The Reel Critic Reviews ‘Emancipation’

Written by Vocalo Radio on January 4, 2023

Reggie “The Reel Critic” Ponder reviews Emancipation, starring Will Smith and directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Inspired by a true story, Emancipation follows Peter Smith, an enslaved man played by Will Smith, fleeing a plantation in Louisiana. Through Peter’s story, director Antoine Fuqua takes an introspective look into how religion was used by enslaved Africans to center hope in their lives.

In a December interview with The British Blacklist, Fuqua said the film is “my love letter to us.” Fuqua does not shy away from delivering an uncensored look into the lives of the enslaved, but balances the film with Peter Smith’s fight to become his own hero. Emancipation was originally released on December 9, and is currently in theaters and streaming on AppleTV+