TIFF 2023: Origin Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Be it feature films or documentaries, Ava DuVernay sure knows how to strike the right chord with audiences. Shining a light on important issues and starting conversations through her work, her latest film, Origin, is no different. Based on the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson, the film unfortunately doesn’t bring anything new to the table but isn’t any less important or timely. A heavy character drama in terms of plot and themes, running at just over the 2-hour mark, it almost feels like it would be better served as a miniseries than a feature film so everything has the proper time to breathe in order to do it justice. As much about the messenger than the message, it perhaps doesn’t get that balance quite right. That being said, it is merely nitpicking. While the pieces are there, including DuVernay’s moving script and direction and a phenomenal lead performance from Aunjanue Ellis, the film is going to resonate with hordes of audiences, however, it could have been so much more. 

Origin follows Wilkerson herself (Ellis), the first African-American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for journalism, as she takes on her toughest case yet, the death of Trayvon Martin, for her latest book. However, instead of covering the case, she was more interested in diving deeper in pursuit of the core of racial injustice to better understand the issue and her connection with the world as a whole. Forced to find a new direction in her life following a series of unfortunate tragedies, Wilkerson set out across the world on a research project for her book that saw her investigating the mistreatment of Jewish people during the Third Reich and the diminishing of the Indian Dalit (or untouchables) as a way to tie it back to the injustice occurring in the United States. As she and the story approached these different marginalized groups, one can’t help but feel like they are merely scratching the surface of what these important topics had to offer. As mentioned, being a feature film comes with obvious limitations but while an important watch, had they had more time to breathe, they and Wilkerson’s final conclusion would have been that much more impactful. Where the film ultimately falters is where it tries to do justice for Wilkerson and the subject matter she unearths. It is just hard to shake the feeling that they are two different films with the latter being far more compelling.

On a technical level, Origin is an absolutely gorgeous film filled with beautiful shot after beautiful shot. Brining audiences along with Wilkerson’s travels, that immersion adds to the emotional investment in her tragic journey. Ultimately, what seals the deal is a phenomenal lead performance from Ellis as Wilkerson. Leading audiences on an emotional rollercoaster, the film puts her through the ringer but she more than proved that she was up to the challenge as she carries the film on her shoulders. Meanwhile, Jon Bernthal and Niecy Nash are also standouts in limited supporting roles.

At the end of the day, Origin is an important yet heavy film that takes audiences on a beautiful journey directed with an empathetic touch and led by a breakthrough performance from Aunjanue Ellis.

*still courtesy of TIFF*

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.