TAGGED AS: Black History Month, movies
120 Important Films About the Black Experience
The Latest: In celebration of Juneteenth, we’ve added 10 more films to our list, including recent important Black films like Sinners, Nickel Boys, and American Fiction. We’ve also updated the list to be ranked by Tomatometer, check it out to see where each film landed!
By Shawn Edwards, Co-Founder, African American Film Critics Association
Cinema can be a powerful tool for education. Back in February, for Black History Month, Rotten Tomatoes’ sister site Fandango reached out to members of the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) to curate a list of 100 important films about the Black experience.
In the spirit of creating a dialogue, Rotten Tomatoes is republishing Fandango’s list, which has been updated by AAFCA members with an additional 10 titles like George Tillman Jr.’s The Hate U Give and Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk. We also arranged the movies in descending chronological order, starting with newer films like 2019’s Just Mercy with Jamie Foxx and Michael B. Jordan and finishing with Oscar Micheaux’s ground-breaking 1919 movie, The Homesteader.
This list was designed by AAFCA members as a resource guide to connect movie watchers with more-relevant-than-ever classics like Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing or powerful documentaries like the Oscar-nominated James Baldwin doc, I Am Not Your Negro. To find out more about the African American Film Critics Association, visit www.aafca.com and follow @theaafca on Twitter.
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100%
Critics Consensus: O.J.: Made in America paints a balanced and thorough portrait of the American dream juxtaposed with tragedy and executed with power and skill.
Synopsis: Director Ezra Edelman examines race and celebrity through the life of O.J. Simpson. Beginning at the emergence of his football career at the University of… View Full Synopsis
Directed By: Ezra Edelman
100%
Critics Consensus: An engrossing documentary that’s as much about a time and a place as it is about a fight.
Synopsis: On October 30, 1974, perhaps the most famous heavyweight championship boxing match of all time took place in Kinshasa, Zaire: the “Rumble in the Jungle”… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Don King, B.B. King
Directed By: Leon Gast, David Sonenberg
100%
Critics Consensus: Visually and thematically evocative, Sugar Cane Alley tells a story that’s heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure.
Synopsis: In the French colony of Martinique in the 1930s, rambunctious teenager Jose (Garry Cadenat) lives in a rundown shack in a small farm village with… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Garry Cadenat, Darling Legitimus, Douta Seck
Directed By: Euzhan Palcy
99%
Critics Consensus: Fueled by a gripping performance from David Oyelowo, Selma draws inspiration and dramatic power from the life and death of Martin Luther King, Jr. — but doesn’t ignore how far we remain from the ideals his work embodied.
Synopsis: Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for Blacks to… View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, Giovanni Ribisi
Directed By: Ava DuVernay, Brad Pitt, Cameron McCracken, Nik Bower
99%
Critics Consensus: I Am Not Your Negro offers an incendiary snapshot of James Baldwin’s crucial observations on American race relations — and a sobering reminder of how far we’ve yet to go.
Synopsis: In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, “Remember This House.” The book was to be a revolutionary,… View Full Synopsis
Directed By: Raoul Peck
99%
Critics Consensus: A documentary-like depiction of a nation’s real-life efforts to expel a colonizing force, The Battle of Algiers puts viewers on the front lines with gripping realism.
Synopsis: Paratrooper commander Colonel Mathieu (Jean Martin), a former French Resistance fighter during World War II, is sent to 1950s Algeria to reinforce efforts to squelch… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Brahim Haggiag, Tommaso Neri
Directed By: Gillo Pontecorvo
98%
Critics Consensus: Funny, scary, and thought-provoking, Get Out seamlessly weaves its trenchant social critiques into a brilliantly effective and entertaining horror/comedy thrill ride.
Synopsis: Now that Chris and his girlfriend, Rose, have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway with Missy and Dean…. View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Directed By: Jordan Peele, Raymond Mansfield, Couper Samuelson, Shaun Redick
98%
Critics Consensus: Moonlight uses one man’s story to offer a remarkable and brilliantly crafted look at lives too rarely seen in cinema.
Synopsis: A look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to manhood is… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mahershala Ali, Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes
Directed By: Barry Jenkins, Brad Pitt, Sarah Esberg, Tarell Alvin McCraney
98%
Critics Consensus: By turns funny, sad, and profound, Killer of Sheep offers a sympathetic and humane glimpse into inner-city life.
Synopsis: In Watts, an urban and mostly African-American section of Los Angeles, Stan (Henry Gayle Sanders) spends his days toiling away at a local slaughterhouse. His… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Henry G. Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Charles Bracy, Angela Burnett
Directed By: Charles Burnett
98%
Critics Consensus: Paris Is Burning dives into ’80s transgender subculture, with the understated camera allowing this world to flourish and the people to speak (and dance) for themselves.
Synopsis: This documentary focuses on drag queens living in New York City and their “house” culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the… View Full Synopsis
Starring: André Christian, Freddie Pendavis, Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija
Directed By: Jennie Livingston
98%
Critics Consensus: One of the most critically acclaimed documentaries of all time, Hoop Dreams is a rich, complex, heartbreaking, and ultimately deeply rewarding film that uses high school hoops as a jumping-off point to explore issues of race, class, and education in modern America.
Synopsis: Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester,… View Full Synopsis
Directed By: Steve James, Gordon Quinn, Catherine Allan
98%
Critics Consensus: With calm confidence and a strikingly naturalistic approach, Nothing But a Man tells a quietly powerful story of Black American lives.
Synopsis: African-American rail worker Duff Anderson (Ivan Dixon) has left his 4-year-old son with a nanny, and now drifts through life with little ambition. Duff’s outlook… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ivan Dixon, Abbey Lincoln, Gloria Foster, Julius Harris
Directed By: Michael Roemer
98%
Critics Consensus: Home of the Brave is a powerful portrayal of the soldier’s life, a strong indictment of discrimination, and above all an engaging, well-acted drama.
Synopsis: Paralyzed African-American veteran Peter Moss (James Edwards) is undergoing psychoanalysis after suffering a nervous breakdown. As Moss recounts his trauma to an army psychiatrist (Jeff… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Douglas Dick, Steve Brodie, Jeff Corey, Lloyd Bridges
Directed By: Mark Robson
97%
Critics Consensus: A rip-roaring fusion of masterful visual storytelling and toe-tapping music, writer-director Ryan Coogler’s first original blockbuster reveals the full scope of his singular imagination.
Synopsis: Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell
Directed By: Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Will Greenfield, Rebecca Cho
97%
Critics Consensus: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse matches bold storytelling with striking animation for a purely enjoyable adventure with heart, humor, and plenty of superhero action.
Synopsis: Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man…. View Full Synopsis
Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali
Directed By: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Stan Lee
97%
Critics Consensus: Framed by a pair of powerhouse performances, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom pays affectionate tribute to a blues legend — and Black culture at large.
Synopsis: Tensions and temperatures rise at a Chicago music studio in 1927 when fiery, fearless blues singer Ma Rainey joins her band for a recording session.
Starring: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo
Directed By: George C. Wolfe
97%
Critics Consensus: Led by a breakout turn from Amandla Stenberg, the hard-hitting The Hate U Give emphatically proves the YA genre has room for much more than magic and romance.
Synopsis: Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds — the poor, mostly black neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy, mostly white prep school that… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, K.J. Apa
Directed By: George Tillman Jr., Timothy M. Bourne, Angie Thomas, Isaac Klausner
97%
Critics Consensus: 13th strikes at the heart of America’s tangled racial history, offering observations as incendiary as they are calmly controlled.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation’s prisons are disproportionately filled with… View Full Synopsis
Directed By: Ava DuVernay, Ben Cotner, Adam Del Deo, Lisa Nishimura
97%
Critics Consensus: With a fascinating real-life story and powerhouse performances from Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne, What’s Love Got to Do With It? is a can’t miss biopic.
Synopsis: Based on the life of the legendary soul singer, Tina Turner (Angela Bassett) — born Anna Mae Bullock — discovers her love of singing in… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Jenifer Lewis
Directed By: Brian Gibson, Roger Davies, Mario Iscovich
96%
Critics Consensus: Black Panther elevates superhero cinema to thrilling new heights while telling one of the MCU’s most absorbing stories — and introducing some of its most fully realized characters.
Synopsis: After the death of his father, T’Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira
Directed By: Ryan Coogler, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore
96%
Critics Consensus: BlacKkKlansman uses history to offer bitingly trenchant commentary on current events — and brings out some of Spike Lee’s hardest-hitting work in decades along the way.
Synopsis: Ron Stallworth is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets… View Full Synopsis
Starring: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace
Directed By: Spike Lee, Marcei A. Brown, Edward H. Hamm Jr., Matthew A. Cherry
96%
Critics Consensus: An electrifying dramatization of historical events, Judas and the Black Messiah is a forceful condemnation of racial injustice — and a major triumph for its director and stars.
Synopsis: FBI informant William O’Neal infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party and is tasked with keeping tabs on their charismatic leader, Chairman Fred Hampton. A career… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback
Directed By: Shaka King, Jason Cloth, Zinzi Coogler, Ted Gidlow
96%
Critics Consensus: An unpredictable supernatural drama rooted in real-world social commentary, Atlantique suggests a thrillingly bright future for debuting filmmaker Mati Diop.
Synopsis: Arranged to marry a rich man, young Ada is crushed when her true love goes missing at sea during a migration attempt — until a… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mama Sané, Amadou Mbow, Ibrahima Traoré, Amina Kane
Directed By: Mati Diop, Oumar Sall
96%
Critics Consensus: Tense, funny, and thought-provoking all at once, and lifted by strong performances from Sydney Poitier and Rod Steiger, director Norman Jewison’s look at murder and racism in small-town America continues to resonate today.
Synopsis: African-American Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is arrested on suspicion of murder by Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger), the racist police chief of tiny… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Quentin Dean
Directed By: Norman Jewison
96%
Critics Consensus: Hard-hitting and breathtakingly effective, La Haine takes an uncompromising look at long-festering social and economic divisions affecting 1990s Paris.
Synopsis: When a young Arab is arrested and beaten unconscious by police, a riot erupts in the notoriously violent suburbs outside of Paris. Three of the… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Said Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili
Directed By: Mathieu Kassovitz
96%
Critics Consensus: Well-acted and thematically rich, Boyz N the Hood observes Black America with far more depth and compassion than many of the like-minded films its success inspired.
Synopsis: Tre is sent to live with his father, Furious Styles, in tough South Central Los Angeles. Although his hard-nosed father instills proper values and respect… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Nia Long
Directed By: John Singleton
95%
Critics Consensus: It’s far from comfortable viewing, but 12 Years a Slave‘s unflinchingly brutal look at American slavery is also brilliant — and quite possibly essential — cinema.
Synopsis: In the years before the Civil War, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano
Directed By: Steve McQueen, John Ridley, Tessa Ross
95%
Critics Consensus: If Beale Street Could Talk honors its source material with a beautifully filmed adaptation that finds director Barry Jenkins further strengthening his visual and narrative craft.
Synopsis: In early 1970s Harlem, daughter and wife-to-be Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo
Directed By: Barry Jenkins, Megan Ellison, Brad Pitt, Sarah Esberg
95%
Critics Consensus: Creed brings the Rocky franchise off the mat for a surprisingly effective seventh round that extends the boxer’s saga in interesting new directions while staying true to its classic predecessors’ roots.
Synopsis: Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) never knew his famous father, boxing champion Apollo Creed, who died before Adonis was born. However, boxing is in his… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad
Directed By: Ryan Coogler, Nicolas Stern
95%
Critics Consensus: Pulsing with authenticity and led by a stirring lead performance from Adepero Oduye, Pariah is a powerful coming out/coming-of-age film that signals the arrival of a fresh new talent in writer/director Dee Rees.
Synopsis: Teenage Alike (Adepero Oduye) lives in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood with her parents (Charles Parnell, Kim Wayans) and younger sister (Sahra Mellesse). A lesbian, Alike… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Adepero Oduye, Pernell Walker, Aasha Davis, Charles Parnell
Directed By: Dee Rees, Spike Lee, Jeff Robinson, Sam Martin
95%
Critics Consensus: Bolstered by exceptional cinematography, powerful storytelling, and an Oscar-winning performance by Denzel Washington, Glory remains one of the finest Civil War movies ever made.
Synopsis: Following the Battle of Antietam, Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is offered command of the United States’ first all-African-American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes
Directed By: Edward Zwick
95%
Critics Consensus: Stormy Weather‘s depiction of the Black community is disappointingly facile, but its delightful musical numbers drown out any missed narrative notes.
Synopsis: Bill Williamson (Bill Robinson), a struggling performer, meets a beautiful vocalist named Selina Rogers (Lena Horne). Bill promises her that they will be together after… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Lena Horne, Bill Robinson, The Nicholas Brothers, Dooley Wilson
Directed By: Andrew L. Stone
94%
Critics Consensus: All hail Viola Davis! The Woman King rules.
Synopsis: The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim
Directed By: Gina Prince-Bythewood, Peter McAleese
94%
Critics Consensus: Passionate and powerfully acted, Fruitvale Station serves as a celebration of life, a condemnation of death, and a triumph for star Michael B. Jordan.
Synopsis: Though he once spent time in San Quentin, 22-year-old black man Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) is now trying hard to live a clean life… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Octavia Spencer, Melonie Diaz, Ahna O'Reilly
Directed By: Ryan Coogler, Michael Y. Chow, Lisa Kleiner-Chanoff, John Kwok
94%
Critics Consensus: Daughters of the Dust addresses its weighty themes with lovely visuals and a light, poetic touch, offering an original, absorbing look at a largely unexplored corner of American culture.
Synopsis: At the dawn of the 20th century, a family in the Gullah community of coastal South Carolina — former West African slaves who adopted many… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cora Lee Day, Alva Rogers, Adisa Anderson, Kaycee Moore
Directed By: Julie Dash, Lindsay Law
93%
Critics Consensus: In heartwarming, crowd-pleasing fashion, Hidden Figures celebrates overlooked — and crucial — contributions from a pivotal moment in American history.
Synopsis: Three brilliant African American women at NASA, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner
Directed By: Theodore Melfi, Jamal Daniel, Renee Witt, Ivana Lombardi
93%
Critics Consensus: Jeffrey Wright and American Fiction will forever be inextricable thanks to the actor’s committed approach to the pointedly humorous and insightful material.
Synopsis: AMERICAN FICTION is Cord Jefferson’s hilarious directorial debut, which confronts our culture’s obsession with reducing people to outrageous stereotypes. Jeffrey Wright stars as Monk, a… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander
Directed By: Cord Jefferson, Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, Percival Everett
93%
Critics Consensus: To Sleep with Anger examines cultural tensions with a deft hand and a potent blend of comedy and drama, stirred skillfully to life by a strong cast led by Danny Glover.
Synopsis: Vagabond Harry (Danny Glover) pays an unexpected visit to his old chum Gideon (Paul Butler), who accepts the aimless man into his home, despite the… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Danny Glover, Paul Butler, Mary Alice, Richard Brooks
Directed By: Charles Burnett, Edward R. Pressman, Harris Tulchin
92%
Critics Consensus: Precious is a grim yet ultimately triumphant film about abuse and inner-city life, largely bolstered by exceptional performances from its cast.
Synopsis: Pregnant by her own father for the second time, 16-year-old Claireece “Precious” Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) can neither read nor write and suffers constant abuse at… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz
Directed By: Lee Daniels, Lisa Cortes, Tom Heller, Tyler Perry
92%
Critics Consensus: Director RaMell Ross’ stylistically radical approach to adapting Colson Whitehead’s searing novel will be jarring for some, but Nickel Boys‘ sense of immersion achieves the jaw-dropping effect of walking in another’s shoes.
Synopsis: Elwood Curtis’s college dream shatters alongside a two-lane Florida highway. Bearing the brunt of an innocent misstep, he’s sentenced to the netherworld of Nickel Academy,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater, Fred Hechinger
Directed By: RaMell Ross, Brad Pitt, Gabby Shepard, Emily Wolfe
92%
Critics Consensus: Smart, vibrant, and urgent without being didactic, Do the Right Thing is one of Spike Lee’s most fully realized efforts — and one of the most important films of the 1980s.
