Best Black Movies – Everything You Need To Know

 

51. American Gangster (2007)

Frank Lucas positions himself as the number one heroin importer in Manhattan’s Harlem region following the death of his boss and mentor, Bumpy Johnson. He accomplishes this by purchasing heroin straight from the source in Southeast Asia and devising a novel method of bringing the opiates into the United States. As a result, his product is better than what’s currently on the market, and his pricing is lower. His status is secure thanks to his ties to the New York Mafia.
Director: Ridley Scott
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Crime and Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Russell Crowe
  • Denzel Washington
  • Chiwetel Ejiofor
  • Cuba Gooding Jr.

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 157 minutes
Box Office: $269,755,430
Movie Trailer: American Gangster (2007) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/American-Gangster-Denzel-Washington/dp/B001390BWO” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

52. The Great Debaters (2007)

Marshall, Texas, is home to Wiley College, where, in 1935-36, inspired by the Harlem Renaissance and his clandestine work as a union organizer, Professor Melvin Tolson coaches the debate team to a nearly-undefeated season that includes the first debate between U.S. students from white and Negro colleges and concludes with a debate between U.S. students from white and Negro colleges.
Director: Denzel Washington
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Drama, and Romance
Main Cast: 

  • Denzel Washington
  • Forest Whitaker
  • Nate Parker
  • Jurnee Smollett

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 126 minutes
Box Office: $30,271,556
Movie Trailer: The Great Debaters (2007) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Great-Debaters-Denzel-Washington/dp/B003Z6WFWC” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

53. I Am Legend (2007)

In this post-apocalyptic action thriller, Robert Neville plays a scientist who is powerless to stop the spread of a horrible virus that is both incurable and man-made. Neville is now the last human survivor in what’s left of New York City, if not the entire world. For the past three years, Neville has been sending out daily radio transmissions in the hopes of finding any other survivors. He is not, however, alone. The Infected, mutant plague victims, lurk in the shadows, watching Neville’s every move and waiting for him to make a deadly error.
Director: Francis Lawrence
Language: English
Genre: Action, Adventure and Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Will Smith
  • Alice Braga
  • Dash Mihok

IMDb Rating: 7.2
Running Time: 101 minutes
Box Office: $585,410,052
Movie Trailer: I Am Legend (2007) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Legend-Will-Smith/dp/B0014CDKVY” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

54. Blood Diamond (2006)

Archer, a man tormented by his roots, is the protagonist of this narrative. He’s become a prominent figure in the conflict diamond market thanks to his excellent survival instinct. Sierra Leone is rife with political upheaval, with individuals fighting tooth and nail. Archer’s life changes forever when he meets Solomon and the lovely Maddy, as he is offered an opportunity to make peace with the war going on around him.
Director: Edward Zwick
Language: English
Genre: 8
Main Cast: 

  • Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Jennifer Connelly
  • Djimon Hounsou
  • Michael Sheen

IMDb Rating: 8
Running Time: 143 minutes
Box Office: $171,720,398
Movie Trailer: Blood Diamond (2006) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Diamond-Leonardo-DiCaprio/dp/B000OLRH10″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

55. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Christopher Gardner is the subject of this film, which is based on a true story. Gardner has made a significant investment in a technology known as a “bone density scanner.” He thinks he’s got it made selling these gadgets. They do not, however, sell well because they are just slightly better than X-rays at a much higher price. Gardner’s wife leaves him and he loses his apartment as he struggles to make ends meet. Gardner, who is forced to live on the streets with his kid, continues to sell bone density scanners while also doing an unpaid internship as a stockbroker with little hope of advancement to paid employment. Before he can be paid, he must outperform the competitors during the course of six months of training.
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Language: English
Genre: Biography and Drama
Main Cast:

  • Will Smith
  • Thandiwe Newton
  • Jaden Smith

IMDb Rating: 8
Running Time: 117 minutes
Box Office: $307,127,625
Movie Trailer: The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Happyness-Will-Smith/dp/B000OW77UU” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

56. God Grew Tired of Us (2006)

Sudan’s Muslim government decreed the killing of all males in the Christian south in 1987, prompting 27,000 boys to flee to Ethiopia on foot. They were forced to evacuate to Kenya in 1991, with 12,000 surviving to reside in a United Nations camp in Kakuma. The 1,000-mile flight is shown on archival footage, and we get a glimpse of life in the camp. We follow three young guys as they return to the United States. Daniel Abol Pach and Panther Bior travel to Pittsburgh, where John Bul Dau becomes a spokesperson for the Lost Boys and Lost Girls of Sudan by the end of the film. All of them work multiple jobs, send money back to the camp, look for relatives who were killed in the civil war, acclimate to life in the United States, pursue an education, and miss their homeland.
Director: Christopher Dillon Quinn
Language: English
Genre: Documentary
Main Cast: 

