Each year when February rolls around, we're given the opportunity to celebrate Black History Month. We can learn about the hardships members of the Black community have faced while also celebrating the beautiful contributions they've shared with the world. Below, we spotlight 25 classic and contemporary Black history movies shaping the cinematic landscape as we speak.
The history and effects of racism in America have rippled through generations of Black Americans. Their stories have graced the silver screen, using true accounts of enslavement, the civil rights movement and the struggles of Black artists and athletes throughout history to inform and inspire audiences. But we shouldn't only remember the struggles of Black America. Black filmmakers—writers, actors, cinematographers—have used their talents to spark change, overcome oppression and find joy in everyday life.
We've rounded up 25 impactful Black history movies to watch during Black History Month and beyond, from David Oyelowo's unforgettable portrayal of Martin Luther King, Jr. in "Selma" and Questlove's groundbreaking "Summer of Soul" documentary to wildly inventive, genre-busting work from contemporary favorites like Jordan Peele and Juel Taylor.
Some of our picks are based on true events that shaped Black history, and some present original stories with all-Black casts. Below, 25 essential Black history movies and where to stream them:
Based on True Stories/Documentaries
'Summer of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)' (2021)
Searchlight Pictures
As the directorial debut from Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson from the musical group The Roots, "Summer of Soul" edits together more than 40 hours of previously unseen footage captured during the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival.
Scattered with present-day interviews of attendees and musicians, the festival showcased iconic performers such as Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight & the Pips and more. It's a powerful documentary that also secured a number of awards, including the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
'12 Years A Slave' (2013)
Searchlight Pictures
This biographical drama is based on the 1853 memoir of the same name by Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), an African American who was born a free man but kidnapped and sold into slavery as an adult.
The film is pretty accurate to the historical accounts of these events, making it a harrowing but moving watch. "12 Years A Slave" earned three Oscars and a Golden Globe Award for Best Picture.
'42' (2013)
Legendary Pictures Productions
The late Chadwick Boseman is best known as the MCU's Black Panther, but his portrayal of baseball legend Jackie Robinson is both heart-wrenching and authentic.
Biographical sports film "42" follows the career of Robinson as he becomes the first Black player in Major League Baseball. He faces relentless discrimination while fighting to pave a future for Black athletes. It's an inspiring retelling of an important moment in American history.
'Malcolm X' (1992)
Largo International NV/Getty Images
Directed and co-written by Spike Lee, "Malcolm X" depicts key events in the civil rights leader's life, largely based on his autobiography (completed after he died in 1965). Denzel Washington embodies Malcolm X as he faces incarceration, marriage, religion, his own beliefs and his eventual assassination.
The movie was nominated for two Oscars, with Washington's striking performance particularly celebrated.
'Hidden Figures' (2016)
20th Century Studios
This fun biographical film, loosely based on the 2016 nonfiction novel of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly, shines a light on the Black women who helped launch America ahead of the Russians in the space race.
"Hidden Figures" follows Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), who worked at NASA and used their expert calculations (done by hand) to make John Glenn the first person to orbit the Earth. It was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture, and it led to NASA dedicating the Langley Research Center to Johnson.
'Judas and the Black Messiah' (2021)
Warner Bros.
In the thick of the civil rights movement, the FBI planted an informant in Chicago's Black Panther Party chapter to spy on its magnetic chairman, Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). This biographical crime drama follows Bill O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield), who was recruited by the FBI to report on Hampton's movements and help the police raid the Black Panthers.
This scalding account of oppression and revolution is made even more impactful by Kaluuya (who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) and Stanfield's performances.
'Fruitvale Station' (2013)
The Weinstein Company
Told through a single day, "Fruitvale Station" depicts the importance of one life and the tragedy one death can bring. In the early hours of New Year's Day in 2009, Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) was killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer at the Fruitvale district station in Oakland.
This heart-wrenching film from "Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler beautifully put a face to the headlines and protests that surrounded Grant's death.
'Dolemite Is My Name' (2019)
Netflix
Eddie Murphy returned to the silver screen with a bold and nuanced portrayal of Rudy Ray Moore, a filmmaker who is known for his wacky standup character Dolemite.