Synopsis: Salvatore “Sal” Fragione (Danny Aiello) is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito), becomes upset when he… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson
Directed By: Spike Lee
92%
Critics Consensus: Humor, interesting characters, and attention to details make the stylish Devil in a Blue Dress an above average noir.
Synopsis: In late 1940s Los Angeles, Easy Rawlins is an unemployed black World War II veteran with few job prospects. At a bar, Easy meets DeWitt… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, Don Cheadle
Directed By: Carl Franklin, Jonathan Demme, Edward Saxon
91%
Critics Consensus: A sobering and heartfelt tale about massacre that took place in Rwanda while most of the world looked away.
Synopsis: Hutu Paul Rusesabagina manages the Hôtel des Mille Collines and lives a happy life with his Tutsi wife and their three children, but when Hutu… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Nolte
Directed By: Terry George, Hal Sadoff, Martin Katz, Duncan Reid
91%
Critics Consensus: City of God offers a shocking and disturbing — but always compelling — look at life in the slums of Rio de Janiero.
Synopsis: In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket (Phellipe Haagensen) is a budding photographer who… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva
Directed By: Fernando Meirelles, Elisa Tolomelli, Donald Ranvaud, Walter Salles
91%
Critics Consensus: Dear White People adds a welcome new voice to cinema’s oft-neglected discussion of race, tackling its timely themes with intelligence, honesty, and gratifyingly sharp wit.
Synopsis: A campus culture war between blacks and whites at a predominantly white school comes to a head when the staff of a humor magazine stages… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner, Teyonah Parris
Directed By: Justin Simien, Leonid Lebedev, Stephanie Allain
90%
Critics Consensus: Led by a masterful performance from Sidney Poitier, A Raisin in the Sun expertly blends social commentary with pure entertainment.
Synopsis: This lauded drama follows the Youngers, an African-American family living together in an apartment in Chicago. Following the death of their patriarch, they try to… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands
Directed By: Daniel Petrie
90%
Critics Consensus: From the stage to the street, Wattstax brilliantly captures a musical moment — and a poignantly passionate response to painful social upheaval.
Synopsis: In 1972 at the Los Angeles Coliseum, director Mel Stuart captures the performances of the Watts Summer Festival. Organized by Stax Records, the festival is… View Full Synopsis
Starring: James Alexander, Raymond Allen, Isaac Hayes, Luther Ingram
Directed By: Mel Stuart, Al Bell, David L. Wolper
89%
Critics Consensus: Straight Outta Compton is a biopic that’s built to last, thanks to F. Gary Gray’s confident direction and engaging performances from a solid cast.
Synopsis: In 1988, a groundbreaking new group revolutionizes music and pop culture, changing and influencing hip-hop forever. N.W.A’s first studio album, “Straight Outta Compton,” stirs controversy… View Full Synopsis
Starring: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr.
Directed By: F. Gary Gray, Will Packer, Adam Merims, David Engel
89%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by a powerful performance from Denzel Washington, Spike Lee’s biopic of legendary civil rights leader Malcolm X brings his autobiography to life with an epic sweep and a nuanced message.
Synopsis: A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the ’50s, he… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman Jr.
Directed By: Spike Lee
88%
Critics Consensus: Colorful, atmospheric, and infections, Black Orpheus takes an ancient tale and makes it fresh anew, thanks in part to its bewitching bossa nova soundtrack.
Synopsis: Young lovers Orfeu and Eurydice run through the favelas of Rio during Carnaval, on the lam from a hitman dressed like Death and Orfeu’s vengeful… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, Lourdes de Oliveira, Léa Garcia
Directed By: Marcel Camus
88%
Critics Consensus: This is the man that would risk his neck for his brother, man. Can you dig it?
Synopsis: John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) is the ultimate in suave black detectives. He first finds himself up against Bumpy (Moses Gunn), the leader of the black… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Christopher St. John, Charles Cioffi
Directed By: Gordon Parks
87%
Critics Consensus: In some respects, Rosewood struggles to present a full picture of the real-life tragedy it dramatizes, but it remains a harrowing depiction of racial violence.
Synopsis: Rosewood, Florida, is a small, peaceful town with an almost entirely African-American population of middle-class homeowners, until New Year’s Day 1923, when a lynch mob… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jon Voight, Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Bruce McGill
Directed By: John Singleton, Tracy Barone
86%
Critics Consensus: The warmth of traditional Disney animation makes this occasionally lightweight fairy-tale update a lively and captivating confection for the holidays.
Synopsis: Hardworking and ambitious, Tiana dreams of one day opening the finest restaurant in New Orleans. Her dream takes a slight detour when she meets Prince… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley
Directed By: Ron Clements, John Musker, John Lasseter, Aghi Koh
86%
Critics Consensus: Confident directing and acting deliver an insightful look at young athletes.
Synopsis: Monica (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy (Omar Epps) are two childhood friends who both aspire to be professional basketball players. Quincy, whose father, Zeke (Dennis Haysbert),… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Alfre Woodard, Dennis Haysbert
Directed By: Gina Prince-Bythewood, Andrew Z. Davis, Cynthia Guidry, Jay Stern
85%
Critics Consensus: Just Mercy dramatizes a real-life injustice with solid performances, a steady directorial hand, and enough urgency to overcome a certain degree of earnest advocacy.
