10 Best Netflix Original Movies Of 2020 - Ranked

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a strange film that probably shouldn't work as well as it does.

About 20 minutes in, it becomes apparent that there really isn't much of a story here - not in the traditional sense, at least. Rather, the film puts a bunch of characters in a couple of rooms and lets them talk, and while that might sound dull on paper, the acting is so powerful and the film is so brief (the credits roll after one hour and 25 minutes) that the whole thing ends up working beautifully.

The whole cast is superb, but it's Viola Davies as the feisty Ma Rainey and Chadwick Boseman as her blues band's rebellious trumpet player that really make this movie pop. In particular, Boseman has a few scenes that are dripping with intense emotion, and considering that this is his final onscreen performance, there are a few occasions throughout the film where he'll easily bring a tear to your eye.

Elsewhere, the 1920s Chicago setting is impeccably recreated, and there's a moment towards the end of the film that will leave your jaw dropped for a good few minutes. Even if it's just for Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a film you should not miss.