IMDb Rating: 7.9
Running Time: 86 minutes
Box Office: $301,447
Movie Trailer: God Grew Tired of Us (2006) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/God-Grew-Tired-John-Dau/dp/B000VZP6OE” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

57. The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Nicholas Garrigan, a Scottish doctor who recently graduated from the University of Edinburgh, is flying to Uganda to work at a missionary clinic run by Dr. David Merrit and his wife, Sarah. Soon after, Garrigan has a chance to meet with the new President, General Idi Amin, who shows immediate sympathy for him. Idi Amin invites Nicholas to become his physician and modernize Uganda’s healthcare system after a while, as one thing leads to another: a once-in-a-lifetime offer that the doctor cannot refuse.
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Language: English and Swahili
Genre: Biography, Drama, and History
Main Cast: 

  • Forest Whitaker
  • James McAvoy
  • Kerry Washington
  • Simon McBurney

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time: 123 minutes
Box Office: $48,618,191
Movie Trailer: The Last King of Scotland (2006) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Last-King-Scotland-Forest-Whitaker/dp/B000PH40FY” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

58. Inside Man (2006)

A detective cop, a bank burglar, and a vendor strike negotiations when the plots of the criminal heist worsen the situation.
Director: Spike Lee
Language: English
Genre: Crime, Drama, and Mystery
Main Cast:

  • Denzel Washington
  • Clive Owen
  • Jodie Foster
  • Christopher Plummer

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 129 minutes
Box Office: $186,003,591
Movie Trailer: Inside Man (2006) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Man-Denzel-Washington/dp/B000I9WWJA” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

59. Akeelah And the Bee (2006)

Akeelah Anderson’s life is difficult: her father is deceased, her mother ignores her, and her brother is involved with local gangbangers. She’s bright, but her surroundings threaten to suffocate her ambitions. In response to a threat from her principal, Akeelah enters a spelling bee to escape detention for her frequent absences. She wins, much to her surprise and chagrin. Her principal suggests that she seek coaching from Dr. Larabee, an English professor, for the more prestigious regional bee.
Director: Doug Atchison
Language: English
Genre: Drama and Family
Main Cast: 

  • Laurence Fishburne
  • Angela Bassett
  • Keke Palmer
  • Curtis Armstrong

IMDb Rating: 7.4
Running Time: 112 minutes
Box Office: $18,948,425
Movie Trailer: Akeelah and the Bee (2006) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Akeelah-Bee-Keke-Palmer/dp/B000IBQUO6″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

60. Dreamgirls (2006)

The early 1960s in Detroit. Curtis Taylor, Jr., a car salesman, enters the music industry with high ambitions. He signs the Dreamettes, a trio of young women, and gets them a gig as backup singers for James “Thunder” Williams, an R&B artist. Early on, he forms his own record label and begins dealing. When Early fades away, Curtis transforms the Dreamettes into the Dreams, but not before demoting Effie White, their hefty big-voiced lead vocalist, and replacing her with Deena Jones, a softer-voiced looker. He fires Effie soon after, consigning her to a life of proud poverty, and propels Deena and the Dreams to the top. Will Effie ever get her due, and how long can Curtis stay there?
Director: Bill Condon
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Music
Main Cast:

  • Jamie Foxx
  • Beyoncé Knowles
  • Eddie Murphy
  • Danny Glover

IMDb Rating: 6.5
Running Time: 130 minutes
Box Office: $155,430,335
Movie Trailer: Dreamgirls (2006) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Dreamgirls-Jamie-Foxx/dp/B000S0DDG0″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

61. ATL (2006)

As four friends prepare for life after high school, they face various hardships that lead to pivotal moments in their lives. At Cascade, their neighborhood roller skating rink, the dramas play out and are resolved.
Director: Chris Robinson
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Crime, and Drama
Main Cast: 

  • T.I.
  • Lauren London
  • Evan Ross
  • Jackie Long

IMDb Rating: 6.2
Running Time: 105 minutes
Box Office: $21,170,563
Movie Trailer: ATL (2006) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/ATL-Tip-Harris/dp/B000HMTQ10″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

62. The Heart of the Game (2005)

A documentary about the Roosevelt Roughriders, a Seattle-based girls’ high-school basketball team, and one player’s quest to reclaim her eligibility to play.
Director: Ward Serrill
Language: English
Genre: Documentary and Sport
Main Cast: 

  • Bill Resler
  • Darnellia Russell
  • Joyce Walker
  • udacris

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: $11,300
Box Office: $446,446
Movie Trailer: The Heart of the Game (2005) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Game-Ward-Serrill/dp/B007ADV798″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

