Must-See: Baz Lurhmann's Funky Netlix Leap of Faith in The Get Down

From left: Jaden Smith, Tremaine Brown Jr., Skylan Brooks, Justice Smith, and Shameik Moore. Courtesy of Netflix.

In the pilot for The Get Down, this summer's Netflix show about the 1970s New York music boom, a character leaps from one rooftop to another, a stolen record in his hand and brick and mortar crumbling beneath his feet. The moment speaks to the artistic leap taken by co-creator Baz Luhrmann, who, with this series, applies his musical-maestro skills to the small screen--and the black experience--for the first time. Teaming with TV bigwig Shawn Ryan (The Shield), the director delivers an urban iteration of Dazed and Confused, but this time the hip-huggers are struck with neon sheen and joined by mirrorball reflections. Featuring rising stars Justice Smith (Paper Towns), Shameik Moore (Dope), and Jaden Smith, The Get Down taps into the underground music scenes that went on to shape mainstream culture, from the disco clubs promoting the singer poised to become the next Donna Summer to the titular Bronx-based party, where Grandmaster Flash (Mamoudou Athie) helps ignite the hip-hop movement. Luhrmann's key gift here is curiosity. While adding catchy spins on Shakespearean prose to the story's dialogue, he lets his camera follow the infectious beats and sexual fluidity of the era (Smith plays a graffiti artist whose male attractions lead him into the drag world). The result: a fresh, modern take on nostalgia that's gritty, poetic, and super-fly.

The Get Down premieres August 12 on Netflix.

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