‘Genius: MLK/X’ Review: NatGeo Series Triumphs With Bold, Ambitious Take on 2 Civil Rights Icons

Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre star in a dual portrait of the lives and parallels of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X

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Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Martin Luther King Jr. and Aaron Pierre as Malcolm X in "Genius: MLK/X."

Exploring the life of one great person whose impact is universally undeniable has been the formula for National Geographic’s anthology series “Genius” since its Albert Einstein-centered launch in 2017. With its fourth installment, that formula has been shaken up with a dual portrait of two men who largely defined the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, leaving behind both a legacy and intrigue that persists to this day.

Flipping conventional tendencies to pit Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X against each other, “Genius: MLK/X” —guided by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Hollywood husband-and-wife duo Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Woman King”) and Reggie Rock Bythewood (“Swagger”) as executive producers — explores the many parallels in both their personal lives and activist callings.

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