22 Best Black Movies of All Time

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 center 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.

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The Best Man (1999)

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The maid of honor and best man are supposed to support the lovebirds on the “best” “day” “of” “their” “lives”—not create any drama, right? Well, in this rom-com, scandal ensues after the best man’s debut novel comes out and his friends quickly realize that it’s not-so-loosely based on their lives. If you love this movie (which you will—it was produced by Spike Lee and stars Taye Diggs), make sure to check out the sequel, The Best Man Holiday.

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Love & Basketball (2000)

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Monica and Quincy, childhood friends who both have big dreams of playing professional basketball, make for a perfect match in this ahead-of-its-time feminist movie. As ESPN wrote in an oral history honoring the film’s 20th anniversary, “What makes the film so indelible is that it shows a female athlete challenging her partner, her sport, and the status quo without being painted as a shrew, undesirable or any other limiting descriptor.”

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Deliver Us from Eva (2003)

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Let’s be honest, some of the best movies are modern riffs on classic Shakespeare tales. She’s the Man, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Lion King…must I go on? Deliver Us from Eva is no different. Based on “The Taming of the Shrew” (like 10 Things), strategic dudes try to set up a bad-tempered woman (played by the iconic Gabrielle Union) in order to get some alone time with her sisters.

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Two Can Play That Game (2001)

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If you catch your boyfriend cheating, you have two options: Get back at him or get him back. In this rom-com, Shanté (Vivica A. Fox) chooses…both. Anthony Anderson says my favorite line (maybe of all time): “The CIA ain’t got sh*t on a woman with a plan.”

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Jumping the Broom (2011)

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They say you don’t just marry your S.O.—you marry their family. For Sabrina, this dynamic becomes pretty complicated when her old-money fam meets her fiancé Jason’s working class relatives. Opposites don’t always attract, apparently.

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Why Did I Get Married? (2007)

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Tyler Perry is at his best in this dramedy about four couples who head to the mountains for what should be a peaceful trip. The problem is that each couple is hiding something and their secrets are exposed in ever more cringeworthy ways. I’ll just leave it at this: You’ll never look at a wine bottle the same way again.

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Moonlight (2016)

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Remember when this movie won the Oscar for Best Picture in the simultaneously most dramatic and unsatisfying way ever? ‘Twas a weird time. But forget all that, because Moonlight will absolutely. mesmerize. you. Told through three chapters of Chiron’s life as he navigates his sexuality while growing up in the streets of Miami, his journey is one that will stay with you.

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Malcolm X (1992)

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Denzel Washington brings the civil rights activist to life in this Spike Lee-directed biopic based on “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” (Which should be required reading for everyone—regardless of race.) This movie is complicated, just like its subject, and earned Washington an Oscar nom *and* a Golden Globes nom.

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Waiting to Exhale (1995)

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Whitney Houston is remembered for her outstanding voice, but let’s not overlook her acting. In Waiting to Exhale, she plays one of four women who find themselves questioning their relationships and ultimately, themselves.

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Fences (2016)

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Anything that stars Viola Davis is enough to get my bod in the theater. Based on a play of the same name, this movie follows a 1950s father trying to raise his family while also reckoning with his own shortcomings and past failures. Make sure you have a box of tissues handy before you press play on this one—the award-winning drama is an emotional doozy.

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Dreamgirls (2006)

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Beyoncé! Jennifer Hudson! What more do you need to know! Fine, I’ll tell you that after the “Dreamettes” are pushed into the spotlight, they learn the ~hard way~ that fame comes with a price.

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Brown Sugar (2002)

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Two friends. One passion. Platonic vibes turn into something more in this romantic comedy that follows one friend, an editor-in-chief of a music magazine, and another who works at a record label. Music brought the two together, but is it enough to seal the deal?

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Set It Off (1996)

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After Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) loses her job and starts working as a janitor with her three BFFs (among them, Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah, ever heard of them!!!), they decide to take their financial sitch into their own hands and do the next logical thing: rob a few banks. The only thing stopping them is a detective intent on cracking the case.

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Poetic Justice (1993)

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Janet Jackson, Regina King, and the late Tupac Shakur brought their star power to this majorly successful romantic drama. (It was the #1 box office film the weekend it opened!) Justice (played by Jackson, a role that earned her an Oscar nom) turns to writing poetry after her boyfriend is murdered. She ends up getting a ride to Oakland and begins to fall for Lucky (Shakur). The only problem is that she might not be over her ex. Complicated, I know.

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If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

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I’ve watched this movie twice already and each time, it’s broken my heart into a million pieces. Just thinking about Tish fighting to save her fiancé Fonny after he’s arrested for a crime he didn’t commit makes my eyes blurry. This beautiful film tackles racial injustice, family dynamics, and young love in a gorgeously artistic way that’ll leave you wrecked, angry, and inspired.

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Girls Trip (2017)

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This hilarious movie has it all: Lifelong friends, crazy nights out in New Orleans, hallucinogenics, and one very dirty scene with a grapefruit. Also, arguably the most important factor: Tiffany freakin’ Haddish.

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This Christmas (2007)

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After a family comes together to celebrate the holiday for the first time in long time, surprises unfold at an alarming rate. One son is being chased, another son is hiding his musical talent, the daughter is busy getting back at her cheating husband, and the third son is hiding a…well. Just watch it.

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Nappily Ever After (2018)

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After being subjected to the racist beauty standards of having “good” (AKA naturally straight) hair for way too many years, Violet (Sanaa Lathan) loses her patience and, in a drunken rage, shaves her head. Nappily Ever After documents the powerful (and often painful) process of embracing your natural hair—and your true self.

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She’s Gotta Have It (1986)

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Dating more than one man is a juggling act. Poor Nola can’t choose between the rich guy, the stable guy, or the timid guy with a heart of gold. Can’t she just have all three? BTW, this was Spike Lee’s first feature film, and is thought to have launched his career.

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Think Like a Man (2012)

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Act like a lady, but think like a man. That’s the key to winning at relationships—at least, according to Steve Harvey. This ensemble cast includes stars like Kevin Hart (“The Happier Divorced Guy”), Gabrielle Union (“The Girl Who Wants the Ring”), and Taraji P. Henson (“The Woman Who Is Her Own Man”), as they try to break out of their stereotypes and find a healthy relationship.

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Drumline (2002)

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Drumline takes you inside the surprisingly high-stakes world of college marching bands, where a talented street drumming recruit from Harlem has to find his way in a Southern university’s complex hierarchy. Nick Cannon stars.