Since the recent focus on the Black Lives Matter movement, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have decided to spotlight Black movies more prominently in their members’ queues...but the thing is, too often, movies with all Black casts centre on horrific tragedies like slavery or awful hardships like fighting the racially-biased justice system. Of course, it’s not that those kinds of stories aren’t worthy of being told, but they’re certainly not the only Black stories that should be depicted on-screen.
In my opinion, the best Black movies are joyful, funny, heartbreaking, thought-provoking—you know, same as the super popular movies with all-white casts. The ones that get all the critical acclaim, year after year, and maintain a special place in the cultural zeitgeist. Those movies—the white ones—are the majority, the cinematic default, but I’m hopeful that won’t always be the case.
Who comes to mind when you hear the phrase ‘leading lady?’ What about ‘movie star?’ Black actors and actresses haven’t always gotten proper recognition for their work, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t deserve the red-carpet treatment. Some of the movies on this list are autobiographical dramas, others are romantic comedies.
All of them include dynamic, complicated, and at times, unlikeable Black characters. You might be familiar with a few of these titles, or maybe you’ve already seen all of them. No matter which camp you fall in, the important thing is to expand your idea of what a “good” movie is. Here are the best Black movies to add to your queue ASAP.