Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

2020 Directed by George C. Wolfe

It would be an empty world without the blues.

Tensions rise when the trailblazing Mother of the Blues and her band gather at a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Adapted from August Wilson's play.

Viola Davis Chadwick Boseman Colman Domingo Glynn Turman Michael Potts Jeremy Shamos Jonny Coyne Taylour Paige Dusan Brown Joshua Harto Quinn VanAntwerp Antonio Fierro Roger Petan

94 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Jay ★★★½ 20

a one, a two, dont step on his shoe
Review by Karsten Runquist ★★★½ 34

Chadwick's performance is seriously electrifying. Sure this has so much else to offer, but it wouldn't come close to being as enthralling as it is without him. All love to Riz, I know I just locked my prediction/pick this same week, but Chadwick has that award in the bag and it's absolutely deserved.
Review by demi adejuyigbe 12

I don't think I like August Wilson very much. Maybe that's because his plays feel to me like any parody of a "black play," which is admittedly probably the snake eating its own tail and me only seeing his work after I've seen the parodies, but it's just not for me! Feels like every monologue in this movie suddenly reminded me that this was definitely a play and I couldn't help but picture characters dramatically walking to a spotlight on the edge of the proscenium. That said, I still liked this! Much more than I liked Fences!
Viola and Chadwick are just stellar, and are both gonna deserve the nominations they get– I fully believe Chadwick would've gotten his nomination…
Review by Gabriel Gundacker 2

Watched at home with parents. During movies, Mother goes on Facebook and forgets we’re watching a movie, then will turn to us and say “this is interesting — a couple in Atlanta are helping to nurse squirrels back to life!” or something and we nod or don’t nod depending on the time code. She did that once during this movie, too. Other than that, good movie!
Review by James (Schaffrillas) ★★★★ 8

I hope they cleaned that piano in the rehearsal room
Review by Logan ★★★★ 18

Meanwhile since Amy Adams is busy trying to win her razzies. Viola and Chadwick will go fishing for their Oscars this year.
And I'm at peace with that.🤷🏻‍♂️
2020 Releases Ranked
Review by Siegel™ ★★★★ 17

Chadwick Boseman's final role is an absolute force, as he plays a man who knows what he deserves as well as how stacked the odds are against him. Watching him portray such a role, seeing in his face all the humor, fear, and fury as he brings this dejectedly hopeful character to life, fully aware of his own heartbreaking reality that he does not have enough time to give to the world even a fraction of all the passion that is inside of him, is a powerful experience. Viola Davis is incredible, and the script, lighting, and pacing are impeccable, but it's Boseman and his character who will stay with you long after the credits roll.
single location
Review by Scott Tobias ★★★½

Perfectly fine adaptation of the play-- handsome, well-performed, beautifully written, etc. But this is Chadwick Boseman's show. The performance of a lifetime was his last.
Review by George Clark ★★★★ 7

It's a sad fact that Chadwick Boseman gives arguably the best performance of his career in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's play, directed by George C. Wolfe and starring Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts and Jeremy Shamos, the story follows a recording session in 1927 Chicago were tensions begin to rise between Ma Rainey, an ambitious young horn player and their management determined to control the uncontrollable "Mother of the Blues".
The film takes place largely in two rooms, the recording studio and a dark basement where the band rehearses. For a film based off a play, it doesn’t feel stage bound at all as Wolfe finds the right…
Review by Ella Kemp ★★★½

The film is one thing, Chadwick is another. The film feels a little trapped, a little incomplete – everything that's there and happens is compelling, but I wish it moved more freely and we had more time with the story of these characters. Not just them as people but the journeys they go on, the things they see. Chadwick is incandescent, ebullient one second and red-raw another. Everything is better, bigger, more alive and hopeful when he's around. We'll never stop missing him.
Review by new year, same allain 🎆 ★★★★½ 11