Synopsis: After graduating from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Rob Morgan
Directed By: Destin Daniel Cretton, Bryan Stevenson, Mike Drake, Niija Kuykendall
84%
Critics Consensus: An up-close look at one family’s emotional ups and downs, Waves captures complicated dynamics with tenderness and grace.
Synopsis: The epic emotional journey of a suburban African American family as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the wake of a tragic loss.
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Taylor Russell, Sterling K. Brown, Lucas Hedges
Directed By: Trey Edward Shults, Jacob Jaffke
84%
Critics Consensus: Eve’s Bayou marks a striking feature debut for director Kasi Lemmons, layering terrific performances and Southern mysticism into a measured meditation on disillusionment and forgiveness.
Synopsis: Over the course of a long, hot Louisiana summer, a 10-year-old black girl, Eve Batiste (Jurnee Smollett), discovers that her family’s affluent existence is merely… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Debbi Morgan, Vondie Curtis-Hall
Directed By: Kasi Lemmons, Mark Amin, Eli Selden, Julie Yorn
84%
Critics Consensus: Told with grit and verve by the Hughes brothers in their feature debut, Menace II Society is a gangland epic that breathes with authenticity while steeped in style.
Synopsis: After growing up in the gang lifestyle of the Los Angeles projects, 18-year-old Caine Lawson (Tyrin Turner) wants a way out. Everyone around him, including… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vonte Sweet, Larenz Tate
Directed By: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes, Kevin Moreton
83%
Critics Consensus: Cooley High crackles with vibrant energy and authenticity, elevated by an impressively natural cast and Michael Schultz’s effortless direction.
Synopsis: Richard “Cochise” Morris (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs), a local basketball hero, and Leroy “Preach” Jackson (Glynn Turman), who dreams of a career in writing, are likable Chicago… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Glynn Turman, Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis
Directed By: Michael Schultz, Samuel Z. Arkoff
82%
Critics Consensus: Stylish, provocative, and powerful, Queen & Slim tells a gripping fugitive story steeped in timely, thoughtful subtext.
Synopsis: Slim and Queen’s first date takes an unexpected turn when a policeman pulls them over for a minor traffic violation. When the situation escalates, Slim… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Chloë Sevigny
Directed By: Melina Matsoukas, Pamela Hirsch, Daniel Kaluuya, Aaron L. Gilbert
82%
Critics Consensus: Chweneyagae’s powerful performance carries this simple yet searing tale of a shantytown teenager’s redemption.
Synopsis: A South African hoodlum named Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) lives by a code of violence, and he and his gang of thugs prowls the streets of… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Presley Chweneyagae, Mothusi Magano, Israel Makoe, Percy Matsemela
Directed By: Gavin Hood, Sam Bhembe, Robert Little, Doug Mankoff
82%
Critics Consensus: Much like the titular cuisine, Soul Food blends a series of savory ingredients to offer warm, generous helpings of nourishment and comfort.
Synopsis: When Ahmad Simmons’ (Brandon Hammond) diabetic grandmother, Josephine Big Mama Joseph (Irma P. Hall), falls into a coma during an operation to amputate her leg,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach
Directed By: George Tillman Jr., Kenneth Babyface Edmonds
81%
Critics Consensus: A striking triumph for director Euzhan Palcy, A Dry White Season offers a condemnation of real-world injustice in the shape of a gripping legal thriller.
Synopsis: Teacher Ben du Toit (Donald Sutherland) mostly ignores the problems of apartheid in South Africa until he discovers that the son of a gardener (Winston… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Winston Ntshona, Janet Suzman, Jürgen Prochnow
Directed By: Euzhan Palcy, Tim Hampton
81%
Critics Consensus: Jungle Fever finds Spike Lee tackling timely sociopolitical themes in typically provocative style, even if the result is sometimes ambitious to a fault.
Synopsis: A married black lawyer named Flipper (Wesley Snipes) begins an affair with Angie (Annabella Sciorra), his white secretary. When the news is leaked through an… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Ossie Davis, Spike Lee
Directed By: Spike Lee
81%
Critics Consensus: Cabin in the Sky‘s racial stereotypes are impossible to ignore — but so are its irresistible musical numbers and brilliantly talented cast.
Synopsis: When compulsive gambler Little Joe Jackson (Eddie “Rochester” Anderson) dies in a drunken fight, he awakens in purgatory, where he learns that he will be… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ethel Waters, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong
Directed By: Vincente Minnelli, Busby Berkeley
80%
Critics Consensus: An engrossing and energetic portrait of a great musician’s achievements and foibles, Ray is anchored by Jamie Foxx’s stunning performance as Ray Charles.
Synopsis: Legendary soul musician Ray Charles is portrayed by Jamie Foxx in this Oscar-winning biopic. Young Ray watches his 7-year-old brother drown at age seven. When… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King, Clifton Powell
Directed By: Taylor Hackford
79%
Critics Consensus: Dreamgirls‘ simple characters and plot hardly detract from the movie’s real feats: the electrifying performances and the dazzling musical numbers.
Synopsis: Deena (Beyoncé Knowles), Effie (Jennifer Hudson) and Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose) form a music trio called the Dreamettes. When ambitious manager Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson
Directed By: Bill Condon, Patricia Whitcher
100%
Synopsis: Unemployed, depressed and running out of options for supporting his wife and three children, Charlie Banks is just barely eking out a living in the… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nate Hardman, Kaycee Moore, Angela Burnett, Ronald Burnett
Directed By: Billy Woodberry
100%
Synopsis: In this early silent film from pioneering director Oscar Micheaux, kindly Sylvia Landry (Flo Clements) takes a fundraising trip to Boston in hopes of collecting… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Evelyn Preer, Flo Clements, William Smith, Charles D. Lucas
Directed By: Oscar Micheaux
94%
Critics Consensus: House Party is a light, entertaining teen comedy with an infectious energy.
