Black Excellence

by maniya-74559 | created - 01 Dec 2015 | updated - 24 Apr 2023 | Public

Movies with stellar acting from black actors/actresses. Movies that depict black culture well.

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1. Glory (1989)

R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, History

78 Metascore

Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates.

Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman

Votes: 144,410 | Gross: $26.83M

Black soldiers during the Civil War.

2. Menace II Society (1993)

R | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

76 Metascore

A young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.

Directors: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes | Stars: Tyrin Turner, Larenz Tate, June Kyoto Lu, Toshi Toda

Votes: 64,452 | Gross: $27.90M

Young black man growing up in the hood tries to turn his life around but still gets sucked in, classic.

3. Crooklyn (1994)

PG-13 | 115 min | Comedy, Drama

65 Metascore

Spike Lee's vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school teacher, her stubborn jazz musician husband and their five kids living in Brooklyn in 1973.

Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo, David Patrick Kelly, Zelda Harris

Votes: 11,329 | Gross: $13.64M

Big black family growing up in Brooklyn in the 80s. Deals with troubles of illness, drugs, violence, and trying to grow up being a young black girl.

4. Coming to America (1988)

R | 117 min | Comedy, Romance

47 Metascore

An extremely pampered African prince travels to Queens, New York and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect for her intelligence and strong will.

Director: John Landis | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Paul Bates, Garcelle Beauvais, Feather

Votes: 223,540 | Gross: $128.15M

Classic black movie, so humorous and cute. Shows the cultural differences between African Americans and blacks.

5. The Wood (1999)

R | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

52 Metascore

While dealing with a friend's cold feet on his wedding day, a writer reminisces about his youth with his best friends.

Director: Rick Famuyiwa | Stars: Elayn J. Taylor, Omar Epps, Richard T. Jones, Sean Nelson

Votes: 10,201 | Gross: $25.05M

Wedding jitters of a black man makes three successful black men reminisce on their teenage years growing up in California despite their neighborhood.

6. The Great Debaters (2007)

PG-13 | 126 min | Biography, Drama, Romance

65 Metascore

A drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.

Director: Denzel Washington | Stars: Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Kimberly Elise, Nate Parker

Votes: 62,851 | Gross: $30.23M

Problematic and political debating coach creates an undefeated team of young black students from an HBCU who have their own personal struggles

7. Remember the Titans (2000)

PG | 113 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

48 Metascore

In 1971 Virginia high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. But when the school board was forced to integrate an all-black school with an all-white one, the very foundation of football's tradition was put to the test.

Director: Boaz Yakin | Stars: Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst

Votes: 231,888 | Gross: $115.65M

Football team rises to greatness when racial tension is destroyed.

8. The Secret Life of Bees (2008)

PG-13 | 114 min | Drama

57 Metascore

In 1964, a teenage girl in search of the truth about her mother runs away to a small town in South Carolina and finds a family of independent women who can connect her to her past.

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood | Stars: Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys

Votes: 27,944 | Gross: $37.77M

Strong black women who were beyond independent (in the south at that) in the 60s!

9. 42 (2013)

PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

62 Metascore

In 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.

Director: Brian Helgeland | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, T.R. Knight, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie

Votes: 102,700 | Gross: $95.00M

Great biopic of the legendary Jackie Robinson.

10. The Help (2011)

PG-13 | 146 min | Drama

62 Metascore

An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.

Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard

Votes: 492,722 | Gross: $169.71M

Strong black women workers who remain content and calm in the 60s .... until they finally get a voice.

11. Freedom Writers (2007)

PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

64 Metascore

A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves and pursue education beyond high school.

Director: Richard LaGravenese | Stars: Hilary Swank, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn

Votes: 85,362 | Gross: $36.61M

Shows how it truly is hard to grow up in the hood and to make it out with school as its hard to drown out what is going on outside of your education.

12. Fruitvale Station (2013)

R | 85 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

85 Metascore

The story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.

Director: Ryan Coogler | Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand

Votes: 85,875 | Gross: $16.10M

Biopic of actual police harassment towards black people. Totally relevant, so heavy hearted.

13. Life (I) (1999)

R | 108 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama

63 Metascore

In 1932, two strangers are wrongfully convicted and develop a strong friendship in prison that lasts them through the 20th century.

