Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Descendant

Play trailer Poster for Descendant PG 2022 1h 49m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 69 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Documentary filmmaker Margaret Brown ("The Order of Myths", "The Great Invisible") returns to her hometown of Mobile, Alabama to document the search for and historic discovery of The Clotilda, the last known ship to arrive in the United States, illegally carrying enslaved Africans. After a century of secrecy and speculation, the 2019 discovery of the ship turns attention toward the descendant community of Africatown and presents a moving portrait of a community actively grappling with and fighting to preserve their heritage while examining what justice looks like today.

Where to Watch

Descendant

Descendant

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Descendant serves as a fantastically compelling example of how history can be reclaimed -- and a stirring tribute to a resilient community.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Scott Tobias The Reveal 12/19/2022
4/5
Has the self-awareness not merely to put Black voices at the center, where they belong, but to underline those moments when white people step up and intervene in the situation—sometimes as allies and advocates, sometimes to stake their own claim. Go to Full Review Tim Grierson Screen International 12/14/2022
Boasting a wealth of vivid subjects, this new picture illustrates in clear terms how the country’s past sins still stain communities, the damage perhaps permanent. Go to Full Review Adam Kempenaar Filmspotting 11/04/2022
4/5
We meet so many people in Descendant who could be the primary subjects of their own documentaries, and Brown deftly peels back the layers of all of their stories and makes them heard. Go to Full Review Jonita Davis The Black Cape (Medium) 03/14/2023
5/5
This one documentary even debunks the threats to remove Black history from schools. Watch 'Descendant' and then talk to me about the hazards of teaching Black history to white kids. Because the descendants of the Clotilda are not just Black people. Go to Full Review Jared Mobarak Hey, Have You Seen ...? 01/20/2023
8/10
The result is a powerful account of a living history. That which happened doesn't just end because time passes. The consequences and pain reverberate through generations. Go to Full Review Sarah Boslaugh TheArtsStl 01/03/2023
7/10
[Brown] finds a remarkable network of shared oral history, passed on from one generation to the next, despite repeated warnings to not tell their story. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 2 Real footage in 1 hour and 49 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated PG for Brief Language, Thematic Material and Smoking Images!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Lorenzo G @RT85901624 09/02/2024 I thought I was watching the disney movie for like 20 minutes, so confused. See more Renaldo D @RT30888824 04/22/2023 Documentary rich in history, but it is slow and tiring. See more Dave C @RT09838700 01/10/2023 Reeeaalllly slow. It felt like it was 3hrs long, That's not to say it isn't interesting and deserving of your attention, or that it isn't informative… it is See more clare o @RT79270570 01/06/2023 This is the most powerful documentary I have seen in a long time. Excellent! A must-see. See more Rubem N @RT89266584 12/10/2022 Nice take on a subject that has yet to receive more attention. See more Read all reviews
Descendant

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Margaret Brown

Director

Margaret Brown

Screenwriter

Kern Jackson

Screenwriter

Margaret Brown

Producer

Essie Chambers

Producer

Kyle Martin

Producer

More Like This

View All
Found 95% 87% Found Watchlist Three Minutes - A Lengthening 100% 79% Three Minutes - A Lengthening Watchlist TRAILER for Three Minutes - A Lengthening The Territory 97% 82% The Territory Watchlist Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street 95% 96% Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street Watchlist TRAILER for Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street Silver Dollar Road 82% 77% Silver Dollar Road Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Descendant

Descendant (2022) Descendant (2022) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Documentary filmmaker Margaret Brown ("The Order of Myths", "The Great Invisible") returns to her hometown of Mobile, Alabama to document the search for and historic discovery of The Clotilda, the last known ship to arrive in the United States, illegally carrying enslaved Africans. After a century of secrecy and speculation, the 2019 discovery of the ship turns attention toward the descendant community of Africatown and presents a moving portrait of a community actively grappling with and fighting to preserve their heritage while examining what justice looks like today.
Director
Margaret Brown
Producer
Margaret Brown, Essie Chambers, Kyle Martin
Screenwriter
Margaret Brown, Kern Jackson
Distributor
Netflix
Production Co
Two One Five Entertainment, Participant, Higher Ground Productions
Rating
PG (Brief Language|Thematic Material|Smoking Images)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 21, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 21, 2022
Runtime
1h 49m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Most Popular at Home Now