Deby Cox

I read a few professional reviews of this new adaptation of "Native Son," stating the book from the 40s couldn't translate to 2019. Actually, this movie shows that, tragically, there are many issues that haven't changed for African-Americans since Richard Wright's first book, which remains relevant. The casting is spot on; Ashton Sanders' portrayal of Bigger is outstanding. One of the major differences between this movie and the book is that, if I recall correctly, the Bigger in the book came from abject poverty and had few job opportunities, whereas, this wasn't the case with the movie's Bigger. I think I would have liked a bit more character development for Bigger, to show how his experiences shaped his thinking and decisions and how that relates to the history before this.