Director: Ted Demme | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Obba Babatundé, Nick Cassavetes

Votes: 54,761 | Gross: $63.84M

14. Coach Carter (2005)

PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

57 Metascore

Controversy surrounds high school basketball coach Ken Carter after he benches his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him.

Director: Thomas Carter | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Rick Gonzalez, Robert Ri'chard, Rob Brown

Votes: 171,952 | Gross: $67.26M

Strong black father figure helps to push demotivated talent athletes to be more.

15. Straight Outta Compton (2015)

R | 147 min | Biography, Drama, History

72 Metascore

The rap group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.

Director: F. Gary Gray | Stars: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr.

Votes: 218,452 | Gross: $161.20M

NWA, rappers who used their anger towards systematic racism and police brutality and put it in songs. Crucial movie to 90s West Coast black culture

16. Love & Basketball (2000)

PG-13 | 124 min | Drama, Romance, Sport

72 Metascore

Monica and Quincy love and play basketball together through many life challenges from childhood to adulthood.

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood | Stars: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Glenndon Chatman, Jess Willard

Votes: 24,303 | Gross: $27.44M

Black love, shows how a talented and competitive black men loves a strong black woman and supports her dreams, even if she might be as good as him.

17. Dope (2015)

R | 103 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime

72 Metascore

Life changes for Malcolm, a geek who's surviving life in a tough neighborhood, after a chance invitation to an underground party leads him and his friends into a Los Angeles adventure.

Director: Rick Famuyiwa | Stars: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Kimberly Elise

Votes: 89,300 | Gross: $17.51M

Movie about a black boy, no drugs no violence. Just a super smart kid who doubts his abilities to get into an Ivy League because of his background. Totally relevant in the race

18. Just Wright (2010)

PG | 100 min | Comedy, Romance, Sport

51 Metascore

A physical therapist falls for the basketball player she is helping recover from a career-threatening injury.

Director: Sanaa Hamri | Stars: Queen Latifah, Common, Paula Patton, James Pickens Jr.

Votes: 15,650 | Gross: $21.52M

Black love. Takes a guy to realize the woman he needs is not the one that caught his eye but the one that stood by him through tough times

19. Creed (II) (2015)

PG-13 | 133 min | Action, Drama, Sport

82 Metascore

The former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.

Director: Ryan Coogler | Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad

Votes: 310,826 | Gross: $109.77M

Black Rocky.

20. Sparkle (1976)

PG | 98 min | Drama, Music

Three sisters form a singing group in 1950s Harlem, but success threatens to ruin their relationship forever.

Director: Sam O'Steen | Stars: Philip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith

Votes: 1,882 | Gross: $4.00M

3 talented sisters struggle to get to fame.

21. Get on Up (2014)

PG-13 | 139 min | Biography, Drama, Music

71 Metascore

A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.

Director: Tate Taylor | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis

Votes: 26,142 | Gross: $30.51M

Superb biopic of the legendary James Brown, so soulful.

22. Amistad (1997)

R | 155 min | Biography, Drama, History

64 Metascore

In 1839, the revolt of Mende captives aboard a Spanish owned ship causes a major controversy in the United States when the ship is captured off the coast of Long Island. The courts must decide whether the Mende are slaves or legally free.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman

Votes: 82,763 | Gross: $44.18M

Biopic of the Africans who fought from being enslaved. Iconic

23. Shaft (2000)

R | 99 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

50 Metascore

New York City police detective John Shaft (nephew of the original 1970s detective) goes on a personal mission to make sure the son of a real estate tycoon is brought to justice after a racially-motivated murder.

Director: John Singleton | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Christian Bale, Jeffrey Wright

Votes: 80,791 | Gross: $70.33M

24. Sister Act (1992)

PG | 100 min | Comedy, Family, Music

51 Metascore

When a nightclub singer is forced to take refuge from the mob in a convent, she ends up turning the convent choir into a soulful chorus complete with a Motown repertoire, until the sudden celebrity of the choir jeopardizes her identity.

Director: Emile Ardolino | Stars: Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith, Harvey Keitel, Bill Nunn

Votes: 108,364 | Gross: $139.61M

25. Last Holiday (2006)

PG-13 | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

52 Metascore

Upon learning of a terminal illness, a shy woman decides to sell all her possessions and live it up at a posh Central European hotel.

Director: Wayne Wang | Stars: Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Giancarlo Esposito

Votes: 36,257 | Gross: $38.36M

Woman thinks that she is on her last days to die, and wants to live up every second of it catering to her own needs for once.

26. Taxi (I) (2004)

PG-13 | 97 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

27 Metascore

A mouthy and feisty taxicab driver has hot tips for a green and inept cop set on solving a string of New York City bank robberies committed by a quartet of female Brazilian bank robbers.

Director: Tim Story | Stars: Queen Latifah, Jimmy Fallon, Gisele Bündchen, Henry Simmons

Votes: 44,846 | Gross: $36.61M

27. Car Wash (1976)

PG | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

71 Metascore

A comedic take on the daily life of car-wash employees, chronicling their hopes, fears, joys, dreams, and tribulations, and meeting some eccentric customers along the way.

Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: Richard Pryor, Franklyn Ajaye, Sully Boyar, Richard Brestoff

Votes: 8,195

28. Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000)

PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi

38 Metascore

Scientist Sherman Klump's inventions, his upcoming marriage to his pretty colleague Denise Gaines, and his reputation, are threatened by his evil clone Buddy Love.

Director: Peter Segal | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Janet Jackson, Larry Miller, John Ales

Votes: 53,272 | Gross: $123.31M

29. The Players Club (1998)

R | 104 min | Comedy, Drama

A woman must contend with rival strippers and her boss in an attempt to make a legitimate living.

Director: Ice Cube | Stars: LisaRaye McCoy, Dick Anthony Williams, Judyann Elder, Chrystale Wilson

Votes: 7,328 | Gross: $23.03M

30. Colombiana (2011)

PG-13 | 108 min | Action, Drama, Thriller

45 Metascore

A young girl in Bogotá witnesses her parents' murder and grows up to be a stone-cold assassin.

Director: Olivier Megaton | Stars: Zoe Saldana, Michael Vartan, Callum Blue, Jordi Mollà

Votes: 107,640 | Gross: $36.67M

31. Waiting to Exhale (1995)

R | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

Based on Terry McMillan's novel, this film follows four very different African-American women and their relationships with men.

Director: Forest Whitaker | Stars: Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon

Votes: 12,193 | Gross: $67.05M

32. Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)

PG | 107 min | Comedy, Family, Music

38 Metascore

Showgirl Deloris Van Cartier returns as Sister Mary Clarence to teach music to a group of Catholic students whose run-down school is slated for closure.

Director: Bill Duke | Stars: Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Maggie Smith, Barnard Hughes

Votes: 58,469 | Gross: $57.32M

33. Bad Boys (1995)

R | 119 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

41 Metascore

Two hip detectives protect a witness to a murder while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room from their police precinct.

Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Lisa Boyle, Michael Taliferro

Votes: 286,317 | Gross: $65.81M

34. A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996)

R | 108 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama

A fast paced, womanizing nightclub promoter gets paid back in full when he scorns a beautiful woman with psychotic tendencies who will punish him for breaking her heart.

Director: Martin Lawrence | Stars: Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield, Regina King, Bobby Brown

Votes: 5,402 | Gross: $34.75M

35. Boomerang (1992)

R | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

45 Metascore

A successful executive and womanizer finds his lifestyle choices have turned back on him when his new female boss turns out to be an even bigger deviant than he is.

Director: Reginald Hudlin | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Robin Givens, Halle Berry, David Alan Grier

Votes: 31,370 | Gross: $70.10M

36. Enemy of the State (1998)

R | 132 min | Action, Thriller

67 Metascore

A lawyer becomes targeted by a corrupt politician and his N.S.A. goons when he accidentally receives key evidence to a politically motivated crime.

Director: Tony Scott | Stars: Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Lisa Bonet

Votes: 258,894 | Gross: $111.55M

37. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

PG-13 | 93 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

86 Metascore

Faced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love.

Director: Benh Zeitlin | Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes

Votes: 85,063 | Gross: $12.80M

The affects of Hurricane Katrina on those who live by the bayou, especially of a young girl who has a vivid imagination but has to take care of her sick but in-denial father.

38. Romeo Must Die (2000)

R | 115 min | Action, Crime, Thriller

52 Metascore

An avenging cop seeks out his brother's killer and falls for the daughter of a businessman who is involved in a money-deal with his father.

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak | Stars: Jet Li, Aaliyah, Isaiah Washington, Russell Wong

Votes: 73,682 | Gross: $55.97M

39. Beyond the Lights (2014)

PG-13 | 116 min | Drama, Music, Romance

73 Metascore

The pressures of fame have superstar singer Noni on the edge, until she meets Kaz, a young cop who works to help her find the courage to develop her own voice and break free to become the artist she was meant to be.