63. Hustle & Flow (2005)

With the support of several folks in his Memphis neighborhood, aspiring emcee DJay works the angles to get his debut album made. And when he hears that Skinny Black, the hip-hop superstar, is coming to town, he puts up a supreme hustle to get Skinny’s attention.
Director: Craig Brewer
Language: English
Genre: Crime, Drama and Music
Main Cast:

  • Terrence Howard
  • Anthony Anderson
  • Haystak

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 116 minutes
Box Office: $23,563,727
Movie Trailer: Hustle & Flow (2005) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Hustle-Flow-Terrence-Howard/dp/B000I52LVS” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

64. Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Over a thousand Tutsi refugees are housed by hotel management Paul Rusesabagina in Rwanda, Africa, as they fight the Hutu militia.
Director: Terry George
Language: English, French, and Kinyarwanda
Genre: Biography, Drama, and History
Main Cast:

  • Don Cheadle
  • Sophie Okonedo
  • Joaquin Phoenix
  • Nick Nolte

IMDb Rating: 8.1
Running Time: 121 minutes
Box Office: $33,882,243
Movie Trailer: Hotel Rwanda (2004) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Rwanda-Xolani-Mali/dp/B002BVOY7G” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

65. Ray (2004)

Ray Charles is a music legend whose tale is told here. We show his humble beginnings in Florida, his turbulent upbringing, which includes losing his brother and then his sight, his ascent as a pianist in a touring band, his writing his own songs and leading his own band, and finally stardom, all told in his adult life with flashbacks to his adolescence. His drug addiction and its impact on his profession and family life are also discussed.
Director: Taylor Hackford
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Drama, and Music
Main Cast: 

  • Jamie Foxx
  • Kerry Washington
  • Clifton Powell
  • Harry Lennix

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time: 152 minutes
Box Office: $123,971,376
Movie Trailer: Ray (2004) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Ray-Jamie-Foxx/dp/B001NMLMAQ” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

66. Baadasssss! (2003)

Mario Van Peebles’ half-documentary, half-homage to his father Melvin Van Peebles’ film Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971).
Director: Mario Van Peebles
Language: English
Genre: Biography and Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Mario Van Peebles
  • David Alan Grier
  • Nia Long
  • Rainn Wilson

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 108 minutes
Box Office: $365,727
Movie Trailer: BAADASSSSS! (2003) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Baadasssss-Terry-Crews/dp/B008JAH88U” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

67. Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)

Berry Gordy Jr. assembled the greatest musicians from Detroit’s burgeoning jazz and blues scene in 1959 to start recording tunes for his new record label. They were the heartbeat on every hit during Motown’s Detroit heyday for fourteen years. This unsung bunch of musicians had played on more number-one singles than the Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles combined at the end of their amazing run, making them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. The Funk Brothers were their moniker.
Director: Paul Justman
Language: English
Genre: Documentary and Music
Main Cast: 

  • Joe Hunter
  • Jack Ashford
  • Uriel Jones

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 116 mins 
Box Office: $2,344,256
Movie Trailer: Standing In The Shadows Of Motown (2002) – Movie Trailer 

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Standing-Shadows-Motown-Funk-Brothers/dp/B000KHG020″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

68. Antwone Fisher (2002)

A sailor with a history of violent outbursts is referred to a naval psychiatrist. The young man initially refuses to open up, but eventually does and discloses a tragic childhood. He tackles his terrible history with the help of his doctor and embarks on a search for the family he never knew.
Director: Denzel Washington
Language: English
Genre: Biography and Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Derek Luke
  • Denzel Washington
  • Joy Bryant

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 120 minutes
Box Office: $23,367,586
Movie Trailer: Antwone Fisher (2002) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Antwone-Fisher-Denzel-Washington/dp/B000JPKKRO” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

69. Training Day (2001)

In Los Angeles, where drug traffickers have taken over the streets, people who have vowed to protect the law are breaking it to clean them up. Denzel Washington portrays L.A.P.D. detective Alonzo Harris, a seasoned narcotics officer whose methods of enforcing the law are dubious, if not outright corrupt. ‘Training Day’ follows Harris as he trains rookie Jake Hoyt over a 24-hour period. Questions arise for both Hoyt and the audience as to whether Harris’ methods for drug-freeing the streets of South-Central Los Angeles is right or bad, posing ethical issues for both.
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Language: English
Genre: Crime, Drama, and Thriller
Main Cast: 

  • Denzel Washington
  • Ethan Hawke
  • Scott Glenn
  • Cliff Curtis

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time: 122 minutes
Box Office: $104,876,233
Movie Trailer: Training Day (2001) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Training-Day-Denzel-Washington/dp/B0014DW3OS” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

