The Piano Lesson Review: A Solid Directorial Debut Feature

The Piano Lesson is a solid directorial debut with fantastic performances at its center. While the pacing struggles a bit and it feels like we’re getting multiple narratives at once, the emotional and generational trauma haunt through effectively intimate directing. It’s character-driven, thoughtful, and even while some areas aren’t stronger than others, the performances make it easy to care.

Malcolm Washington undoubtedly has a clear vision, and there’s plenty to appreciate about how he frames scenes like an old cassette tape that we maybe shouldn’t have found. That’s perhaps the best part of the film, as it includes us in familial dynamics that shouldn’t be ours to partake in, yet it’s so remarkable to witness and understand. The film is brewing with astounding performances from John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Ray Fisher, Samuel L. Jackson, Corey Hawkins, and more as the stars embody their characters with rich compassion for the emotional heartaches inside each of them.

Most importantly, what sticks out in The Piano Lesson is the realistic portrayal of how a single item—an heirloom, in this case—can mean something different to every person with a connection to it. It’s hard not to sympathize with each of the characters and their choices to keep or sell the piano. Washington’s vision ensures that we understand the characters’ motives from beginning to end, ultimately making it clear from the start that this is going to lead to imperative and thoroughly necessary conversations that’ll potentially allow for healing to take place.

The musical numbers are superbly fascinating, and in truth, I would’ve preferred if the film were full of more of them than the more traditional drama bearings. One scene in particular with the men is so well done that it’s unfortunate we didn’t get far more like it when the musical chemistry works seamlessly. 

However, and a bit unfortunately, it’s the marriage of drama and beats of horror that slightly muddle the film when, especially toward the end, we get proof of what might be actual spirits in the house. Yet, understandably, even while the third act shifts the tides, the execution feels unrealistic. (Whether you’re a believer or not, it simply feels off.) On the one hand, it makes every beat of The Piano Lesson feel more raw and haunting, but on the other hand, if the viewer’s expectation going into the film isn’t that it’s a thriller like this, it’s deeply jarring for those who are maybe more fainthearted.

The best parts of the film explore the characters’ traumas through the performances that make it exceptionally clear that there’s a plethora hidden beyond each of their eyes. There’s a clear concept of healing from where the film ends and where it begins that explores the pangs of heartaches and every human’s different means of coping. And while it isn’t anything we haven’t seen before, it’s easy to appreciate Washington’s desire to deliver something a bit isolated from the genre. Still, it’s one of the more compelling films of the last year and worth watching at least once. 

The Piano Lesson is now streaming on Netflix
First Featured Image Credit: ©David Lee/Netflix – © 2024 Netflix, Inc.