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood | Stars: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver, Danny Glover

Votes: 17,374 | Gross: $14.62M

Like it because it challenges that a black woman cant be depressed.

40. The Proud Family (2001–2005)

TV-Y | 30 min | Animation, Comedy, Family

Follow the adventures and misadventures of Penny Proud as she does her best to navigate through the early years of teend-dom.

Stars: Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Jo Marie Payton, Paula Jai Parker

Votes: 8,428

41. The Proud Family Movie (2005 TV Movie)

TV-G | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Penny and her family are lured on an all expenses paid vacation where a mad scientist captures them, refusing to let them go because Oscar won't reveal his one of his secret Proud Snacks formulas.

Director: Bruce W. Smith | Stars: Tommy Davidson, Kyla Pratt, Paula Jai Parker, Jo Marie Payton

Votes: 2,051

42. Twitches (2005 TV Movie)

TV-PG | 86 min | Comedy, Drama, Family

Twin witches who were separated at birth and were adopted by two different families meet on their 21st birthday and must use their powers to save the world in which they were born, where their birth mother still lives.

Director: Stuart Gillard | Stars: Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristen Wilson, Patrick Fabian

Votes: 9,586

43. Twitches Too (2007 TV Movie)

TV-PG | 83 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy

After using their powers to battle the forces of darkness, the sisters settle down to lead normal lives. However, the discovery that their biological father may not be dead, but residing in New York, causes confusion for the pair.

Director: Stuart Gillard | Stars: Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Kristen Wilson, Patrick Fabian

Votes: 5,766

44. Precious (II) (2009)

R | 110 min | Drama

78 Metascore

In New York City's Harlem circa 1987, an overweight, abused, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that she can re-route her life in a better direction.

Director: Lee Daniels | Stars: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey

Votes: 116,235 | Gross: $47.57M

45. The Family That Preys (2008)

PG-13 | 111 min | Drama

49 Metascore

Two families from different walks of life learn to work together.

Director: Tyler Perry | Stars: Kathy Bates, Alfre Woodard, Sanaa Lathan, Rockmond Dunbar

Votes: 7,998 | Gross: $37.02M

46. Daddy's Little Girls (2007)

PG-13 | 100 min | Drama, Romance

49 Metascore

A mechanic and his family are struggling to make ends meet with his ex-girlfriend and her drug dealing boyfriend He struggles to get custody of his children during the way he falls inlove with his attorney.

Director: Tyler Perry | Stars: Gabrielle Union, Idris Elba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Louis Gossett Jr.

Votes: 8,294 | Gross: $31.34M

47. For Colored Girls (2010)

R | 133 min | Drama

50 Metascore

Each of the women portray one of the characters represented in the collection of twenty poems, revealing different issues that impact women in general and women of color in particular.

Director: Tyler Perry | Stars: Janet Jackson, Anika Noni Rose, Whoopi Goldberg, Kimberly Elise

Votes: 8,196 | Gross: $37.72M

48. The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

PG-13 | 117 min | Biography, Drama

64 Metascore

A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career

Director: Gabriele Muccino | Stars: Will Smith, Thandiwe Newton, Jaden Smith, Brian Howe

Votes: 560,633 | Gross: $163.57M

49. I Am Legend (2007)

PG-13 | 101 min | Action, Drama, Horror

65 Metascore

Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.

Director: Francis Lawrence | Stars: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield

Votes: 814,027 | Gross: $256.39M

50. Training Day (2001)

R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

71 Metascore

A rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.

Director: Antoine Fuqua | Stars: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Tom Berenger

Votes: 472,780 | Gross: $76.63M

51. Deliver Us from Eva (2003)

R | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

46 Metascore

Eva doesn't let her 3 sisters' men push them around. She's always butting in. How to pacify Eva? Find her a man. The men pay a playboy to be that man. The problem is - he falls in love with Eva.

Director: Gary Hardwick | Stars: Gabrielle Union, LL Cool J, Essence Atkins, Duane Martin

Votes: 7,725 | Gross: $17.33M

Overprotective, controlling, and manipulative older sister tries to pry her sisters away from their "no good" men. Plays on the stereotype that a strong black woman cant be loved because she is too much

52. A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

Approved | 128 min | Drama

87 Metascore

A substantial insurance payment could mean either financial salvation or personal ruin for a poor black family.