70. Remember the Titans (2000)

For centuries, schools in suburban Virginia have been separated. Under a federal mandate to integrate, one Black and one White high school were shuttered and students were relocated to T.C. Williams High School. The year is viewed through the eyes of the football squad, when the man hired to coach the Black school gets promoted to head coach, despite the fact that the white coach is a proven winner. Based on true events from 1971, the squad becomes the community’s unifying symbol as the boys and adults learn to rely on and trust one another.
Director: Boaz Yakin
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Drama, and Sport
Main Cast: 

  • Denzel Washington
  • Will Patton
  • Donald Faison
  • Nicole Ari Parker

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 113 minutes
Box Office: $136,771,683
Movie Trailer: Remember the Titans (2000) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Remember-Titans-Denzel-Washington/dp/B003QSNFCS” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

71. George Washington (2000)

George Washington is set in a tiny town in North Carolina and tells the story of a close-knit multi-racial group of working-class adolescents who are caught up in catastrophic deceit. A peculiar series of events and an innocent cover-up send their insular group on separate journeys for redemption after a twelve-year-old girl breaks up with her boyfriend for a sensitive, highly contemplative thirteen-year-old boy named George.
Director: David Gordon Green
Language: English
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Candace Evanofski
  • Curtis Cotton III
  • Donald Holden
  • Damian Jewan Lee

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 89 minutes
Box Office: $283,846
Movie Trailer: George.Washington( 2000) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/George-Washington-Candance-Evanofski/dp/B0020PE09U” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

72. Love and Basketball (2000)

Monica moved in next door to Quincy in Los Angeles in 1981. They’re both 11 years old and, like Quincy’s father, want to play in the NBA. Except when Quincy’s parent’s dispute and he climbs through Monica’s window to sleep on the floor, their love-hate connection lasts until high school, with Monica’s edge and Quincy’s top-dog attitude dividing them. They become a pair as high school ends, but within a year, with both of them playing baseball at USC, Quincy’s relationship with his father deteriorates, and he breaks up with Monica. They meet again a few years later, their professional careers at a fork in the road. It’s time for a high-stakes final one-on-one game.
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Language: English
Genre: Drama, Romance, and Sport
Main Cast: 

  • Omar Epps
  • Sanaa Lathan
  • Alfre Woodard

IMDb Rating: 7.2
Running Time: 125 minutes
Box Office: $27,728,118
Movie Trailer: Love & Basketball (2000) – Movie Trailer 

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Love-Basketball-Omar-Epps/dp/B0010T56CW” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

73. The Hurricane (1999)

This movie is about Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, an African-American boxer who climbed above his turbulent beginnings to become a top contender for the middle-weight belt. His hopes are destroyed, however, when he is charged with triple murder and sentenced to three natural-life terms. Despite becoming a celebrity and his tenacious efforts to prove his innocence through his autobiography, he has been disappointed as a result of his futile efforts. When an African-American child and his Canadian mentors read his book, they become convinced of his innocence and work to get him exonerated.
Director: Norman Jewison
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Drama, and Sport
Main Cast:

  • Denzel Washington
  • John Hannah
  • Deborah Kara Unger
  • Liev Schreiber

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 146 minutes
Box Office: $73,956,241
Movie Trailer: The Hurricane (1999) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Hurricane-Denzel-Washington/dp/B001W4HQZA” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

74. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

When his recent mission does not go as planned, a hitman who lives by the samurai code works for the mafia and finds himself in their crosshairs. Now he must figure out a means to defend himself and his honor while staying true to the code he lives by.
Director: Jim Jarmusch
Language: English
Genre: Action, Crime, and Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Forest Whitaker
  • Cliff Gorman
  • Henry Silva
  • Isaach De Bankolé

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 116 minutes
Box Office: $9,380,473
Movie Trailer: Ghost Dog – The Way of the Samurai (1999) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Dog-Samurai-Forest-Whitaker/dp/B000JGCQGG” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

75. The Temptations (1998)

From the perspective of the last surviving original member, Otis Williams, a biographical look at The Temptations, the Motown soul-singing quintet that originally rose to fame in the 1960s. From their humble beginnings in the late 1950s through the deaths of the other founding members in the 1990s, the band has had a long and illustrious history.
Director: 

  • Charles Malik Whitfield
  • Woodside
  • Terron Brooks

Language: Italian
Genre: Biography, Drama, and Music
Main Cast: Unknown
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Running Time: 150 minutes
Movie Trailer: The Temptations (1998) – Movie Trailer 

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/The-Temptations/dp/B00LMP9UH6″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

