Artfully United (2026) Documentary Review: Inspiring but expositionary art-doc that doesn’t leave an impact

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Art doesn’t need to be explained, or if explained, should never be over-explained to a point where the meaning does not leave you with a sense of introspection. While this does not apply to all art, I personally believe that artists – no matter where they come from and what they want their art to represent – should not fall into the trap of exposition. Once you start describing what you create, you essentially take away the mystery and the power that they hold. The power that comes from letting the viewer form an opinion and meaning about the said art.

Dave Benner’s documentary “Artfully United” sadly falls into this category. It is a look at an inspiring artist in Mike Norice, but it is neither able to capture him in all his artistic glory, nor is it able to clearly conjure up a documentation that makes us feel close to him as an artist. Releasing as a celebration of Black History Month, the documentary captures Norice, a L.A. street artist, as he tries advocating his message of love, peace, harmony, and co-existence in the black neighbourhoods that he grew up in or knows about, through his series of murals that can be easily spotted on the streets of the city.

Through interactions with friends, family, and members of the community around Watts, CA, the documentary charts the life of Norice and how he rose to become an influential figure by pursuing the visual arts, despite growing up in the gang-filled streets of the hood. While the Mural Tour remains the centre of the narrative, we start from the time that Norice got his recognition – from designing custom-made sneaker art – in particular the popular Sonic the Hedgehog design – to eventually becoming one of the most sought-after artists who is not just known but respected around the Black community in L.A.

I understand that much of the point of this story being told in this manner is to show what Norice has done for the community and how important art is to the upliftment of a community in constant need of reminders and healers. Still, Benner’s worldview and that of Norice himself remain pretty opaque. Despite spending more than 90 minutes with him, the artist remains largely elusive, with his words and ideals feeling like they are self-promotional material offered to him by the filmmaker so that his real struggles, along with the meaning of his art form some form of bridge.

I liked Norice’s art. The way he keeps the mural simple – the BYM Boy who has a unique, untainted, and gentle view about the world that can be defined in just a few words – Smile, Forgiveness, Hope, etc are all pretty captivating. However, Norice, as a person, feels largely at arm’s length. When he is narrating his upbringing, living homeless with his mother and sister being the only loving people to sail him through, you don’t feel invested. In fact, I was more intrigued and interested in his sister’s struggle with his father – fighting the long fight to get him released from jail and then living with his schizophrenia. Her arc eventually forms into the more interesting parts of the documentary.

Even from a visual standpoint, “Artfully United” feels extremely standard. For a film about a visual artist, there’s not much artistry that goes behind the camera or in front of it. Which is why it remains an inspiring but expositionary art-doc that doesn’t leave an impact.