The film adapts August Wilson’s play, and its origins are obvious. The way the story unfolds and how it’s presented feels entirely like a theatrical production, which didn't quite succeed for me when viewed in a movie theater setting. At its core, the narrative revolves around a piano. "Boy Willie" (John David Washington) believes selling it could improve their circumstances, while his sister "Berniece" (Danielle Deadwyler) is adamantly opposed. That resistance might ultimately be more accurate than anyone initially suspects, as the story progresses and the elaborately carved piano demonstrates its unwillingness to move – and carries a disturbing history with it. Both characters consider this instrument deeply connected to their family’s past—a past marked by violence, slavery, and grueling work—but struggle to determine its place in their future. Samuel L. Jackson appears briefly as the family patriarch "Doaker," but his presence doesn't leave much of a mark (I would have preferred Colman Domingo). Corey Hawkins portrays the preacher "Avery" with an energy reminiscent of Eddie Murphy, and the rest of the film unfolds in a surprisingly conventional style, blending typical family drama with a grim, violent history and touches of horror toward the conclusion. While visually appealing, the movie lacks momentum; there’s an excessive amount of dialogue for a cinema release. Although the cinematography occasionally creates moments of intensity as it moves through the "Charles" family's world, mostly it feels like characters enter from one side of the screen and exit on the other – something that should have remained within its original format.

Source on TMDB