The Piano Lesson is a 2024 American drama film directed by Malcolm Washington, who co-wrote the screenplay with Virgil Williams. It is an adaptation of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by August Wilson. It stars an ensemble cast of Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Skylar Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler, and Corey Hawkins.
The Piano Lesson premiered at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2024, and it was released in select theaters in the United States on November 8, 2024, before streaming on Netflix on November 22.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics. Deadwyler was lauded for her performance, earning nominations for the Critics' Choice Award and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 1911, Boy Charles, father to Boy Willie and Berniece, steals the piano from the Sutter family, the former enslavers of the Charles family. The piano, intricately carved with faces of African ancestors, represents the familyâÂÂs heritage and resilience. After giving his family a head start, Boy Charles attempts to flee via train boxcar. The Sutters catch up to him and burn the boxcar with him trapped inside.
In 1936, Boy Willie arrives in Pittsburgh with his friend Lymon, hauling a truckload of watermelons. James Sutter was murdered by being pushed down the well, and the Sutter family offered Boy Willie part of their Mississippi farmland as reparations for his father's death, and so Boy Willie is determined to sell the piano to purchase the last of the land. However, Berniece, who lives in Pittsburgh with her young daughter Maretha and their uncle Doaker, refuses to part with the piano, seeing it as a sacred artifact of their family history and a reminder of their struggles. Now dating local preacher Avery, Berniece is still estranged from Boy Willie after he and Lymon were involved in stealing wood that led to the death of her husband Crawley.
The siblingsâ arguments bring to light the pianoâÂÂs significance to their lives. Berniece insists on preserving the piano as a memorial, although she still resents when her mother forced her to play the piano against her will. Boy Willie views its sale as a means to reclaim their familyâÂÂs autonomy. However he is still haunted from his father's words about the importance of owning his own land. Another uncle, Wining Boy, visits the family and laments his glory days.
Supernatural elements intensify the drama as Sutter's ghost begins to haunt the Charles household, particularly Berniece and Maretha. Berniece attributes the ghostâÂÂs presence to Boy WillieâÂÂs arrival and his disruptive intentions regarding the piano, as well as her suspicions that he killed Sutter. Boy Willie, however, disregards his sister's claims. Meanwhile, Lymon, seeking a fresh start, begins to develop feelings for Berniece.
Sutter's manifestations intensify, and his ghost attacks Boy Willie. Avery attempts to exorcise the house to no avail. Berniece decides to play the piano for the first time in years, calling upon her ancestors to exorcise Sutter's ghost and save her brother. Boy Willie, now believing his sister and reaching an understanding with her, advises her to continue playing the piano.
Boy Willie abandons his plans to sell the piano, and Berniece begins teaching Maretha how to play it. Boy Willie returns one last time to the Sutter farmland, now on public sale after failing to purchase it, and grasps the dirt like his father taught him before departing.
In September 2015, Denzel Washington announced that he would produce film adaptations of all of August Wilson's plays from the Pittsburgh Cycle series. Fences and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom were released in 2016 and 2020 respectively.
It was announced in April 2023 that Malcolm Washington would make his feature directorial and screenwriting debut with the film, an adaptation of The Piano Lesson, with his brother John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, and Corey Hawkins starring. John David Washington, Jackson, Fisher and Potts reprise their roles from the 2022 stage production of the play. Denzel Washington produced the film with Todd Black. In May, singer Erykah Badu was announced to be making a cameo appearance in the film. Gail Bean, Jerrika Hinton, Stephan James, Malik J. Ali, Jay Peterson and Matrell Smith rounded out the cast in June 2023.
Filming began in Atlanta in April 2023. The Pittsburgh Film Office expressed disappointment that the production would not be filming in the city like previous Wilson adaptations.
In July 2024, it was announced Alexandre Desplat would compose the original score for film. Washington described the film as having "a big Americana, pastoral element" and was curious what Desplat's take on it would be.
The film's world premiere took place at the Telluride Film Festival, prior to its international premiere as a special presentation at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
The Piano Lesson was released in select theaters in the United States on November 8, 2024, before streaming on Netflix on November 22. The film debuted at #5 on Netflix's U.S. movie chart before settling at #6, showcasing strong audience interest.
Zandra Odetunde for Time Out awarded 4 stars out of 5, praised the film and wrote: "The Piano Lesson strikes a perfect balance, showing us that the past isnâÂÂt just about trauma but is laced with moments of jubilance. ItâÂÂs cathartic and moving â a reminder that strength and survival go hand in hand." Odeteunde further notes that Deadwyler is "Oscar-worthy". Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave it 3 out of 5 stars and wrote: "the ensemble cast work wonderfully and intuitively together; I loved the surges of emotion, and then the palate-cleansing moments of silence and calm. The song is a tremendous setpiece and the dialogue has a music of its own." Caleb Hammond, reviewing on the website Indiewire, gave the film a mixed response: "Malcolm WashingtonâÂÂs adaptation of The Piano Lesson is referential, often overly so, and while this version contains its fair share of standout sequences along with Oscar-ready performances, the film never fully coalesces into an effective, singular, emotional narrative."
In Vulture's list of the 17 Best Film Performances of 2024, Danielle Deadwyler was featured for her captivating portrayal of Berniece, which deeply resonated with audiences and critics. Writer Joe Reid praised her ability to channel "grit, sorrow, and regret into something bigger than her body." Kathleen Newman-Bremang of Refinery29 described DeadwylerâÂÂs work as "one of the most transcendent showcases of humanity IâÂÂve seen on screen, ever." Additionally, W included Deadwyler in their Best Performances Issue for 2025, with Lynn Hirschberg commending her nuanced exploration of "grief, tradition, and the weight of generational trauma." In The Hollywood Reporter, Lovia Gyarkye highlighted DeadwylerâÂÂs immersive approach, writing that she "slips into her characterâÂÂs skin with quiet ease" and uncovers a performance that is "often electric." Gyarkye further noted how Deadwyler delves into BernieceâÂÂs "rage, grief, and vulnerability" with transfixing precision. Oliver Jones of The Observer admired her ability to "evoke complicated emotions that her character hardly knows what to do with," adding that she delivers her lines "as if she invented them on the spot." Similarly, Peter Travers of ABC News lauded DeadwylerâÂÂs mastery of subtle emotional expression, calling her performance "magnificent" for capturing "every nuance of feeling in Berniece."