The Get Down

Set against the cracked sidewalks and neon glare of late 1970s New York, The Get Down follows a tight knit group of aspiring artists in the South Bronx as they chase music, dreams, and the promise of something better. Ezekiel Figuero, Shaolin Fantastic, Mylene Cruz, Ra-Ra Kipling and their friends juggle poverty, police presence, and the dangers of street life while turning club nights and makeshift stages into proving grounds for their evolving art. The series blends a vivid period sensibility with a kinetic, almost theatrical energy, letting the sounds of funk, disco, and the birth of hip hop rise from the sidewalks to speakers and dance floors. It's a portrait of beginnings, resilience, and how a community forges identity through sound. By weaving live performances into the narrative, the show makes the audience feel the bass and brass as if you were in the room.

Directed by Baz Luhrmann and released by Netflix in 2016, The Get Down brings Luhrmann's signature cinematic musical flair to a late 70s New York story. The ensemble follows young performers trying to turn their art into a future amid upheaval.

The Get Down did not win major awards, but its ambitions earned attention from critics and fellow creators for its audacious visuals and musical scope. The production underscored a desire to fuse theater, period drama, and street culture into a single sweeping narrative.

Its bold depictions of the early hip hop era and the era's fashion and dance left a visible imprint on how the period is treated in contemporary TV and film. The show sparked conversations about authenticity, performance, and the blend of music and cinema.

Critics praised the series energy and Luhrmann's flair while noting uneven pacing and character arcs. At its core The Get Down asks how dreamers survive systems that push back and how community, ambition, and art can transform a city in crisis.