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Bessie
Directed by
Dee Rees
TV-MA
2015
1h 47m
[Drama](/on-demand/category/drama), [Biography](/on-demand/category/biography)
6.7
91%
68%
6.4
Add to Watchlist
The story of legendary blues performer Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
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Where to Watch Bessie
HBO Max
Subscription
HBO Max Amazon Channel
Subscription
Amazon Video
Buy $9.99
+4 more
Cast of Bessie
Queen Latifah
Bessie Smith / Executive Producer
Mo'Nique
Ma Rainey
Mike Epps
Richard
Tika Sumpter
Lucille
Michael Kenneth Williams
Jack Gee
Charles S. Dutton
William 'Pa' Rainey
Bryan Greenberg
John Hammond
Oliver Platt
Carl Van Vechten
Khandi Alexander
Viola
Tory Kittles
Clarence
Kamryn Johnson
Young Bessie
Rikki McKinney
Chorus Guy
Alan T. Coleman
Stagehand
Clay Chappell
'81' Theatre Owner
Sharan C. Mansfield
Miss Taylor
Neko Parham
Rehearsal Director
Onira Tarés
Chorus Girl
Jhoni Davis
Chorus Girl
Jim R. Coleman
Host
Melissa Youngblood
Theatergoer
Bessie Ratings & Reviews
Autostraddle
Gabrielle Rivera
Queen Latifah ever so capably maneuvers Bessie from any sort of static strong-Black-woman archetype and weaves a palpable vulnerability, an ache for love, into her portrayal and it's glorious.
New York Times
Neil Genzlinger
Bessie shows us an assortment of moments from that life but doesn't really make us feel it, despite Queen Latifah's best efforts.
Newsday
Verne Gay
Well-made biopic absent a whole lot of music and -- as a result -- much emotional resonance.
Variety
Brian Lowry
Bessie isn't a perfect movie. But for HBO's purposes, it's a big-time noisemaker - one with the kind of show-stopping work that, when they start handing out trophies, isn't likely to leave its star singin' the blues.
San Francisco Chronicle
David Wiegand
Bessie boasts powerful performances and a chance to hear the early blues popularized by Smith and her mentor, Ma Rainey.
Washington Post
Hank Stuever
A thoughtful and at times stirring example of how a film can add texture to a legendary figure.
New York Daily News
David Hinckley
Bessie Smith, who earned the title "Empress of the Blues" back in the 1920s, remains a voice that should be heard today.
Denver Post
Joanne Ostrow
A beautifully affecting biopic.
Wall Street Journal
Dorothy Rabinowitz
It takes just the first few raunchy and emotionally searing minutes of "Bessie" to grasp why Queen Latifah-its star and one of its producers-viewed this story of Bessie Smith's life and career as a labor of love, or more precisely, passion.
IndieWire
Ben Travers
Despite its complicated central figure, Rees' film feels all too typical in the end. The small moments are there for anyone who wants to find them, but they're not enough to make "Bessie" as great as the woman herself.
Los Angeles Times
Robert Lloyd
Best of all are Latifah's scenes with Mo'Nique because their energies fit and because they have the most to do with music and performance and the reasons these women are worth remembering, and re-creating.
The Atlantic
Spencer Kornhaber
At nearly two hours, Bessie feels a lot like any other TV biopic, with unspectacular production values and a mostly chronological story structure. But it's hard not to be moved by the woman it portrays, and by the point of view it shares with her.
USA Today
Robert Bianco
Latifah doesn't just make us believe in Bessie Smith's claim to fame. She makes us feel for every gifted African-American singer and actor, from Smith to Latifah herself, who hasn't been given the roles and nurturing his or her talents deserve.
AV Club
Alex McLevy
In a cast full of strong performances, Queen Latifah stuns. Quite simply, it's the finest performance she's ever given.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Gail Pennington
Viewers of Bessie will love her and want to shake her, to beg her not to squander her talent.
RogerEbert.com
Brian Tallerico
A flawed drama that nonetheless warrants a look simply because of the bright spotlight it gives the underrated talents of star Queen Latifah, who does quite easily the best work of her career here.
Boston Globe
Sarah Rodman
There are three good reasons to watch HBO's Bessie: Queen Latifah, Mo'Nique, and Khandi Alexander.
Village Voice
Inkoo Kang
"Bessie" captures what it's like to be the exception that proves the rule, as well as to "know" people well enough to provide them with comfort and uplift from hundreds of feet away with just the sound of her voice - but never to be one of the masses
The Hollywood Reporter
David Rooney
This is a smartly observed, understated biographical drama that sidesteps hagiography and treats its complex subject with integrity.
Slant Magazine
Chuck Bowen
Bessie is remarkably poignant, even if that resonance is somewhat disreputable.
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