76. Enemy of the State (1998)

Will Smith as Robert Clayton Dean, is a successful and brave labor lawyer until he bumps across an old college classmate who is in a hurry. That pal, unbeknownst to him, drops a disc and viewer carrying images of a political assassination approved by the National Security Agency’s senior counselor. Unfortunately, that politician quickly discovers what Dean has and utilizes the N.S.A. ‘s tremendous resources to track him down, probe him, and stop him before he goes public.
Director: Tony Scott
Language: English
Genre: Action and Thriller
Main Cast: 

  • Will Smith
  • Gene Hackman
  • Jon Voight
  • Regina King

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 132 minutes
Box Office: $250,849,789
Movie Trailer: Enemy Of The State (1998) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Enemy-State-Will-Smith/dp/B006CEJ5X6″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

77. Love Jones (1997)

In Chicago, Darius Lovehall, a young black poet, begins dating Nina Mosley, a gorgeous and brilliant photographer. They hang out with their pal, talking about love and sex while attempting to figure out if they have a “love thing” or are simply “kicking it.” Nina then puts Darius’ affections to the test and sets off a sequence of romantic problems.
Director: Theodore Witcher
Language: English
Genre: Drama and Romance
Main Cast: 

  • Larenz Tate
  • Nia Long
  • Isaiah Washington
  • Lisa Nicole Carson

IMDb Rating: 7.4
Running Time: 108 minutes
Box Office: $12,782,749
Movie Trailer: Love Jones (1997) – Movie Trailer 

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Love-Jones-Larenz-Tate/dp/B075KLVBSZ” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

78. Friday (1995)

Craig Jones (Ice Cube) is unemployed on Friday after being fired the day before. This has caused conflict with Smokey’s (Chris Tucker) supplier, Big Worm (Faizon Love), who now demands his money, his merchandise, or Smokey’s life. Then there’s Deebo (Tommy “Tiny” Lister, Jr.), the neighborhood bully, as well as Joi (Paula Jai Parker), Craig’s possessive, neurotic girlfriend, and Debbie (Nia Long), Craig’s crush.
Director: F. Gary Gray
Language: English
Genre: Comedy and Drama
Main Cast:

  • Ice Cube
  • Chris Tucker
  • Nia Long
  • Bernie Mac

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 91 minutes
Box Office: $28,215,918
Movie Trailer: Friday (1995) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Friday-Ice-Cube/dp/B0070YR5MU” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

79. Fresh (1994)

Fresh (Sean Nelson) is a 12-year-old drug dealer who becomes caught up in a web of poverty, corruption, and racial hostility in Brooklyn. When his drug-addict sister Nichole begins sleeping with local drug lord Esteban, Fresh uses the chess skills he gained from his alcoholic father and speed-chess champion Sam to craft a sophisticated strategy that will set him and his sister free.
Director: Boaz Yakin
Language: English
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Main Cast: 

  • Sean Nelson
  • Giancarlo Esposito
  • Samuel L. Jackson
  • N’Bushe Wright

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 115 minutes
Box Office: $8,094,616
Movie Trailer: Fresh (1994) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Samuel-L-Jackson/dp/B00BHP1S76″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

80. Menace II Society (1993)

This urban nightmare follows Caine Lawson as he struggles to flee his brutal existence in the Watts projects following his high school graduation.
Director: The Hughes Brothers
Language: English
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Main Cast: 

  • Tyrin Turner
  • Jada Pinkett
  • Larenz Tate
  • Bill Duke

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 97 minutes
Box Office: $27,912,072
Movie Trailer: Menace II Society (1993) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Menace-II-Society-Tyrin-Turner/dp/B00GJBDDMG” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

81. Cool Runnings (1993)

Four Jamaicans create the nation’s first bobsled team, which will compete in the 1988 Winter Olympics. They grudgingly engage the assistance of a disgraced former Olympic gold medalist to coach them. When they arrive in Canada, however, they are viewed as outcasts by the other teams, who worry they will only serve to shame the sport.
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Language: English
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Family
Main Cast: 

  • Leon Robinson
  • Doug E. Doug
  • Rawle D. Lewis
  • Malik Yoba

IMDb Rating: 7
Running Time: 98 minutes
Box Office: $154,856,263
Movie Trailer: Cool Runnings (1993) – Movie Trailer 

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Cool-Runnings-Leon/dp/B003V5ED7W” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

82. What’s Love Got to Do with It? (1993)

Anna Mae Bullock’s voice was always unique. She quickly captures the attention of pop group leader Ike Turner after arriving in St. Louis to live with her mother, who had abandoned her when she was a child. She becomes the singer for his band, his wife, and the mother of his children, though not all of them are hers. In love with him and determined not to leave like her mother, she finds herself the focus of growing violence from him, who is oblivious to the fact that she is the driving force behind his band’s success.
Director: Brian Gibson
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Main Cast: 

