Barack Obama is a pretty good movie critic.

Critics flinch when authors plug their own work on their year’s-best lists. It’s such a conflict of interest, they may think: Really, have you no shame?
But I’d been praising Descendant — produced by the Obamas’ Higher Ground — before the former president put it on his Best Movies of 2022 list. And №44 promoted it when you may have been watching Elf or It’s a Wonderful Life instead.
So here’s a reminder: This engrossing documentary tells the true story of descendants of captive Africans illegally brought to the U.S. in 1860 after the importing of slaves was illegal. It also raises complex moral and legal questions that could inspire spirited conversation around any dinner table. Here’s more:
