PHOTO BY DAVID LEE / NETFLIX

August Wilson’s Pulitzer-winner “The Piano Lesson” is the master playwright’s ghost story.

That’s true in a literal sense, as the extended Charles family grapples with the spirit of James Sutter, an imposing descendent of the family that once enslaved them. But it’s a metaphorical ghost story as well; this family is surrounded by the echoes of their past, psychological presences they must confront and carry into the present.

Related: Recreating the Crawford Grill and the Hill District in ‘The Piano Lesson’

Malcolm Washington’s film adaptation of the show borrows most of its cast from an acclaimed 2022 Broadway revival. John David Washington — the director’s brother — plays Boy Willie, the morally ambiguous striver who wants to sell his family’s heirloom piano to buy the land his ancestors toiled on as slaves. Boy Willie was originally played on stage by Samuel L. Jackson, who’s here as well; now, he’s Boy Willie’s uncle Doaker, gamely attempting to quell the chaos (supernatural and otherwise) that threatens his family.

The piano is in the possession of Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler), and it’s no mere instrument; it’s a wooden record of their family history, adorned with intricately carved portraits. It also was stolen back from the Sutter family in an infamous incident that turned violent.

“The Piano Lesson,” fundamentally, is a conflict about how to take ownership of one’s past — with that past stretching beyond the limits of a lifetime and encompassing the trauma, and hopes, of generations. Boy Willie sees the piano as a means to reclaiming (perhaps even conquering) land he and his family were denied. Berniece sees it as a living record, carved with literal blood, of her family’s history.

Such a conflict is grounds for the type of ambiguous morality that Wilson handles better than anyone. John David Washington and Deadwyler bring measured and steely determination to the challenge; both excel.

As does Malcolm Washington, directing his first feature with an assured versatility. The biggest challenge in adapting Wilson’s work lies in knowing when to intervene and when to let it go; many of these scenes can be rendered beautifully with no more than an actor and a camera. Others benefit from a flashback, a strong stylistic choice or amplified focus. Washington swings at the right pitches and rarely, if ever, misses a moment.

The result is arresting and affirming, uplifting and chilling, restrained and exuberant. It’s a beautiful — and worthy — adaptation of the master’s work. That’s no easy task; this cast and crew make it look natural.

My Rating: 9/10

“The Piano Lesson” opens in Pittsburgh exclusively at Waterworks Cinemas this Thursday night. It will stream on Netflix beginning Nov. 22.