I have been staring at my Notes app for almost fifteen minutes now, trying to formulate a review, but I just can’t because I’m honestly speechless. Viola Davis performed spectacularly well, but what caught my attention is Chadwick Boseman’s absolutely phenomenal act. His monologue is hauntingly good that it gave me goosebumps and I’m really sad to know that this is his last performance. The film introduced us to three legendary Black artists, their struggles, and their legacy with riveting performances that will leave an impression, making you want to watch it again.
Note: I’m sorry I’m really exhausted today (finals season and all) but I promise I’ll rewatch it again and make a better review but please give it a watch because it’s really great.
See also:
2020 Releases Ranked — CLICK HERE
December 2020 Watches — CLICK HERE
Quarantine Watches — CLICK HERE
Recommend Me a Film — CLICK HERE
Review by jing ★★★★ 4

dedicated to chadwick boseman
in celebration of his artistry and his heart
although i had only seen one film starring chadwick boseman, i was heartbroken and shocked when i heard the news about his passing. this film only further highlights his incomparable talent, and is undoubtedly proof that, although he will be terribly missed, he will never be forgotten.
fiery, stirring and thought-provoking, ma rainey’s black bottom is a film that bustles with life and character, all while remaining thoughtful and grounded. even though it’s set mainly on one location and merely spans one afternoon, this movie rarely fails to keep up its pace, almost never giving us a break to recover from its fervent conversations, passionate performances and stunning cinematography. …

Recent reviews

Review by ashokk ★★★½

Musical biopic
Captures the racial discrimination in music industry(1920s).
Minimal locations, slow, dialogue driven. Music👌
Watch it for the intense emotional moments & Terrific performances of viola and Chadwick🔥
Review by Rodrigo Moreira ★★★★

Davis and Boseman delivered powerful performances throughout the music drama based on the August Wilson’s play. A must-watch movie filled with emotion, intensity and a very good soundtrack.
Review by Abraham Rivera ★★★½

Well, I now know that I shouldn't step on a man's shoes.
This film is weird, I feel like the whole would be pure horseshit without the performances especially from Chadwick Baseman and Viola Davis, however it's a good film you know? Like it's enjoyable but definitely did not liked the script as much as I should've, and the editing wasn't really my taste, but I do believe that Chadwick deserves at least a nom, but I still need to watch Sound Of Metal so.
Review by Sofia ★★★★

Didn’t change my mind that plays should solely be experienced in a playhouse, but it was beautifully adapted and I got pretty close to changing my mind. The opening scene??? I could feel that. Wonderful casting. Hopefully I can see it live one day
Review by Rohan Chatterjee

I won't be able to say anything about Chadwick Boseman's performance that hasn't already been said by more articulate people than me.
What captured me was, despite being his last film, how much younger he felt in this film than I had ever seen him before. Maybe I'm used to seeing him play somewhat stoic heroes or revered historical figures, but he's full of so much raw youth as Levee.
His character reminded me in some ways of another character that hit me this year, Riz Ahmed's role in Sound of Metal. Both characters seem to base their lives around one thing that'll ground them, their music. If you take that away from them (Riz's character's deafness and Levee's firing and being stripped of opportunity), you see that they aren't equipped with the tools to deal with all the shit they're trying to bury underneath.
Review by earthaslicc ★★★½

Ma Rainey was queer love that for her
Review by mel ★★★★

O MAIOR E OS MAIORES
Review by Joshua Min ★★★★

In the final film of his illustrious career, Chadwick Boseman knocks it out of the park in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Boseman's performance stole the show, making his presence felt in every scene.
Boseman plays Levee, a talented trumpet player with an equaled arrogance and fiery personality. Levee has experienced plenty of trauma in his life, shaping the person he has become. You can see the pain and emotional turmoil he's endured all throughout the movie. There are some parallels to be drawn to the real life Boseman considering both Levee and Boseman have been dealt bad hands. Boseman never revealed his struggle but Levee might as well be speaking for him.
Viola Davis also delivers an exceptional performance. She…
Review by LoganPayne ★★★★½ 1

Every performance was honestly perfect, but viola davis really stole the show for me. All of it is just as entertaining as it is important.
Review by Ben ★★★½

Direction-wise, it still feels very much like a filmed performance. That said, what’s to complain about when the performances are this riveting to begin with?
Review by Ian Janowsky ★★★

Oh man. Gonna echo what everyone else has been saying and say that Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis completely devour every second of screen time they get, every syllable. Boseman’s Levee continuously flies too close to the sun and the text does a great job of keeping you in anticipation of the inferno. Davis’ Ma Rainey is volcanic in size and voice and presence and gaze. She really is one of the most talented working actors today.
I haven’t begun my deep dive into August Wilson’s work yet but this sure makes me want to start soon. Again, the play is very obviously powerful, the performances too, but everything surrounding them felt completely flat. The cinematography was awkward and unsure…
Review by Micaela ★★★★

Damn. Viola and Chadwick did that.