Ava DuVernay continues an impressive and rare trend on Rotten Tomatoes as her latest movie, Origin, earns a “Fresh” rating. The biopic drama centers on Isabel Wilkerson’s (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) journey to writing her acclaimed nonfiction work Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents while navigating a tragedy in her personal life. It received high recognition at the Venice Film Festival last year, where it was selected to compete for the prestigious Golden Lion award. Now that it has been widely released in U.S. theaters, more Origin reviews are coming in.
On Rotten Tomatoes, 118 critical reviews have been tabulated, giving Origin a “Fresh” rating of 81%. This continues a trend for DuVernay, as almost all of her films have received a “Fresh” rating on the review site. It is very rare for a filmmaker to keep up such a positive trend across all but one film in their career. The certified critics hailed her latest movie for its incredible performances, writing, and directing as it delves into heavy topics of race and class while also telling the inspiring story of a powerful woman.
How Do Origin’s Ratings Compare to Ava DuVernay’s Other Films?
The current score for Origin makes it her fourth highest-rated movie on the platform. The rating is very close to her top three movies but much higher than her lowest-rated movie, A Wrinkle in Time. A Wrinkle in Time is DuVarney’s sole movie without a “Fresh” rating, just missing it with a 43% critical score. It’s not surprising the sci-fi movie adapted from Madeleine L’Engle’s hit novel is DuVernay’s one outlier, considering how different it is from her other movies.
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As Origin‘s positive reception further proves, DuVernay has a particular strength when it comes to making powerful biopics or indie dramas. Her signature style was evident in the Disney movie, with its world-building and resonating themes, but she seemingly struggled to get the tone right for young viewers and to wield the enormous potential of the source material. However, the sci-fi movie was only a small setback, as it was preceded by three critically acclaimed films by the director: I Will Follow, Middle of Nowhere, and Selma. DuVernay’s talent for biopics is apparent in Selma‘s success, which was nominated for Best Picture at the 87th Academy Awards.
The historical drama about Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) boasts a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes of 99%. It earned numerous accolades as an inspirational and influential biopic that tackled social issues very relevant today. Meanwhile, I Will Follow and Middle of Nowhere were both indie dramas that received scores of 82% and 88%, respectively. Like Origin, they featured African American women navigating careers and personal lives. While they’re on par with DuVarney’s latest film, they received less fanfare due to being independent projects. Ultimately, Origin continues to show DuVernay’s skill as a filmmaker and her talents for sophisticated biopic dramas.
Origin
- Release Date
- January 19, 2024
- Director
- Ava DuVernay
- Cast
- Aunjanue Ellis , Jon Bernthal , Vera Farmiga , Audra McDonald , Niecy Nash-Betts , Nick Offerman , Blair Underwood
- Runtime
- 135 Minutes
- Writers
- Ava DuVernay
- Story By
- Isabel Wilkerson
- Studio(s)
- J4A , ARRAY
- Distributor(s)
- Neon
