Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Rotten Tomatoes

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

R

Released Nov 25, 2020

1 hr. 34 min.

History

Drama

Music

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List

97%

318 Reviews

Tomatometer

72%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Tensions and temperatures rise at a Chicago music studio in 1927 when fiery, fearless blues singer Ma Rainey joins her band for a recording session.

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Critics Consensus

Framed by a pair of powerhouse performances, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom pays affectionate tribute to a blues legend -- and Black culture at large.

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Raymond

Whew. The overwhelming sense of being trapped as a black person, disregarded and disrespected leading to despair. Outstanding screenplay, acting, directing and music. The last scene appropriately made us white folks seem small and lame.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/07/21

Full Review

Michael schwab

Viola and chad excellent! Fascinating would like to see again! Great film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/14/21

Full Review

Timothy D

Fueled by an impeccable, energetic performance from Boseman and an ever powerful Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a moving (and slightly disturbing) drama. The scope of this movie is so extensive that it doesn't quite fit into the limited setting of a single recording session. Even so, it keenly explores racism and how African-Americans simultaneously revolutionized and were marginalized by the music industry of the early Twentieth Century.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/23/23

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Alex L

Fantastic cast and performance.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/07/23

Full Review

Jonathan L

It dragged a bit, but I did not care. The acting, shot composition, soundtrack, and flawless historical accuracy VASTLY made up for it. 95/100.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/05/23

Full Review

Molly M

George C. Wolfe brings one fateful afternoon to the screen in this Oscar-winning drama. Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' tells the story of a humid afternoon in 1920s Chicago. The film marks Chadwick Boseman's final on-screen performance before his death in August 2020. 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' features sensational performances from its entire cast that consists of the likes of Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman and Glynn Turman. When the backing singers for the esteemed blues singer Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) arrive at a Chicago recording studio, they share stories and ideas as they wait for her to arrive. When Ma Rainey finally arrives, tensions rise as equipment failures, harrowing stories and conceited trumpeters disrupt their recording. But when the recording ends, what happens next will change the course of everyone's lives forever. Viola Davis gives a sensational performance in the titular role, portraying the so-called 'mother of the blues'. Her Oscar nomination for leading actress takes her total amount of Academy Award nominations to a record-breaking four. Chadwick Boseman stars opposite Davis as the hubristic trumpet player Levee Green. Boseman's performance is emotionally raw and full of overconfidence. Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman and Michael Potts all give great performances throughout the 94 minutes. The costumes in the film are gorgeous and incredibly detailed, so it's no surprise Ann Roth received an array of accolades for her part in making the film. The hair and makeup department do a sensational job with every character's look; the attention to detail is remarkable. When it comes to Viola Davis' wig, Ann Roth and Mia Neal, for accuracy and authenticity, decided to hand-make Ma Rainey's wig from horsehair. Even though the characters looked incredible, 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' can't help but drag itself to its closing credits. The fact it was all predominantly contained in two rooms didn't help either. Not even the magnificent talent heading the film can save it from becoming a mundane near-waste of time. Considering the film is about the mother of blues and her band, viewers will be surprised to learn that 90% of the film is just rage-fuelled monologues or over the top reactions - there's hardly any singing. However, the film does bring up issues that relate to when the film is set. Themes like racism and the LGBTQ+ community as Taylour Paige plays Ma Rainey's younger lover Dussie Mae. It shows how Ma Rainey and other BIPOC were used simply because of their talent and the profit they could provide people. At the end of the film, it's addressed when Levee's original song is sung and recorded by a group of white men instead of Levee himself. If you want to learn more about women who don't give in to a racist, sexist patriarchy, then you should be watching 'Selena'. But if you're enamoured by Viola Davis' talent, then you should watch 'Fences' or 'The Help. Both of these films allow Davis to show off her never-ending talents. 'Fences' also stars producer Denzel Washington opposite Davis. In conclusion, George C. Wolfe's adaptation of the August Wilson play is a mixed bag. While the performances and appearances may be spectacular, the story can't help but feel stodgy and slow.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

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George C. Wolfe

Director

Viola Davis

Ma Rainey

Chadwick Boseman

Levee

Glynn Turman

Toledo

Colman Domingo

Cutler

Michael Potts

Slow Drag

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Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: Movie Clip - Got Talent

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Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: Movie Clip - Deep Moaning Blues

1:23

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Ma Rainey's Black Bottom: Trailer 1

2:19

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Shelli Nicole

Autostraddle

The focus of the film is more on Levee, Chadwick Boseman’s character. It felt like Viola was the pull but I was left wanting to learn even more about Ma Rainey than before. However, that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the film because I absolutely did.

Apr 13, 2022

Full Review

Roxana Hadadi

Pajiba

The sense that we're beholden to the whims of unseen forces-that we're not the protagonists of our own stories-cuts deep in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Mar 21, 2021

Full Review

Hannah Giorgis

The Atlantic

The story concerns itself chiefly with the role of music in documenting and, in some cases, defusing the unspeakable pains that birthed the blues.

Mar 2, 2021

Full Review

Ryan McQuade

InSession Film

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom leaves a little to be desired, even though Boseman gives the performance of his career. It’s a shame that the film he is in isn’t as wonderful as he, but with this, he leaves a legacy.

Rated: B-

Apr 4, 2024

Full Review

Farah Cheded

A Good Movie To Watch

Unabashedly stagy in many respects, a quality that can work both ways — but, ultimately, the crackling current that runs through Davis and Boseman’s acting gives the movie all the blazing, goosebump-inducing immediacy of a live performance.

Oct 14, 2023

Full Review

Jillian Chilingerian

Offscreen With Jillian

Wolfe with Wilson's play created a thought-provoking, theatrical piece with striking performances, that are owned by these Black creators.

Aug 22, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

Tensions and temperatures rise at a Chicago music studio in 1927 when fiery, fearless blues singer Ma Rainey joins her band for a recording session.

Director: George C. Wolfe
Screenwriter: Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Netflix
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content|Language|Brief Violence)
Genre: History, Drama, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 25, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 18, 2020
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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