Consisting of three episodes—“We Gonna Ride It Out Like We Always Do” directed by Geeta Gandbhir; “Shelter of Last Resort” directed by Samantha Knowles; and “God Takes Care of Fools and Babies” directed by Spike Lee—this new documentary miniseries explores the New Orleans tragedy on its 20-year anniversary. (three approximately one-hour episodes)
Katrina: Come Hell and High Water
What’s it rated? TV-MA
What’s it worth, Anna? Full price
What’s it worth, Glen? Full price
Where’s it showing? Netflix
Glen: Hurricane Katrina killed 1,392 people and caused an estimated $125 billion in damages, but those statistics don’t have the impact of actual accounts of the survivors chronicled in this excellent Spike Lee-produced documentary. You might have heard about the horrors of the Superdome or the Convention Center; you may think you know about FEMA’s failures and President George W. Bush’s glib “Heckuva job, Brownie” praise for response that was anything but praiseworthy, but the real-life horror and trauma that people suffered comes alive in this engrossing and emotionally devastating miniseries. As President Trump threatens to axe FEMA, revisiting this tragedy is more important than ever.
Anna: We visited New Orleans a few years back. It is truly a special place—and what makes it so special is most certainly the residents. This documentary introduces us to those people, some who were just kids when Katrina happened, some who were adults doing all they could to keep their loved ones safe. The footage from that time is simply devastating, and I was reminded that it wasn’t necessarily the storm that caused so much destruction but the levees that broke after the high winds and rain had stopped. Come Hell and High Water makes us look straight into the face of how racial and class privilege literally decided who lived and who died, and see the increasingly deplorable actions (or lack thereof) taken by government officials. Katrina changed the city and the people of New Orleans 20 years ago, and it still has impacts today. This is a melancholy tribute to those who lived and died through it.
Glen: I think what’s frustrating for many of those interviewed is they don’t see that much has changed in 20 years. I loved hearing from all the artists and musicians who were interviewed, but I think the character who most stood out to me was Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, who assumed command of the Katrina Joint Task Force to restore order to New Orleans. While “leaders” like Bush were railing against crime and looting, Honoré, a Louisiana native, saw people trying to survive in impossible circumstances. He ordered local law enforcement and military personnel to lower their weapons instead of aiming them at desperate survivors. The documentary showed two period news photos of people in the floodwaters, and the caption under a Black person carrying food read that he was “looting,” while the caption under two white people said they were “finding” food. People doing the exact same thing. The difference? Skin color. Would we do better if Katrina happened today? I have my doubts.
Anna: Honoré certainly is a hero in this sad story—he’s a no-nonsense military man who bleeds and breathes compassion. Other players in the game don’t come off as likeable, like Mayor Ray Nagin, who deflected blame for not evacuating the city sooner, and Gov. Kathleen Blanco, who decreed to pray the pain away. When disaster strikes, the haves and the have-nots are on blatant display. It’s important to remind ourselves of this tragedy so that the next time a storm rolls our way, we do better. Expertly directed by a trio of filmmakers who know how to let the storytellers take the lead, this series reminds us all that we’re just one bad storm away from our lives being forever altered.
New Times Arts Editor Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Sep 11 – Sep 18, 2025.