Synopsis: Play’s parents are out of town, and he’s planning the house party to end all house parties. His best friend, Kid, wants to go more… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robin Harris, Christopher Reid, Christopher Martin, Martin Lawrence
Directed By: Reginald Hudlin, Gerald T. Olson
94%
Critics Consensus: With She’s Gotta Have It, Spike Lee delivered his bracing first shot across Hollywood’s bow — and set the template for the groundbreaking act to follow.
Synopsis: Beautiful Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) can’t decide what kind of man she wants to date, so she decides to date three at the same… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee
Directed By: Spike Lee
94%
Critics Consensus: When the Levees Broke offers a heart-rending elegy for an American city overflowing with culture, beset by natural disaster, and betrayed by institutional indifference.
Synopsis: Spike Lee documents life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city’s anti-flooding safeguards in 2005. In the film, New Orleans residents tell their… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Harry Belafonte, Terence Blanchard, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney
Directed By: Spike Lee
93%
Synopsis: Priest (Ron O’Neal), a suave top-rung New York City drug dealer, decides that he wants to get out of his dangerous trade. Working with his… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ron O'Neal, Carl Lee, Sheila Frazier, Julius Harris
Directed By: Gordon Parks Jr.
93%
Synopsis: SANKOFA follows Mona (Oyafunmike Ogunlano), a Black American fashion model on a photo shoot in Cape Coast, Ghana. Through Mr. Gerima’s imaginative storytelling, she undergoes… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Oyafunmike Ogunlano, Kofi Ghanaba, Alexandra Duah, Nick Medley
Directed By: Haile Gerima
92%
Critics Consensus: Sidney Poitier lends heart and humor to the wonderfully simple Lilies of the Fields, in which splendor sprouts from wholesome soil.
Synopsis: When traveling African-American handyman Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier) stops by a farm in rural Arizona, he is welcomed by a group of Roman Catholic nuns… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Lilia Skala, Lisa Mann, Isa Crino
Directed By: Ralph Nelson
92%
Synopsis: The late Richard Pryor influenced a generation of comedians of all races, and his scathing brand of satire is offered in full bloom in a… View Full Synopsis
Directed By: Jeff Margolis, Saul Barnett
91%
Critics Consensus: A meticulously-crafted murder mystery with incisive observations about race in America, A Soldier’s Story benefits from a roundly excellent ensemble and Charles Fuller’s politically urgent screenplay.
Synopsis: A black Army investigator (Howard E. Rollins Jr.) travels to a remote military base in the heart of the Louisiana backwoods to look into the… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Howard E. Rollins Jr., Adolph Caesar, Denzel Washington, Dennis Lipscomb
Directed By: Norman Jewison, Chiz Schultz
91%
Synopsis: The Morgans, a family of poor black sharecroppers in the Depression-plagued South, struggle to find enough to eat despite the help their hunting dog, Sounder…. View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks, Carmen Mathews
Directed By: Martin Ritt
90%
Critics Consensus: While it’s a bit dated and overly schmaltzy, To Sir, With Love remains compelling because of Sidney Poitier’s outstanding performance — and the catchy theme song is a classic.
Synopsis: American Mark Thackeray (Sidney Poitier) recently received his degree in engineering, but cannot find work. To make ends meet, he takes a job as a… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Judy Geeson, Christian Roberts, Suzy Kendall
Directed By: James Clavell, John R. Sloan
90%
Synopsis: South Bronx graffiti artist Shy Zoro is commissioned to paint a backdrop for a rap/break-dance concert.
Starring: "Lee" George Quinones, Lady Pink, Patti Astor, Andrew Witten
Directed By: Charlie Ahearn
90%
Synopsis: Beginning during the racial turmoil of 1960s Louisiana, 110-year-old ex-slave Jane Pittman (Cicely Tyson) grants an interview to a persistent journalist and relates the remarkable… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cicely Tyson, Odetta, Richard Dysart, Josephine Premice
Directed By: John Korty
88%
Critics Consensus: Hollywood Shuffle overcomes budgetary constraints with sharp humor and infectious energy, heralding the arrival of an exciting new filmmaking talent in the bargain.
Synopsis: Aspiring actor and hot-dog stand employee Bobby Taylor (Robert Townsend) catches the ire of his grandmother (Helen Martin) for auditioning for a role in the… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Townsend, Anne-Marie Johnson, Starletta DuPois, Helen Martin
Directed By: Robert Townsend, Carl Craig
88%
Synopsis: Tired of poverty, a Senegalese cowherd and a university student steal money and clothing, then book passage to France to start new lives.
Starring: Christoph Colomb, Ousseynou Diop, Aminata Fall, Ndou Labia
Directed By: Djibril Diop Mambety
88%
Synopsis: A white insurance salesman, Jeff Gerber (Godfrey Cambridge), gets the surprise of his life when he wakes up and discovers that his skin now resembles… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Godfrey Cambridge, Estelle Parsons, Howard Caine, D'Urville Martin
Directed By: Melvin Van Peebles, Leon Mirell
86%
Synopsis: Zeke Johnson (Daniel L. Haynes) and his brother, Spunk (Everett McGarrity), sell their family’s crops for $100. When Zeke manages to lose the money gambling,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel L. Haynes, Nina Mae McKinney, William Fountaine, Harry Gray
Directed By: King Vidor
83%
Synopsis: An old widow’s (Hilda Offley) foster daughter (Sheila Guyse) is accused of murder after mobsters take over their candy shop.