  • Angela Bassett
  • Laurence Fishburne
  • RaéVen Kelly

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 118 minutes
Box Office: $39,100,956
Movie Trailer: What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Love-Got-Angela-Bassett/dp/B003SHYW4C” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

83. The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992)

The Jacksons are a typical working-class family from Gary, Indiana; nevertheless, when their father realizes that his children have exceptional musical abilities, they create a band. They quickly rose to fame after winning talent show after talent show when Motown called. They go on to form the now-famous Jackson 5. However, their triumph comes with it a lot of problems and strife.
Director: Karen Arthur
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Drama, and Music
Main Cast: 

  • Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
  • Angela Bassett
  • Holly Robinson Peete
  • Margaret Avery

IMDb Rating: 7.5
Running Time: 300 minutes
Movie Trailer: The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/The-Jacksons-An-American-Dream/dp/B08W7PHS5Z” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

84. Juice (1992)

Q, Bishop, Raheem, and Steel, four Harlem teenagers, are out skipping school one day when they learn that an old acquaintance was slain in a bar shootout. Bishop then informs his friends that they don’t have any respect or power. They raid a corner grocery store to get some, but things take an unexpected turn. Only the four buddies are aware of what occurred, yet one of them is on his own.
Director: Ernest R. Dickerson
Language: English
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Omar Epps
  • Jermaine Hopkins
  • Khalil Kain
  • Tupac Shakur

IMDb Rating: 7.1
Running Time: 95 minutes
Box Office: $20,146,880
Movie Trailer: Juice Trailer (1992) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Juice-Omar-Epps/dp/B0084670O6″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

85. Malcolm X (1992)

Malcolm X, the iconic African American leader, is the subject of this biographical epic. His father, Malcolm Little, was assassinated by the Ku Klux Klan. Malcolm became a gangster and discovered Elijah Muhammad’s Nation of Islam writings while incarcerated. When he is released from prison, he preaches the teachings, but subsequently travels on a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he converts to the original Islamic religion, becoming a Sunni Muslim and changing his name to El-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz. On February 21, 1965, he was assassinated and became a Muslim martyr.
Director: Spike Lee
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Main Cast: 

  • Denzel Washington
  • Angela Bassett
  • Albert Hall
  • Al Freeman Jr.

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time: 201 minutes
Box Office: $48,169,910
Movie Trailer: Malcolm X (1992) –  Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Malcolm-X-Denzel-Washington/dp/B000QFQE4U” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

86. The Five Heartbeats (1991)

The Five Heartbeats is an amateur vocal group formed in the early 1960s by a quintet of hopeful young African American men. After a difficult start, the band improves, turns professional, and rises to become a top-tier music sensation. However, the men learn a lot of harsh lessons along the way about the realities of the music industry, with its casual racism and greed, while the members’ personal flaws threaten the band’s integrity.
Director: Robert Townsend
Language: English
Genre: Drama and Music
Main Cast: 

  • Robert Townsend
  • Michael Wright
  • Leon
  • Harry J. Lennix

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Running Time: 122 minutes
Box Office: $8,750,400
Movie Trailer: The Five Heartbeats  (1991) – Movie Trailer 

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Five-Heartbeats-Robert-Townsend/dp/B00K0C9X56″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

87. Boyz n the Hood (1991)

The portrayal of societal problems in inner-city Los Angeles, California by writer and director John Singleton takes the shape of a story about three friends growing up in the “hood.” Doughboy and Ricky Baker, half-brothers, are polar opposites in personality, taking very different attitudes to their difficult circumstances. Doughboy succumbs to the violence, alcohol, and crime that surrounds him in his environment, but maintains a strong sense of pride and a code of honor. Ricky is the “All-American” athlete, looking to win a football scholarship to USC and seeks salvation through sports, whereas Doughboy succumbs to the violence, alcohol, and crime that surrounds him in his environment, but maintains a strong sense of pride and code of honor.
Director: John Singleton
Language: English
Genre: Crime and Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Cuba Gooding Jr.
  • Morris Chestnut
  • Ice Cube
  • Laurence Fishburne

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 112 minutes
Box Office: $57,529,070
Movie Trailer: Boyz n the Hood (1991) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic …

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.hulu.com/movie/boyz-n-the-hood-31ee84ba-0244-4c3a-8490-555a8ba4e07e” watchon=”Hulu”]

 

 

88. Glory (1989)

Shaw was a volunteer to lead the first company of black troops in the Federal Army during the American Civil War. Shaw had to cope with biases from both the enemy (who had instructions to murder black commanding officers) and his own colleagues.
Director: Edward Zwick
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Main Cast: 

