The Birth of a Nation

Play trailer

2:36

The Birth of a Nation

R

2016

1h 54m

History

Drama

Biography

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

269 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Nat Turner is an enslaved Baptist preacher who lives on a Virginia plantation owned by Samuel Turner. With rumors of insurrection in the air, a cleric convinces Samuel that Nate should sermonize to other slaves, thereby quelling any notions of an uprising. As Nate witnesses the horrific treatment of his fellow man, he realizes that he can no longer just stand by and preach. On Aug. 21, 1831, Turner's quest for justice and freedom leads to a violent and historic rebellion in Southampton County.

Critics Consensus

The Birth of a Nation overpowers its narrative flaws and uneven execution through sheer conviction, rising on Nate Parker's assured direction and the strength of its vital message.

Read Critics Reviews

Kristen Lopez

Culturess

11/20/2017

Parker's film depicts an important event in American history through the eyes of an amateur passing a test in Film Production 101.

Go to Full Review

Adam Nayman

Cinema Scope

09/28/2017

It's very strange to watch painful verities staged in a way that diminishes their power under the guise of amplifying it. This is a film about deep-seated systems of oppression that feels tonally like a superhero origin myth.

Go to Full Review

Soraya Nadia McDonald

Andscape

09/26/2017

One of The Birth of a Nation's biggest weaknesses is that the film's female characters are given little consideration in comparison to their male counterparts.

Go to Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

02/16/2024

4/5

Today, directly echoing the racial tension and divides present in our country, The Birth of a Nation acquires the “timely” badge and earns the difficult processing time it requires of its audiences.

Go to Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

08/19/2022

3/5

From start to finish “Birth” keeps you locked in and focused. Parker never loses the potency of his subject matter.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

04/11/2022

2/4

Instead of inspiring his audience, Parker's desperation to achieve greatness proves transparent, while the quality of filmmaking does not equal his ambitions.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Blake- N

@PBSAniDom Apr 6

I thought The Birth of a Nation was a strong and impactful film overall. Nate Parker delivers a powerful performance, and the story carries a lot of emotional weight that stays with you. What stood out most to me is how the film builds tension and highlights the historical struggles in a way that feels intense and personal. The cinematography and music also add to the atmosphere, making certain moments hit even harder. While it’s not perfect and can feel uneven at times, the message and performances make it worth watching. Overall, I’d give it a 7/10—it’s a meaningful and well-acted film that leaves an impression.

See more

meeqwon U

Aug 17

Great movie. Would see it again

See more

Scott J

@RT84940053 02/22/2025

I’m only a movie fan, and a fan of learning about history, and real life. This part of American history is something that too many of us would like everyone to forget about, or never hear about. That’s just another injustice to the people who were stolen from their native lands or sold into slavery by their own rulers. Everyone should know this story of, Nat Turner.

See more

Pat B

@RT37952203 02/05/2025

The truth hurts… reviews talking about the film being bad because the producers, it was amateurish blah blah blah… it doesn’t matter, just like the Jewish say “never forget”. This is the same “we should never forget”

See more

Jack F

@RT03795164 01/28/2025

Terribly pretentious and makes cowards of its heroes….

See more

Jason S

@RT20604130 10/11/2023

Brilliant film about American Nat Turner and the rebellion.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Nate Parker

Director

Nate Parker

Nat Turner

Armie Hammer

Samuel Turner

Mark Boone Junior

Reverend Zalthall

Colman Domingo

Hark

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Nancy Turner

12 Years a Slave

95%

90%

12 Years a Slave

Watchlist

TRAILER

for 12 Years a Slave

I Saw the Light

19%

38%

I Saw the Light

Watchlist

TRAILER

for I Saw the Light

Seberg

36%

49%

Seberg

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Seberg

The Bleeder

82%

64%

The Bleeder

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Bleeder

Jackie

87%

60%

Jackie

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Jackie

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The Birth of a Nation: Trailer 1

2:36

The Birth of a Nation: Teaser Trailer 1

1:50

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Nat Turner is an enslaved Baptist preacher who lives on a Virginia plantation owned by Samuel Turner. With rumors of insurrection in the air, a cleric convinces Samuel that Nate should sermonize to other slaves, thereby quelling any notions of an uprising. As Nate witnesses the horrific treatment of his fellow man, he realizes that he can no longer just stand by and preach. On Aug. 21, 1831, Turner's quest for justice and freedom leads to a violent and historic rebellion in Southampton County.

Director: Nate Parker
Producer: Nate Parker, Kevin Turen, Jason Michael Berman, Aaron L. Gilbert, Preston L. Holmes
Screenwriter: Nate Parker
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Mandalay Pictures, BRON Studios, Phantom Four
Rating: R (Some Brief Nudity|Disturbing Violent Content)
Genre: History, Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 7, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.8M
Runtime: 1h 54m