Starring: Sheila Guyse, Stepin Fetchit, Hilda Offley, Creighton Thompson
Directed By: Jack Kemp
83%
Synopsis: Based on a true story, this film chronicles the life of Dorothy Dandridge, the first black woman to be nominated for an Oscar for Best… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Halle Berry, Brent Spiner, Obba Babatundé, Loretta Devine
Directed By: Martha Coolidge, Robert Katz, Moctesuma Esparza, Halle Berry
82%
Critics Consensus: Juice hits hard as a tense, provocative morality play with assured direction from first-timer Ernest Dickerson and commanding central performances.
Synopsis: Four Harlem friends — Bishop (Tupac Shakur), Q (Omar Epps), Steel (Jermaine Hopkins) and Raheem (Khalil Kain) — dabble in petty crime, but they decide… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain
Directed By: Ernest R. Dickerson
81%
Critics Consensus: Stylishly directed by Mario Van Peebles, New Jack City offsets its melodramatic streak with electrifying action and a cavalcade of effective performances.
Synopsis: Drug tycoon Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) and his minions, known collectively as the Cash Money Brothers, have rapidly risen to the top of the New… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Judd Nelson, Mario Van Peebles
Directed By: Mario Van Peebles
78%
Synopsis: A preacher in a small African-American church in Louisiana tells his Sunday school class stories from the Bible as if the characters were part of… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Rex Ingram, Oscar Polk, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Frank H. Wilson
Directed By: William Keighley, Marc Connelly, Hal B. Wallis
77%
Critics Consensus: What Friday might lack in taut construction or directorial flair, it more than makes up with its vibrant (albeit consistently crass) humor and the charming, energetic performances of its leads.
Synopsis: It’s Friday and Craig Jones has just gotten fired for stealing cardboard boxes. To make matters worse, rent is due, he hates his overbearing girlfriend,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tommy Tiny Lister
Directed By: F. Gary Gray, Ice Cube
77%
Synopsis: A former CIA agent (Lawrence Cook) organizes black teenagers into well-trained guerrilla bands bent on overthrowing the white establishment.
Starring: Lawrence Cook, Paula Kelly, Janet League, J.A. Preston
Directed By: Ivan Dixon
76%
Synopsis: As an African-American teen in small-town Kansas in the 1920s, Newt Winger (Kyle Johnson) largely shrugs off the racial prejudice of his time and place…. View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kyle Johnson, Alex Clarke, Estelle Evans, Dana Elcar
Directed By: Gordon Parks
75%
Critics Consensus: An endearing romance that puts a fairly fresh perspective on familiar framework, Love Jones is worth falling for.
Synopsis: Two urban African-Americans, Darius (Larenz Tate), an aspiring writer, and Nina (Nia Long), an aspiring photographer, share an instant connection after a chance meeting at… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington, Lisa Nicole Carson
Directed By: Theodore Witcher, Julia Chasman, Helena Echegoyen, Amy Henkels
74%
Critics Consensus: Purple Rain makes for undeniably uneven cinema, but it’s held together by its star’s singular charisma — not to mention a slew of classic songs.
Synopsis: A victim of his own anger, the Kid (Prince) is a Minneapolis musician on the rise with his band, the Revolution, escaping a tumultuous home… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Jerome Benton
Directed By: Albert Magnoli
73%
Critics Consensus: It might have been better served by a filmmaker with a deeper connection to the source material, but The Color Purple remains a worthy, well-acted adaptation of Alice Walker’s classic novel.
Synopsis: An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Margaret Avery, Oprah Winfrey
Directed By: Steven Spielberg, Peter Guber, Jon Peters
73%
Synopsis: Pop star Diana Ross portrays legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday in this biographical drama. Beginning with Holiday’s traumatic youth, the film depicts her early attempts… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams, Richard Pryor, James Callahan
Directed By: Sidney J. Furie
73%
Synopsis: Sweet Sweetback (Melvin Van Peebles) is a black orphan who, having grown up in a brothel, now works there as part of a sex show…. View Full Synopsis
Starring: Melvin Van Peebles, Simon Chuckster, Hubert Scales, John Dullaghan
Directed By: Melvin Van Peebles
72%
Synopsis: Screen version of the musical Carmen Jones, which adapted Bizet’s opera Carmen for an African-American cast. A soldier falls for Dandridge, a seductive factory worker…. View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, Olga James
Directed By: Otto Preminger
71%
Critics Consensus: Eddie Murphy was in full control at this point, starkly evident in Coming to America‘s John Landis’ coasting direction.
Synopsis: Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) is the prince of a wealthy African country and wants for nothing, except a wife who will love him in spite… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, John Amos, James Earl Jones
Directed By: John Landis, Leslie Belzberg, Mark Lipsky
71%
Critics Consensus: More well-intentioned than insightful in its approach to interracial marriage, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner succeeds thanks to the fizzy chemistry of its star-studded ensemble.
Synopsis: When Joanna Drayton (Katharine Houghton), a free-thinking white woman, and black doctor John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) become engaged, they travel to San Francisco to meet… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Katharine Houghton
Directed By: Stanley Kramer
71%
Critics Consensus: It may not boast an original plot, but Set It Off is a satisfying, socially conscious heist film thanks largely to fine performances from its leads.
