Stamped from the Beginning 2023 Movie Review Trailer Poster

 Dr. Ibram more convincing. Accompanied by Academy Award-winning Ava DuVernay’s “13th” and “Is That Black Enough for You?!?” by Elvis Mitchell, further cements Netflix's position as a hub for powerful documentaries about Black history.

The film distinguishes itself by centering the perspectives of black women in the history of American racism. With the exception of Kendi, all of the film's expert commentators are black women, a notable choice that adds depth to the narrative. The inclusion of iconic movement leader Angela Davis is a coup, even if her contributions are minimal. The film shines with the insights of dynamic police reform advocate Brittany Packnett Cunningham and poet Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, whose vocal intonation becomes a powerful tool to comment on the intricate intersection of race, class, and gender.

Director: Roger Ross Williams
Writers: Ibram X. Kendi, David Teague
Stars: Angela Davis, Alexa Rachelle Jennings, Ibram X. Kendi

This feminine lens injects new life into familiar themes by highlighting the stories of overlooked figures. Instead of focusing on Frederick Douglass, the film delves into the narrative of enslaved poet Phillis Wheatley. Instead of focusing on W.E.B. Du Bois, we learn about his NAACP contemporary, Ida B Wells. While Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” inevitably makes an appearance, Little Simz’s “Introvert” adds an even more potent dimension.

The film's ability to rapidly traverse vast territories of racial thought is aided by its captivating soundtrack. When the theoretical discussions get thick, the film grabs our attention with a rhythmically edited montage of pop culture provocations: bikinis with Confederate flags, stereotypical depictions of black women, images of crack smokers with curls, enhanced by animations of Awesome + Modest of Los Angeles. These animations bring historical episodes to life with a style that surpasses traditional dramatic recreations.

Director Roger Ross Williams impressively maintains a common thread throughout this combination of revelry and stirring speeches, connecting a senator's 1860s speech to viral TikToks showing white women calling the police on black people in 2020. While the film chronicles the beginning of the journey, the prospect of America reaching a point where “existing while black” is not considered a crime still seems distant.

Watch Stamped from the Beginning 2023 Trailer