Despite overwhelming positive reviews, The Birth of a Nation flops in the box office earning only $7.1 million.
Playing in over 2,000 movie theaters across the country, Nate Parker’s latest film was expected to make at least $9 million – still low figure considering a movie that was purchased for a record breaking $17.5 million at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Surprisingly, critics praised the movie saying “Whatever one thinks of the messenger, the delivered movie is worthy of attention. It’s a film for the here and now, a document that nicely supports the BlackLivesMatter movement (and throws shade on the AllLivesMatter nonsense).”
Set against the antebellum South, The Birth of a Nation centers around Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to put unruly slaves in place. As he witnesses countless atrocities–against himself and his fellow slaves–Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.
Meanwhile, The Girl on the Train starring Emily Blunt won the box office weekend with $37 million. It’s important to point out that The Girl on the Train features less diversity, and poorer movie ratings than The Birth of a Nation. However, Tate Taylor’s drama about a divorcee who becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation seemed resonated with audiences. Even though critics called the movie “a lifeless wax museum version of a real thriller.”
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