Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- fierce
- smoky
- melancholic
- music history viewing
- biopic night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film entertaining and informative, with strong performances—especially from Queen Latifah, Mo'Nique, and Michael K. Williams—overcoming a middling Hollywood biopic script.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The narrative follows Bessie Smith's rise from struggling performer to celebrated blues singer across the 1920s and 1930s.
Bessie's lesbian identity and intimate relationships are integral to the period music biography and its portrayal of Black entertainment culture.
Queen Latifah's portrayal of Bessie Smith is the central critical and dramatic attraction, supported by notable performances from Mo'Nique and Michael K. Williams.
The film uses Bessie Smith's rise as a blues performer and her connections to figures such as Ma Rainey to center live music and Black stage culture.
Films like Bessie, and why
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
music biopic centered on a groundbreaking Black female performer, with forceful lead acting and themes of artistic ambition
Lady Sings the Blues
period music drama about Black performers navigating exploitation, sexuality, and the entertainment industry
Ray
biographical drama about a legendary Black musician whose talent develops amid personal and institutional struggles
The Danish Girl
lgbtq-focused historical biopic driven by a commanding central performance and social prejudice
Movie Details
- Director
- Dee Rees
- Release Date
- 2015-05-16
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (133)
Cast
- Queen Latifah
- Mo'Nique
- Mike Epps
- Tika Sumpter
- Michael Kenneth Williams
- Charles S. Dutton
- Bryan Greenberg
- Oliver Platt
- Khandi Alexander
- Tory Kittles
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Bessie about?
- A fierce blues icon fights for artistic freedom, sexual autonomy, and a place in history amid the volatile Black entertainment world of the interwar South.
- What is Bessie like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bessie as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Bessie violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Bessie as mild.
- What did critics think of Bessie?
- Critics broadly found the film entertaining and informative, with strong performances—especially from Queen Latifah, Mo'Nique, and Michael K. Williams—overcoming a middling Hollywood biopic script.
- Which films are like Bessie?
- Films with a similar feel include Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Lady Sings the Blues, Ray, and The Danish Girl.
- How long is Bessie?
- Bessie runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch Bessie?
- In United States, Bessie streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
