It is based on the story of Nat Turner, the enslaved man who led a slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1831.

The film stars Parker as Turner, with Armie Hammer, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Aja Naomi King, Esther Scott, Roger Guenveur Smith, Gabrielle Union, Penelope Ann Miller, and Jackie Earle Haley in supporting roles.

The film was theatrically released in the United States on October 7, 2016, and grossed $16 million, receiving positive reviews from critics, with praise for its directing, acting, soundtrack, and cinematography.

Due to limited food for their children, Nat's father, Isaac, ventures out one night to steal something for his son to eat.

Elizabeth Turner, Benjamin's wife, discovers Nat's basic reading skills and begins teaching him, primarily using the Bible.

However, shortly before Benjamin's presumed death from tuberculosis, he instructs his wife to cease Nat's education and assign him to work as a farmhand.

As an adult, Nat continues to toil in the cotton fields while also preaching and reading Scripture for his fellow slaves.

During their visits to different plantations, Nat and Samuel witness emaciated and desperate slaves, as well as instances of appalling mistreatment by their owners.

In a secret meeting with Cherry, Nat learns of the retaliatory murder of innocent slaves and the potential for more bloodshed as long as he remains on the run.

[9] He told the magazine Filmmaker: Griffith's film relied heavily on racist propaganda to evoke fear and desperation as a tool to solidify white supremacy as the lifeblood of American sustenance.

I've reclaimed this title and re-purposed it as a tool to challenge racism and white supremacy in America, to inspire a riotous disposition toward any and all injustice in this country (and abroad) and to promote the kind of honest confrontation that will galvanize our society toward healing and sustained systemic change.

[13] In subsequent months, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, and Mark Boone Junior also joined.

Fox Searchlight made their official pitch at 11:00 p.m. that night, with TWC's Harvey Weinstein and David Glasser following suit post midnight.

This offer effectively dissuaded Parker and the film's producers from moving forward with it as they preferred a large theatrical experience instead.

[26] In August 2016, media attention surrounding the film resurfaced 1999 alleged rape charges against Nate Parker and co-writer Jean McGianni Celestin.

[37] The studio reportedly took a wait-and-see approach before marketing to church groups, college campuses, and Hollywood figures.

"[39] Gabrielle Union, a rape survivor and one of the main stars in The Birth of a Nation, wrote in the Los Angeles Times to express her concern over the allegations, particularly the lack of affirmative consent: "Even if she never said 'no', silence certainly does not equal 'yes'.

Although it's often difficult to read and understand body language, the fact that some individuals interpret the absence of a 'no' as a 'yes' is problematic at least, criminal at worst.

[42] In an open letter, former members of the Penn State student body and staff who were present during Celestin and Parker's trial defended both men's innocence of the 1999 accusations.

The group made allegations of police intimidation and a hostile racial climate on campus at the time; both Parker and Celestin are black while their accuser was a white female.

[43]Nine celebrities came out in support of Parker, including Harry Belafonte,[44] Hal Holbrook,[45] Mel Gibson,[46] Kevin Hart,[47] Harvey Weinstein (who was later embroiled in a sexual assault scandal),[48] Al Sharpton,[49] Anthony Anderson,[50] and Sheryl Underwood.

[45] Holbrook praised The Birth of a Nation as "an exceptional piece of artistry and a vital portrait of our American experience in trying to live up to ideals we say we have" and suggested that owing to the film's critique of racism, Parker and his film were being held to a different standard than what Holbrook characterized as other "directors and actors who have rather public indiscretions, and who have in some cases been acquitted of them".

[54][55] In assessing the mediocre[56][57] opening weekend of The Birth of a Nation, The Washington Post reported, "While some moviegoers may have been put off by the controversy, middling reviews for the movie itself probably didn’t help.

The site's critical consensus reads, "The Birth of a Nation overpowers its narrative flaws and uneven execution through sheer conviction, rising on Nate Parker's assured direction and the strength of its vital message.

"[61] Metacritic gave the film a normalized score of 69 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

[63] Justin Chang at Variety compared The Birth of a Nation to 12 Years a Slave, saying: "Parker's more conventionally told but still searingly impressive debut feature pushes the conversation further still: A biographical drama steeped equally in grace and horror, it builds to a brutal finale that will stir deep emotion and inevitable unease."

He concluded, "The Birth of a Nation exists to provoke a serious debate about the necessity and limitations of empathy, the morality of retaliatory violence, and the ongoing black struggle for justice and equality in this country.

"[7] The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy said, "The film vividly captures an assortment of slavery’s brutalities while also underlining the religious underpinnings of Turner's justifications for his assaults on slaveholders."

He added, "The film offers up more than enough in terms of intelligence, insight, historical research and religious nuance as to not at all be considered a missed opportunity; far more of the essentials made it into the film than not, its makers' dedication and minute attention are constantly felt and the subject matter is still rare enough onscreen as to be welcome and needed, as it will be the next time and the time after that.