Native Son

Released Jun 16, 1951

1h 31m

Drama

List

44%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

Author Richard Wright (Richard Wright) portrays his novel's Bigger Thomas, a young chauffeur trapped in an accidental murder.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Rent Native Son on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

The exceedingly rare film adaptation of a novel starring the author in the leading role. Unfortunately, it replicates all the pitfalls of Richard Wright's book.

Rated: 2.5/5

Sep 19, 2022

Full Review

Peter Canavese

Celluloid Dreams

A real oddity in literary and cinematic history. Rushed and somewhat clumsy in its narrative it lacks the full impact of the novel but boasts visual impact. An interesting enough historical relic worth seeing.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 25, 2022

Full Review

Armond White

National Review

Every close-up, even when scaling the top of a water tower to evoke James Cagney at the end of White Heat, conveys the no-hope fatality of the novel's tragedy. It's not so much poetic or expressive as banal.

Nov 5, 2020

Full Review

Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

Not a perfect film, but the movie is far more than a curiosity. The cinematography from Antonio Merayo is top-notch, and Wright's writing is as brutal as it is blunt.

Rated: 3.5/5

Sep 25, 2020

Full Review

Kenneth R. Morefield

1More Film Blog

Why is it essential then? Every now and hen you get a glimpse of the deeper horrors of the book, even if they are just passing allusions to what the novel insists is omnipresent

Rated: 2/5

Sep 22, 2020

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

This new "most complete restoration" has just enough film noir fury about it to hint at the classic it might have been, and plenty of B-movie pop to it even as it is.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 19, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Pierre Chenal

Director

Richard Wright

Bigger Thomas

Jean Wallace

Mary Dalton

Gloria Madison

Bessie Mears

Nicholas Joy

Henry Dalton

Charles Cane

Detective Britten

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Native Son: Trailer 1

1:24

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Author Richard Wright (Richard Wright) portrays his novel's Bigger Thomas, a young chauffeur trapped in an accidental murder.

Director: Pierre Chenal
Producer: Jaime Prades
Screenwriter: Pierre Chenal
Distributor: Classic Pictures
Production Co: Argentina Sono Film S.A.C.I.
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 16, 1951, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 24, 2021
Runtime: 1h 31m

Most Popular at Home Now