Every February, America comes together to acknowledge and celebrate the essential figures of black history and its tumultuous upbringing. For decades, African Americans barely had a voice in the arts, particularly the film industry. In today’s article, we recommend five movies you can watch this month that commemorates black culture and understands the mountains they’ve had to climb to get where they are today.
Get Out (2017)
The first one on this list is, believe it or not, a horror movie. Since its release, the film has been lauded as one of the best of its genre in the past decade while also serving as the perfect microscope to look through in examining racism in a progressive world. The story follows a black photographer Chris who apprehensively prepares to meet his white girlfriend’s parents. Upon visiting their house, everything about them is strange and off-putting, and Chris soon realizes that what’s happening is far more sinister than he could have possibly imagined. The film was a breakout hit for director Jordan Peele and star Daniel Kaluuya and garnered a plethora of awards and nominations.
Queen and Slim (2019)
Also starring Daniel Kaluuya, Queen and Slim is a fictional story that is a romance, a crime drama, and a road trip movie all at once. The titular protagonists meet each other on a blind date that goes horribly wrong when they kill a cop who had pulled them over for a minor traffic violation. From there, they flee the pursuing law and a video goes viral of the incident, making them unintentional internet celebrities in their attempt to stay ahead of the closing law enforcement. It’s a powerful and exciting drama that is also an expertly crafted black story.
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
This absolutely insane true story tells the tale about an officer going undercover in the Ku Klux Klan to uncover a terrorist plot to bomb a Black Panther rally. While the film takes on the tone and style of a satire, its messages and events remain true and reflect much of the political climate we live in today. While films like Get Out pointed out how racism can look in a modern liberal world, BlacKkKlansman shows the other side, revealing that old fashioned racism still persists today, and it’s as proud as it’s ever been. The film was a breakout hit, winning director Spike Lee his Oscar for Best Adapted Story, and made John David Washington a star (fun fact: he’s the son of Denzel Washington).
Black Panther (2018)
This film needs no introduction. It was the most talked-about movie of 2018 and started a social movement. It showed many black people, young and old, that they can be represented on the silver screen. It would be the first comic book movie to be nominated for Best Picture and grossed over a billion dollars at the box office. It’s the most successful film ever with a mainly black cast and is now considered Marvel’s crowning jewel. The film has now become all the more precious of a film to love now that actor Chadwick Boseman is no longer with us.
Dope (2015)
This film is many things: it’s a love letter to the 1990’s culture while also capturing the essence of the black millennial. A perfect movie for those who were always bragging about being a 90’s kid in the early days of Facebook, a perfect movie for geeks and bookworms, and a perfect movie for those who are growing up black in the early 21st century. Malcolm is a nerdy teenager living in modern times who has a love for ‘90s hip hop and style. After witnessing a violent scene at a night party, Malcolm and his friends flee, but unknowingly take a bag of ecstasy with them that had been stashed in their backpack. Shenanigans ensue as he and his pals must avoid the drug dealers chasing them across the city. It’s an inspiring and fun coming-of-age drama that hasn’t quite gotten the credit it deserves. It stars Zoe Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, and Shameik Moore, and Forest Whitaker even does narration voice work.
This is a small list, and we are only scratching the surface. There are plenty of black movies celebrating black culture and people out there. Honorable mentions include:
Selma
If Beale Street Could Talk
Barber Shop
Straight Outta Compton
Moonlight
Juice