# The Underground Railroad (2021)

> After fleeing a Georgia plantation, a young enslaved woman named Cora discovers a literal underground railroad hidden beneath the antebellum South.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/68719

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 10
- Episode runtime: 66 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, science fiction, history
- Created by: Barry Jenkins
- Network: Prime Video
- Cast: Thuso Mbedu, Chase W. Dillon, Joel Edgerton, Kylee D. Allen, Trayce Malachi, Zsané Jhé, Danny Boyd Jr., MK Smith
- TMDB rating: 7.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6704972/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: extreme
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: graphic
- Tone: harrowing, atmospheric, lyrical, somber, reflective

## What critics say

Audience reception is positive, praising the lead performance and the bold, stylized reimagining of slavery-era escape narratives.

## Synopsis

The Underground Railroad (2021) is an American prestige limited series created by Barry Jenkins for Prime Video. Across ten hour-long episodes, it follows Cora (Thuso Mbedu), a young enslaved woman who escapes a Georgia plantation and sets out for the rumored Underground Railroad, only to discover that it is an actual railroad staffed by engineers and conductors and threaded through tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Joel Edgerton plays Arnold Ridgeway, the slave catcher hunting her, while Chase W. Dillon's Homer and Kylee D. Allen's Molly are among the people she meets along the way. Each stop on her journey is its own chapter, a new state and a new hazard, so the series moves like a flight narrative with a recurring pursuer. The atmosphere is harrowing and lyrical, shaped by a stylized, speculative take on the antebellum South that mixes historical brutality with dreamlike fable. Its tone is somber and reflective, with moments of hope and dread running side by side. Fans of Roots, Lovecraft Country and Watchmen will find resonance in its blend of American history, allegory and prestige craft.

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