This biographical comedy charts one man's journey to fame by telling funny stories in rhythmic, rhyming patterns, similar to spoken word. He then sets out to make a kung-fu-themed blaxploitation film, despite production complications. Moore is often credited as the "Godfather of Rap."
'I Am Not Your Negro' (2016)
Allstar/Brittany House Pictures
This documentary and social critique uses the unfinished manuscript of author James Baldwin to explore the history of racism in the U.S. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, the film discusses many of the social, political and cultural lines drawn between white and Black America.
"I Am Not Your Negro" shows archival footage from the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson, Missouri, to argue that the fate of America is directly connected to how the country addresses the plight of its Black residents. The film is a sobering reminder of how far we've come but also how far we still must go.
'Selma' (2014)
Paramount Pictures
Ava DuVernay's biographical retelling of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama brings history to vivid life. David Oyelowo's powerful, but grounded performance as the civil rights icon was critically lauded. Carmen Egojo, Oprah Winfrey and Colman Domingo are also among the film's standout performances.
"Selma" remains a stunning portrait of Dr. King's work to secure equal voting rights for Black Americans. It's also a wonderful example of adapting historic events for a feature film format.
'BlacKkKlansman' (2018)
Focus Features
Another Spike Lee joint making our list is the wickedly funny crime thriller "BlacKkKlansman," which tells the remarkable true story of Ron Stallworth, an undercover Black police officer who successfully infiltrated the Colorado Springs branch of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s.
In his breakout role, John David Washington plays Ron Stallworth with moxie. Adam Driver also stars as his Jewish co-worker in this always-relevant takedown of bigotry in all its forms.
'One Night in Miami...' (2020)
Prime Video
Actress Regina King's feature directorial debut imagines what icons Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) talked about the night they came together in Miami in 1964 to watch Ali's boxing victory over Sonny Liston.
Based on Kemp Powers' play, "One Night in Miami" is a deeply compelling fictional account of what the men might have discussed together that night, from their roles in the civil rights movement to the broader storm of the 1960s. It was nominated for three Oscars.
'Glory' (1989)
Columbia/TriStar Pictures
This three-time Oscar winner is one of the greatest Civil War films ever made with a remarkable true story at its heart. "Glory" follows the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the Union Army's first all-Black volunteer companies, as they fight prejudice on the battlefield and within their own ranks.
Denzel Washington won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Private Trip, with Morgan Freeman also turning in a stunning performance as Sgt. Maj. John Rawlins. The film's Oscar-winning cinematography has stood the test of time.
'Harriet' (2019)
Focus Features
"Eve's Bayou" director Kasi Lemmons' biopic of Harriet Tubman charts her escape from slavery and leadership in the underground railroad with sweeping strokes.
Cynthia Erivo earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role as the titular hero, who freed hundreds of slaves and changed history through sheer tenacity and ingenuity. "Harriet" features a stacked cast of exciting young talent, including Janelle Monáe and Leslie Odom Jr.
Thrillers, Rom-Coms + More
'They Cloned Tyrone' (2023)
Parrish Lewis/Netflix
Director Juel Taylor pairs an acid-dipped 1970s aesthetic with a mind-bending sci-fi plot in this irresistible mystery caper starring Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, John Boyega ("Star Wars") and Teyonah Parris ("WandaVision").
"They Cloned Tyrone" is subversive sci-fi at its best. After witnessing a series of unnerving events, three pals living outside the law stumble onto a nefarious government conspiracy.
'Get Out' (2017)
Universal Pictures
Not only was "Get Out" a cultural revolution — it also made history. The dark comedy horror film is one of the few in its genre to win the Oscars for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, and it is the highest-grossing debut film based on an original screenplay in Hollywood history. Its director, Jordan Peele, also became the first Black director and writer to see his debut film earn more than $100 million at the box office.
An instant hit, "Get Out" travels with Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) to meet the family of his white girlfriend (Allison Williams). Despite her family repeatedly affirming they're totally cool with her dating a Black man, Chris discovers a shocking secret.
