264. NATCHEZ (2026) dir. Suzannah Herbert

NATCHEZ is a documentary set in Natchez, Mississippi, a town whose main economic source is tourism. What kind of tourism? Antebellum-era mansions. If you're an old, white boomer looking to travel back to an era wherein you could bask in the sun-kissed mansions draped in Spanish moss, where ladies wore hoop skirts and glided across opulent dining halls, these house tours were made for you.But as is with all things Southern, there's a seedier underbelly. There's no way to get that level of rich through cotton without exploitation. without abuse, without slavery.And as more recent generations trend to back away from these kinds of tours, the town starts to reckon with the ways it presents its history, what image they present to the world. Are they willing to weave back in difficult truths regarding slavery and its long-term effects into these historical presentations or will they reject truth?Shot intimately (like where I swear, some of theses subjects are close enough to breath on the lens), Herbert's award-winning documentary (Tribeca 2025, Best Documentary Feature) looks to mix in spoonfuls of Southern charm & wit to make the medicine go down. It's punk as fuck: one of my favorite discoveries of 2026.NATCHEZ is now available to watch for free as part of PBS' INDEPENDENT LENS series.---⁠Follow The Movies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Throw a couple dollars in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tip jar!