Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent

Making a dramatic feature based on a nonfiction book can be a tricky proposition, but Ava DuVernay does it adeptly with her thought-provoking, powerfully moving Origin. Inspired by journalist Isabel Wilkerson’s best-selling 2020 book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, the film combines the book’s arguments with Wilkerson’s experiences researching and writing it; the end result is a compelling look at trauma, grief, and the absolute tragedy of dehumanizing certain groups of people.