Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is off to the races with early honors as awards season heats up.
The George C. Wolfe-directed historical drama was named best film of the year by the Black Film Critics Circle organization on Thursday.
The production, based on late playwright August Wilson’s acclaimed Broadway play of the same name, also took best actor, best actress and best adapted screenplay honors for the late Chadwick Boseman, lead actress Viola Davis and screenwriter Ruben Santiago-Hudson.
“This movie, hands down, was a true tour de force,” Black Film Critics Circle co-president Wilson Morales told The Daily News on Thursday.
“August Wilson’s words are always heartfelt and emotional, and with Boseman’s final performance, they become even more memorable,” he added.
Other big winners included another historical drama. Regina King’s “One Night in Miami” took home a best director honor (tied with “Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao). Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning “Hamilton” star Leslie Odom, Jr. can add best supporting actor honors to his mantle. He and castmates Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree and Aldis Hodge were all recognized for best ensemble.
South Korean actress Yuh-Jung Youn won best supporting actress for her role in “Minari,” which also had the best original screenplay.
Christopher Noland’s sci-fi drama “Tenet” won for best cinematography, Disney’s star-studded “Soul” was proclaimed as the best animated film and Amazon’s gripping “Time” won best documentary.
Philippe Lacote’s Ivory Coast prison-set drama “Night of the Kings” took home the honors for best foreign film.
Black Film Critics Circle has a membership of 25 professional cinephiles comprised of film critics of color from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, radio, television and online publications.
