Reel Reviews | Origin

Woman wearing glasses and a dark coat, holding a tablet.

by Tim Gordon

For the first time in the podcast’s 14-year history, we devote an entire episode to a single film, Ava Duvernay’s magnum opus, Origin.

Grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, writer Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery as she writes Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.

This film, part history lesson, part global journey features the brilliant Ellis-Taylor, Niecy Nash-Betts, and Jon Bernthal in a film that critic Tim Gordon describes as a “punch to the soul.”

Joined by critics Charles Kirkland, Jr. and T.T. Stern-Enzi, the crew takes a deep dive into the film, its stars, and celebrated writer/director.

Origin is in theaters on January 19, 2024.

Check out the extended review, below:


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About FilmGordon

Publisher of TheFilmGordon, Creator of The Black Reel Awards and The LightReel Film Festival. Film Critic for WETA-TV (PBS) - a TRUE film addict!