Synopsis: After being fired from her job as a bank teller, Frankie begins working at a janitorial service with her friends Tisean, a single mother; Cleo,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Blair Underwood
Directed By: F. Gary Gray, Mary Parent, F. Gary Gray
70%
Synopsis: Blue-collar buddies (Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby) search the underworld for a winning lottery ticket lost in a nightclub holdup.
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Harry Belafonte, Flip Wilson
Directed By: Sidney Poitier
68%
Critics Consensus: If it can’t quite live up to its source material, A Rage in Harlem still proves a stylishly effective period thriller.
Synopsis: After her gangster boyfriend, Slim (Badja Djola), has a shootout with the police, Imabelle (Robin Givens) flees Natchez, Miss., with his stolen gold. She ends… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Forest Whitaker, Gregory Hines, Robin Givens, Zakes Mokae
Directed By: Bill Duke, Terry Glinwood, William Horberg
67%
Synopsis: Growing up on the tough streets of Harlem, Tommy Gibbs (Fred Williamson) has his life made even harder by John McKinney (Art Lund), a crooked… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Fred Williamson, Art Lund, Gloria Hendry, Julius Harris
Directed By: Larry Cohen, Peter Sabiston
67%
Synopsis: A black congregation prays for the wily and ambitious Brutus Jones (Paul Robeson), who is off to work on the railway. Jones is conscripted to… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paul Robeson, Dudley Digges, Frank H. Wilson, Fredi Washington
Directed By: Dudley Murphy
67%
Synopsis: Claudine (Diahann Carroll) is a single mother in New York City who endures an exhausting commute to the suburbs where she works as a maid… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones, Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs
Directed By: John Berry
63%
Critics Consensus: I’m Gonna Git You Sucka puts a satirical spin on ’70s nostalgia with a comedy whose somewhat scattershot laughs are often offset by pure energetic silliness.
Synopsis: Jack Spade (Keenen Ivory Wayans) comes home to the ghetto and finds his brother dead from a gold chain overdose. With the help of his… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas, Steve James
Directed By: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Eric L. Gold, Raymond Katz
60%
Synopsis: After a few years in the slammer on a drug bust, John “Goldie” Mickens (Max Julien) returns to Oakland, Calif., determined to raise himself up… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Max Julien, Don Gordon, Richard Pryor, Carol Speed
Directed By: Michael Campus
59%
Critics Consensus: Though some may find the plot a bit lacking, Blade‘s action is fierce, plentiful, and appropriately stylish for a comic book adaptation.
Synopsis: A half-mortal, half-immortal is out to avenge his mother’s death and rid the world of vampires. The modern-day technologically advanced vampires he is going after… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright
Directed By: Stephen Norrington, Avi Arad, Joseph Calamari, Lynn Harris
56%
Critics Consensus: Waiting to Exhale looks at life’s ups and downs from an underseen perspective — albeit one that’s poorly served by uneven acting and a sporadically interesting story.
Synopsis: Navigating through careers, family and romance, four friends bond over the shortcomings in their love lives — namely, the scarcity of good men. Both as… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon, Loretta Devine
Directed By: Forest Whitaker, Ronald Bass, Terry McMillan
53%
Critics Consensus: Bamboozled is too heavy-handed in its satire and comes across as more messy and overwrought than biting.
Synopsis: A blistering satire of network television’s pitfalls and prejudices, a humorous look at how race, ratings and the pursuit of power lead to a television… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tommy Davidson
Directed By: Spike Lee
43%
Synopsis: Russell Walker has started a new hip-hop and rap label called Krush Groove, which features a stellar list of acts that includes Kurtis Blow and… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Blair Underwood, LisaGay Hamilton, Richard Gant, Daniel Simmons
Directed By: Michael Schultz, Robert O. Kaplan, George Jackson
39%
Synopsis: Coming in on the tail end of a rhythm and blues singing group explosion, The Five Heartbeats (Robert Townsend, Michael Wright, Leon, Harry J. Lennix,… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Townsend, Michael Wright, Leon, Harry Lennix
Directed By: Robert Townsend
– –
Synopsis: A young British-born woman of color searches for security in her life and hopes to achieve it through marriage; however, the false arrest and merciless… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Victor Romero Evans, Cassie McFarlane, Beverley Martin, Angela Wynter
Directed By: Menelik Shabazz
– –
Synopsis: In a poor African-American neighborhood in Los Angeles, once-aspiring poet Johnny Williams (James Earl Jones) takes a low-paying job as a house painter in order… View Full Synopsis
Starring: James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Glynn Turman, Louis Gossett Jr.
Directed By: Krishna Shah
– –
Synopsis: Harlem’s African-American population is being ripped off by the Rev. Deke O’Malley (Calvin Lockhart), who dishonestly claims that small donations will secure parcels of land… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, Calvin Lockhart, Judy Pace
Directed By: Ossie Davis
– –
Synopsis: On a Caribbean island, a rich landowner’s son, Maxwell Fleury (James Mason), is fighting for political office against black labor leader David Boyeur (Harry Belafonte)…. View Full Synopsis
Starring: Harry Belafonte, James Mason, Joan Fontaine, Dorothy Dandridge
Directed By: Robert Rossen
– –
Synopsis: The 17-year-old dreamer Billie Jean is the youngest in a family of loving yet discouraging women. Billie Jean’s mother, Mama Rosie, cares deeply about her… View Full Synopsis
Starring: Brock Peters, Leslie Uggams, Peggy Pettit, Claudia McNeil
Directed By: Ossie Davis, Robert H. Greenberg