  • Matthew Broderick
  • Denzel Washington
  • Cary Elwes
  • Morgan Freeman

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 122 minutes
Box Office: $26,979,166
Movie Trailer: Glory (1989) – Movie Trailer 

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.netflix.com/gi/title/547335″ watchon=”Netflix”]

 

 

89. The Women of Brewster Place (1989)

Based on Gloria Naylor’s novel about a group of strong-willed women who live in a decrepit housing complex on Brewster Place in an unnamed eastern metropolis and struggle against poverty, discrimination, and weak, bothersome men over three decades.
Director: Donna Deitch
Language: English
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Oprah Winfrey
  • Robin Givens
  • Jackée
  • Paul Winfield

IMDb Rating: 7.7
Running Time: 200 minutes
Movie Trailer: The Women of Brewster Place (1989) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Women-Brewster-Place-Oprah-Winfrey/dp/B076B77GDV” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

90. Do the Right Thing (1989)

On a scorching summer Sunday in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, this film depicts life. Sal Fragione opens the pizza business he’s owned for 25 years, as he does every day. In the time he’s lived there, the neighborhood has changed dramatically, and it now predominantly consists of African-Americans and Hispanics. Pino, his son, despises life there and would love nothing more than to move the restaurant to their own neighborhood. Sal, on the other hand, considers the restaurant to be a part of his life and a member of the community. Buggin Out – who wonders why he only has images of renowned Italian-Americans on the wall – begins with a simple complaint from one of his clients.
Director: Spike Lee
Language: English
Genre: Comedy and Drama
Main Cast:

  • Danny Aiello
  • Ossie Davis
  • Ruby Dee

IMDb Rating: 8
Running Time: 120 minutes
Box Office: $37,295,445
Movie Trailer: Do the Right Thing (1989) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Do-Right-Thing-Ossie-Davis/dp/B000I9VOGW” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

91. Coming to America (1988)

On his twenty-first birthday, gracious Prince Akeem, the polished heir apparent to Africa’s opulent kingdom of Zamunda, summons the resolve to turn down an arranged marriage proposal. As a result, the young blue blood finds himself in the exotic metropolitan jungle of Queens, New York City, in search of true love. To hide his regal origins, Akeem and his trusty valet, Semmi, must now disguise themselves as modest exchange students, doing their best to interact with their peers. The aristocratic bachelor, more than anything else in the world, wishes to be appreciated for who he is, not for his rank.
Director: John Landis
Language: English
Genre: Comedy and Romance
Main Cast:

  • Eddie Murphy
  • Arsenio Hall
  • James Earl Jones
  • John Amos

IMDb Rating: 7.1
Running Time: 117 minutes
Box Office: $288,752,301
Movie Trailer: Coming to America (1988) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Coming-America-Eddie-Murphy/dp/B001K387BU” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

92. The Color Purple (1985)

Celie, a little black girl growing up in the early 1900s, is the protagonist of this film. Celie is 14 when we first meet her, and she is pregnant by her father. We will accompany her for the next 30 years of her difficult existence.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Language: English
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Danny Glover
  • Adolph Caesar
  • Oprah Winfrey
  • Margaret Avery

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 153 minutes
Box Office: $98,467,863
Movie Trailer: The Color Purple (1985) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Color-Purple-Whoopi-Goldberg/dp/B00LFE0LLS” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

93. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Following the assassination of his childhood buddy, Axel Foley, a suave Detroit detective, travels to sunny Beverly Hills on a one-man mission to find the culprit and bring him to justice. Axel and his unconventional methods soon expose the lucrative drug enterprise of Victor Maitland, a powerful local crime lord; nevertheless, Foley will soon find himself in serious difficulty, as Lieutenant Andrew Bogomil wants him out of town. Axel will now have to work with Detectives John Taggart and Billy Rosewood to unravel the complex conspiracy and complete what he has begun.
Director: Martin Brest
Language: English
Genre: Action, Comedy, and Crime
Main Cast:

  • Eddie Murphy
  • Judge Reinhold
  • John Ashton
  • Lisa Eilbacher

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 105 minutes
Box Office: $316,360,478
Movie Trailer: Beverly Hills Cop (1984) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Beverly-Hills-Cop-Martin-Brest/dp/B001JDUDTU” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

94. My Brother’s Wedding (1983)

A man who has struggled personally is reluctant to be the best man at his fiancée’s wedding since he has disagreements with his upwardly mobile lawyer brother and well-to-do fiancée.
Director: Charles Burnett
Language: English
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Everett Silas
  • Jessie Holmes
  • Gaye Shannon-Burnett