'Belle' (2013)
Searchlight Pictures
"Belle" was "Loki" star Gugu Mbatha-Raw's breakout. It's loosely based on the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the daughter of an enslaved West African woman and a white British naval officer.
Upon inheriting a vast fortune from her wealthy aunt and uncle, Belle navigates London society as one of a few Black aristrocrats. When debates about the morality of the trans-Atlantic slave trade flare up, both her privilege and oppression make for a compelling character study.
'Think Like A Man' (2012)
Sony Pictures
This star-studded rom-com features four different couples struggling to work out their relationship issues. Each of the women turns to a book by Steve Harvey, "Act Like a Lady, Think Like A Man," to help them navigate their complicated relationships. The men try to turn the tables on their partners by also reading the book.
Kevin Hart, Regina Hall, Michael Ealy, Gabrielle Union and more deliver laugh after laugh in this modern take on the eternal questions surrounding romance.
'Moonlight' (2016)
A24
Barry Jenkins' tender yet searing indie drama of a young Black man questioning his sexuality and grappling with his mother's addiction was a revelation when it premiered in 2016. The stunning cast includes Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Trevante Rhodes and Janelle Monáe.
With just a $1.5 million budget, "Moonlight" went on to win three Oscars, including Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali. It's a modern classic.
'Bad Boys' (1995)
Columbia Pictures
Michael Bay's action-packed buddy cop film cemented Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as movie stars. From their immediate onscreen chemistry to the perfectly delivered one-liners, "Bad Boys" is everything you want in an action comedy.
Lifelong friends Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) must investigate $100 million of seized mafia heroin before their department shuts down, all while juggling love lives and friendly squabbles. The film spawned two sequels, with a third announced in 2024.
'Monster's Ball' (2001)
Lionsgate Films/Getty Images
Halle Berry's performance in this emotional drama led her to become the first and, so far, only African American woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress.
The film follows corrections officer Hank (Billy Bob Thornton) as he begins a relationship with a woman (Berry), though she doesn't know he helped execute her husband on death row. The somber and thought-provoking film showcases the mixture of sadness and hope that life brings.
'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' (2018)
Sony Pictures Animation
Not only is Sony's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" the first animated iteration of the famed superhero, but it also introduces Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) as the first non-white Spider-Man.
An angsty and rebellious teenager, Miles is bitten by a radioactive spider and must use his newfound abilities to join other Spider-People from various parallel universes to save his own. It's a visually stunning film that took more than 140 animators to bring to life. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, with its sequel "Across the Spider-Verse," getting similar acclaim. A third and final film is in the works.
'Scary Movie' (2000)
Miramax
The Wayans Brothers' "Scary Movie" put horror satire on the map. Other films did it first, but "Scary Movie" was the first to do it successfully, going on to spawn an entire franchise.
As a parody of horror and slasher films, a group of friends (including Anna Faris and Regina Hall) accidentally hit a man with their car and are subsequently hunted by someone in a Ghostface mask. It's a raunchy, ridiculous and hilarious film that takes shots at movies like "Scream," "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "The Blair Witch Project."
'Friday' (1995)
New Line Cinema
If you've ever used the phrase "Bye, Felicia," you can thank "Friday." This cult classic stoner comedy trails two friends, Craig (Ice Cube) and Smokey (Chris Tucker) through one Friday in South Central Los Angeles as they try to come up with the money they owe a local drug dealer.
When writing the film, Ice Cube and co-writer DJ Pooh wanted to show South Central in a more positive light rather than filled with violence and crime. The movie pulls from their own childhood, with quirky characters and vibrant humor.
'Diary of a Mad Black Woman' (2005)
Lionsgate Films
This iconic comedy kicked off the wildly popular Madea film franchise, created by one of the most commercially successful Black filmmakers in history, Tyler Perry.
The film follows Helen (Kimberly Elise) as she moves into her grandmother's (Perry) house after being thrown out by her husband on their anniversary. Its slapstick and melodramatic comedy make the franchise a perennial favorite.
