Commemorating Black History Month is an important reminder of the integral role that Black Americans have had in our nation’s history. Because the commemoration is a month long, though, there are some who may be wondering what the best ways are to be mindful of what the month is supposed to signify. It may seem surprising, but watching a good Black history movie or a great movie about Black life can do exactly that, which is why we’ve gathered 10 great movies to watch for Black History Month below.
There are far more movies you could watch than will ever fit on a single list, so we’ve tried to boil it down to a few essential titles. Thankfully, though, there are plenty of great movies past these 10.
If you’re done with this list, you can check out our lists of the best Will Smith movies, or our guide to the best movies available on Netflix.
128m
Genre
Drama, Romance
Stars
Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee
Directed by
Daniel Petrie
A foundational text on the Black experience in America, Lorraine Hansbury’s widely acclaimed play was adapted into a movie of the same name starring Sidney Poitier. The story follows a Black family in the 1950s as they deal with the fallout of a large insurance payment, and must decide whether to leave their rundown apartment on Chicago’s Southside for a primarily white neighborhood, or remain where they are. Poitier gives an urgent, lived-in performance as the film tackles the issues of racism and assimilation through the prism of a single family.
120m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee
Directed by
Spike Lee
Spike Lee’s magnum opus, Do the Right Thing is not strictly historical, but its sad, unmistakable relevance has endured for more than 30 years. The movie tells the story of one hot day in Brooklyn as tensions rise between the primarily Black residents of a single block and the white owners of a pizza parlor that exists primarily to serve them. It’s a movie about anger and hurt, and it’s one that still feels like a primal scream today.
202m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert Hall
Directed by
Spike Lee
As one of the great filmmakers of all-time, it feels only fitting that Spike Lee should have two spots on this list. The second goes to Malcolm X, a sprawling epic that chronicles the life and ultimate death of its titular figure. Denzel Washington delivers what is almost undoubtedly a career-best performance, and he anchors a film that feels much more expansive than much of Lee’s work, but no less precise or urgent in spite of its extended runtime.
127m
Genre
History, Drama
Stars
David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo
Directed by
Ava DuVernay
The story of Martin Luther King Jr. is one that many people think they know, but Selma challenges the assumptions that most people have about who he was. The film tells the story of the march from Selma to Montgomery, and isn’t afraid to get into the weeds to explain exactly why the march was necessary, and how controversial it was at the time. The civil rights movement had already achieved the passage of the Civil Rights Act, but King kept pushing for the rights Black people had been deprived of since they arrived in America.
114m
Genre
Drama
Stars
Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge
Directed by
Regina King
A movie this discursive and talky should not be as great as it is, but part of One Night in Miami‘s effortless charm is the way it imagines a conversation beween four Black icons at a time when they were each being pulled in different directions. Bringing together Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) and Jim Brown, the movie takes place on a single night and is largely an argument about how famous Black men such as themselves should be pursuing civil rights. It’s a beautifully acted and directed movie, and one that is alive with the ideas each of these men are fighting for.
Read more: The best movies on Amazon Prime
93m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Samuel L. Jackson, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr.
Directed by
Raoul Peck
Decades after his death, James Baldwin remains one of the pre-eminent voices on the issue of race in America. In I Am Not Your Negro, documentarian Raoul Peck pieces together one of Baldwin’s unfinished works — a book that was meant to chronicle the lives of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers. In reviving the book, Peck tells the story of the civil rights movement through Baldwin’s eyes, and shines an urgent light on the ongoing struggle for equality in America.
117m
Genre
Documentary, Music
Stars
Stevie Wonder, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jesse Jackson
Directed by
Questlove
Telling the story of a series of concerts that were held in Harlem over the summer of 1969, Summer of Soul is about how many aspects of Black history are suppressed, even if they don’t necessarily condemn America. Summer of Soul is a joyful, moving ride through highlights of footage from the concerts, which featured legendary talents like Stevie Wonder and Nina Simone. There are too many great moments to choose from, but on the whole, Summer of Soul is a reminder of the fullness of the Black experience that is so often ignored by Hollywood.
126m
Genre
Drama, History
Stars
Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Directed by
Shaka King
Telling the remarkable true story of an FBI informant who gets close to Fred Hampton, a prominent member of the Black Panthers, and ultimately aids in his killing by the police, Judas and the Black Messiah is equal parts Spike Lee and Steve McQueen. It’s a viscerally entertaining movie, even as it focuses on an informant who becomes increasingly conflicted about his allegiances. Daniel Kaluuya delivers one of the finest performances of his already legendary career as Hampton, and Lakeith Stanfield is just as good in the lead role.
100m
Genre
Documentary
Stars
Jelani Cobb, Angela Davis, Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Directed by
Ava DuVernay
A searing documentary about incarceraton, Ava DuVernay’s 13th is an urgent exploration of the way that America’s modern prison industrial complex is rooted in the country’s long history of slavery. The documentary is not always an easy watch, but it’s a harrowing look at how the world got to be the way it is today. People have spent decades trying to explain away the vast overrepresentation of Black people in prisons, but in 13th, DuVernay urges you to look closer, and see what’s really going on.
120m
Genre
Romance, Drama
Stars
KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King
Directed by
Barry Jenkins
Barry Jenkins is still so young, and he has so much great work left to do, but the one-two punch of Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk has already cemented his legacy. If Beale Street Could Talk splits its time between a swoony love story and the stark aftermath of a wrongful arrest, and it feels fully vibrant and alive in both timelines. It’s a beautiful movie about a couple in love, and the tragedy of a world that seeks to keep them apart.
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