IMDb Rating: 7.2
Running Time: 76 minutes
Box Office: $26,177
Movie Trailer: My Brother’s Wedding (1983) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/My-Brothers-Wedding-Everett-Silas/dp/B01M62HWGW” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

95. Roots – The Next Generations (1979)

From the post-American Civil War era to Alex Haley’s genealogical hunt for his ancestors, this series follows the narrative of Alex Haley’s family line.
Director: John Erman, Charles S. Dubin, Georg Stanford Brown, and Lloyd Richards
Language: English/Mandinka
Genre: Biography, Drama, and History
Main Cast: 

  • James Earl Jones
  • Dorian Harewood
  • Irene Cara
  • Stan Shaw

IMDb Rating: 7.8
Running Time: 14 hours
Movie Trailer: ROOTS: The Next Generations (1979) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Roots-The-Next-Generations/dp/B000Y0OAYI” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

96. Cooley High (1975)

In 1964, a group of high school pals living on Chicago’s Near North Side enjoyed life to the fullest…parties, hangouts, and meeting new people. Then two of the guys’ lives are turned upside down when they meet a pair of career criminals and are wrongfully jailed for stealing a Cadillac. We follow their lives as they approach the end of their senior year and the dramatic conclusion of their school year.
Director: Michael Schultz
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Drama, and Romance
Main Cast: 

  • Glynn Turman
  • Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
  • Garrett Morris

IMDb Rating: 7.2
Running Time: 107 minutes
Box Office: $13,000,000
Movie Trailer: Cooley High (1975) –  Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Cooley-High-Glynn-Turman/dp/B0873WWGVQ” watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

97. Claudine (1974)

While on welfare, Claudine strives to provide for her six children in Harlem. Roop, a joyful garbage man she meets while working as a maid on the side, is the love of her life.
Director: John Berry
Language: English
Genre: Comedy, Drama, and Romance
Main Cast: 

  • Diahann Carroll
  • James Earl Jones
  • Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs

IMDb Rating: 7.3
Running Time: 92 minutes
Box Office: $6,000,000
Movie Trailer: Claudine (1974) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Claudine-Diahann-Carroll/dp/B00007AJG2″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

98. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)

Jane Pittman, a 110-year-old ex-slave, granted an interview to a persistent journalist and tells the incredible narrative of her life, which begins during the racial strife of 1960s Louisiana. She is orphaned at a young age and works on a plantation until she meets a white Union soldier called Brown, who changes her life. Jane’s emancipation is simply the start of a long and painful journey that is framed by the horrors of slavery and the justice of the civil rights movement.
Director: John Korty
Language: English
Genre: Drama and History
Main Cast: 

  • Cicely Tyson
  • Barbara Cheney
  • Richard Dysart
  • Katherine Helmond

IMDb Rating: 7.9
Running Time: 110 minutes
Movie Trailer: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1973)

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Miss-Jane-Pittman/dp/B07D4PCY13″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

99. Lady Sings the Blues (1972)

Billie Holiday, born Elinore Harris, had a terrible adolescence and young adulthood, which included working in brothels as a cleaning lady and a prostitute, as well as being raped. Despite the difficulties, she aspired to be a jazz vocalist. She got her first break as a vocalist when she applied for a dancer position at a Harlem bar, but was instead employed as a singer. She met and fell in love with the suave Louis McKay while she was there.
Director: Sidney J. Furie
Language: English
Genre: Biography, Drama, and Music
Main Cast: 

  • Diana Ross
  • Billy Dee Williams
  • Richard Pryor

IMDb Rating: 7.1
Running Time: 144 minutes
Box Office: $19,700,000
Movie Trailer: Lady Sings the Blues (1972) – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Sings-Blues-Blu-ray-Diana/dp/B08NVGHDCH/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1461523999&sr=8-1″ watchon=”Amazon”]

 

 

100. A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

Based on Lorrain Hansberry’s novel, the movie revolves around a poor black family’s life in South Chicago. Striving to improve their financial status with Lena’s insurance payment, the family has to face the challenges of assimilation, accommodation, and racism.
Director: Daniel Petrie
Language: English
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: 

  • Sidney Poitier
  • Ruby Dee
  • Claudia McNeil

IMDb Rating: 8
Running Time: 128 minutes
Movie Trailer: A Raisin In The Sun Trailer (1961)  – Movie Trailer

[Jwatchnow link=”https://www.amazon.com/Raisin-Sun-Sidney-Poitier/dp/B003KUA5HU” watchon=”Amazon”]

Film Institutes

Film institutes play a pivotal role in nurturing and honing the talents of aspiring filmmakers, providing them with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to

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