Director Dee Rees , along with cowriter Virgil Williams, adapted Hillary Jordan’s 2008 novel for Netflix in 2017. Though the film drew praise from critics, it didn’t have the benefit of a large theatrical release, getting lost in the infinite whirlpool of Netflix offerings. It deserves to be rediscovered, not just for its terrific ensemble cast (which includes Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan, Mary J. Blige, and Carey Mulligan ), but for its potency as a thumbnail picture of midcentury American