who either stayed in the island to confront the struggles or the ones who left and made lives in the states through hard work. Thumbs Down!👎

I can't believe that some people have the nerve to call these women junkies and lazy. They literally had their home destroyed, and had to move to a completely different place where they knew no English and had no relatives to go to (with the exception of the family in Orlando that they couldn't stay with because they were already packed taking care of sick family). So, yeah of course it's going to be hard for them to get back on their feet, that is what fema is supposed to help with. Instead, fema just gave them a smudge of hope by placing them in hotels with electricity, water and ac, and then just took it right back and threw them in homeless shelters !!!That is what happened after Maria, and unfortunately it's a true story for some Puerto Rican's. Not all of them, but if you're mad that it's not your story that was represented here, then go find a filmmaker and tell them yours instead of bashing others for having a different story than yours.

Unrealistic!

Very, very far from what we went through in the island.

So clear director is way out of touch.

Cant believe Netflix, prime show this garbage, this does not represent us puertorricans. 3 families that are wealfare junkies and uneducated is not Puerto Rico. Shame, shame

Not even close to the reality we lived. It's a shame. Incomplete and lack of information. Not what I expected al all !

This was definitely created to encourage hate against the people of Puerto Rico.

This is a touching story of three women who were forced to leave the island when FEMA condemned their house TWO MONTHS AFTER THE STORM. There are over three million post-Maria stories and this comprehends three. It is not the film's fault that it doesn't portray every aspect of this terrible natural disaster (that I, a non-Puerto Rican permanent resident) lived through. It does briefly but pointedly signal some of the failures of the U.S. government in providing adequate support, both on the island and for those who felt that they could survive better in Orlando or NYC. (Full electricity was not restored for more than SIX MONTHS.) The devastation and the failures of the federal government are documented in a number of videos. There are also uplifting stories in the midst of suffering posted on sites such as Facebook. Each one does not have to, and should not try to, do everything. It's only 37 minutes. Watch it to gain another perspective of the greatest natural disaster in the history of the United States, and judge for yourself.

I found this documentary really important for me to see as a fellow American who is very far removed from the situation.

I had tried writing more before my tablet lost it all, to try to educate the naysayers about the realities of welfare and homelessness. But I don't think I'll waste more of my time. Many of the other critiques have made me very angry and very sad, on top of how angry and sad I was for the people depicted in this film.

But to the folks in the film and others in similar situations, just know there are many like me who see you, and who would like to help, just as we would like help were we to be in the same situation, as can too easily happen. My love and best to you from an internet stranger. Ustedes estan fabulosas.