Octavia Spencer is the queen of movies with heart and she lays hers all out there in her latest project, Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, a Netflix original series.

This 8-episode series is a fictionalized retelling of America’s first black, self-made, female millionaire. Adapted from the book On Her Own Ground by A’Lelia Bundles, the series tells the story of a woman rising from the status of a poor washer-woman to a hair care mogul. Despite rivalries and catastrophies, Madam C.J. Walker perseveres to see her dream become a reality.

The first season is comprised of four episodes that see Sarah (Octavia Spencer), a woman living on the edge of poverty, struggling with hair loss and despair. She meets the glamourous Addie (Carmen Ejogo) who introduces her to a product that saves her hair. Sarah desires to become a saleswoman for Addie’s products but Addie rejects Sarah and tells her she is destined to be poor and ugly.

Sarah does not accept that and she becomes determined to rise above. She invents her own product and begins selling it at a discount. The orders pour in and Sarah becomes overwhelmed and unable to keep up with the demand. In an effort to catch up, she turns her home into a factory but a fire soon destroys everything.

Addie jumps in to scoop up Sarah’s lost sales but still, Sarah does not accept defeat. She moves and adapts and re-invents herself along the way. She never takes no for an answer and fights for her business and her place in this world. It’s an inspiring and uplifting story that is played out to perfection.

The cast for this series is beyond impressive. Tiffany Haddish brings Sarah’s daughter, Leila, to life with complexity and grace. it is pure pleasure to watch her character come into her own throughout the series. This pleasure is only compounded when Blair Underwood, Bill Bellamy and Garrett Morris appear onscreen.

Despite criticism for playing a little fast and loose with history, producer and star, Octavia Spencer stayed true to her vision of bringing this intelligent, capable business woman, who is still a flawed and relatable human, to life onscreen. She has been quoted as identifying with this remarkable woman and holding her story close throughout her growing years.

Self-Made is definitely binge-worthy but I challenge you to take it slow, to savour it. Enjoy it. Revel in the goodness of seeing of it. From costumes to sets to script, Self-Made is a delectable treat for the viewing audience. it is funny and heart-warming and deeply inspiring. And there are not enough, not nearly enough, stories like this out there.