The Piano Lesson

2024 / Dir. Malcolm Washington / 125 minutes

Etched into the framework of Malcolm Washington’s directorial debut The Piano Lesson are several movies I’d like to see: The all-out supernatural horror movie involving a haunted heirloom piano and a family’s reconciliation with the past. The capitalist tale of Boy Willie (played by John David Washington) and his scheming, smooth-talking attempts to get ahead in the world. The story of Sam Jackson’s Uncle Doaker and his noble efforts to help his niece Bernice raise her daughter. And hell, while we’re at it, give me the story of Lymon and his “magic suit” and the power it has on his love life. Instead, what we’re given is a disjointed and atonal assortment of them all, tampering any intrigue or momentum the story sets forth. I’ve never seen the August Wilson play from which it was adapted so I can’t compare. But as for the film, it stands firmly on two stars thanks to its murderer’s row of talent commanding every scene, some unforgettable lines (“They treat you like you let them treat you”), and a really fun musical number. Other than that, I’m sorry to say I just kept waiting for the high note that never played.