A still from ‘The Piano Lesson’
| Photo Credit: Netflix
John David Washington grapples with a haunting family legacy in the newly released trailer for Netflix’s The Piano Lesson. Set to debut in select theaters on November 8 and streaming on Netflix from November 22, the film, directed by Malcolm Washington, explores the intense familial conflict surrounding a 130-year-old heirloom piano.
In The Piano Lesson, Washington stars as Boy Willie, who returns home with plans to sell the family’s prized piano, adorned with carvings of their ancestors, to build a new life. However, his sister Berniece, portrayed by Danielle Deadwyler, fiercely opposes the sale, viewing the piano as the last tangible connection to their family’s painful yet significant history. The tension between the siblings intensifies as they struggle to reconcile the desire to move forward with the need to honor the past.
Their uncle, played by Samuel L. Jackson, finds himself caught in the middle, trying to mediate the conflict as the family battles over their future and their heritage. The film’s narrative, rich with themes of legacy and the weight of history, is further deepened by Malcolm Washington’s direction, marking his feature directorial debut.
Malcolm Washington, in his director’s statement, described the film as reflecting a universal struggle within African American families, where the pull of progress often clashes with the duty to preserve and respect ancestral legacies. “Like Boy Willie and Berniece, part of my purpose is to honor the lives and legacies of my parents and our ancestors,” he shared.
Co-written by Virgil Williams, The Piano Lesson also stars Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, Erykah Badu, Jerrika Hinton, Gail Bean, and Corey Hawkins. Jackson and John David Washington reprise their roles from a recent Broadway revival.
