If you want to be crowned as the best streaming service in the world, it’s not just a numbers game – Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Netflix all know that pretty clearly. Getting countless subscribers is great, but all these streamers clearly crave accolades and critical success, too.
This all means that, while they don’t come around nearly as often as big family-friendly action movies or comedies, Netflix certainly does release a few films a year that look like they could mount an awards campaign. This year, The Piano Lesson absolutely has to be among that number, as its latest trailer proves.
The film hit Netflix on 22 November, which means that you can watch it right now if you like, and it’s already had a heap of reviews. Heading to Rotten Tomatoes to see how that’s gone for it, you’ll find an aggregate score of 90%, which certainly bodes well.
The Piano Lesson is a direct adaptation of the August Wilson play that won the playwright a Pulitzer Prize, which means it’s already coming from a very promising place. It tells the story of a Pittsburgh family across a breadth of generations, all through the lens of the heirloom piano that’s been in their home for decades.
There are some big names involved, too. Samuel L. Jackson plays a patriarchal role as an elder in the family, while John David Washington is apparently on top form as a younger member of the clan who favours breaking with the past and getting rid of that unique piano.
There will clearly be some bravura moments to experience, with glimpses in the trailer of dreamy sequences and potentially some magic realism, and it’ll also certainly be an emotional ride. I’ll be watching it as soon as I have a spare evening, and while I’m no critic, it certainly looks like a potential Oscar-winner from where I’m sitting.
Of course, the reality is that Netflix actually needs both awards and numbers to keep the show on the road, and if it could only have one of those it would choose the latter. Still, it’s great to see interesting projects like The Piano Lesson, so be sure not to miss them when they do come along.
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