Director: Daniel Petrie | Stars: Sidney Poitier, Claudia McNeil, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands

Votes: 9,569

53. Winnie Mandela (2011)

R | 104 min | Biography, Drama, History

37 Metascore

A drama that chronicles the life of Winnie Mandela from her childhood through her marriage and her husband's incarceration.

Director: Darrell Roodt | Stars: Jennifer Hudson, Terrence Howard, Elias Koteas, Wendy Crewson

Votes: 997

54. Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

PG | 112 min | Drama, Family

72 Metascore

Akeelah, a young gifted girl, comes from a dysfunctional family and is on the verge of quitting school. She discovers that she has a high aptitude for spellings and enters a spelling bee contest.

Director: Doug Atchison | Stars: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Keke Palmer, Curtis Armstrong

Votes: 21,624 | Gross: $18.81M

55. What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)

R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Music

76 Metascore

The story of singer Tina Turner's rise to stardom and how she gained the courage to break free from her abusive husband, Ike Turner.

Director: Brian Gibson | Stars: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, RaéVen Kelly, Virginia Capers

Votes: 24,575 | Gross: $39.10M

56. The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992)

120 min | Biography, Drama, Music

The story of the Jackson family and their rise to success.

Stars: Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Angela Bassett, Holly Robinson Peete, Margaret Avery

Votes: 3,773

57. School Daze (1988)

R | 121 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical

52 Metascore

A not so popular young man wants to pledge to a popular fraternity at his historically black college.

Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, Tisha Campbell, Kyme

Votes: 8,034 | Gross: $14.55M

58. Ray (I) (2004)

PG-13 | 152 min | Biography, Drama, Music

73 Metascore

The story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.

Director: Taylor Hackford | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell

Votes: 157,384 | Gross: $75.33M

59. Selma (2014)

PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama, History

79 Metascore

A chronicle of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s campaign to secure equal voting rights via an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965.

Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Wilkinson

Votes: 95,468 | Gross: $52.08M

60. Dreamgirls (2006)

PG-13 | 130 min | Drama, Music, Musical

76 Metascore

A trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.

Director: Bill Condon | Stars: Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover

Votes: 77,282 | Gross: $103.37M

61. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

G | 97 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy

73 Metascore

A waitress, desperate to fulfill her dreams as a restaurant owner, is set on a journey to turn a frog prince back into a human being, but she has to face the same problem after she kisses him.

Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker | Stars: Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Oprah Winfrey, Bruno Campos

Votes: 166,755 | Gross: $104.40M

62. Do the Right Thing (1989)

R | 120 min | Comedy, Drama

93 Metascore

On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.

Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson

Votes: 112,396 | Gross: $27.55M

63. The Blind Side (2009)

PG-13 | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

53 Metascore

The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

Director: John Lee Hancock | Stars: Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head

Votes: 360,428 | Gross: $255.96M

64. The Wiz (1978)

G | 134 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy

53 Metascore

An adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.

Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross

Votes: 17,039 | Gross: $21.05M

65. Gridiron Gang (2006)

PG-13 | 125 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

52 Metascore

Teenagers at a juvenile detention center, under the leadership of their counselor, gain self-esteem by playing football together.

Director: Phil Joanou | Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Xzibit, L. Scott Caldwell, Leon Rippy

Votes: 80,659 | Gross: $38.43M

66. Good Hair (2009)

PG-13 | 96 min | Documentary, Comedy

72 Metascore

Chris Rock explores the wonders of African-American hairstyles.

Director: Jeff Stilson | Stars: Chris Rock, Maya Angelou, Al Sharpton, Tanya Crumel

Votes: 6,214 | Gross: $4.16M

67. Chi-Raq (2015)

R | 127 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama

77 Metascore

A modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago, Illinois.

Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Nick Cannon, Teyonah Parris, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett

Votes: 10,718 | Gross: $2.65M

68. Barbershop (2002)

PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Drama

66 Metascore

A day in the life of a South Side Chicago barbershop.

Director: Tim Story | Stars: Ice Cube, Cedric The Entertainer, Eve, Anthony Anderson

Votes: 33,538 | Gross: $75.78M

69. Breakin' All the Rules (2004)

PG-13 | 85 min | Comedy, Romance

46 Metascore

Inspired by his fiancée (who dumped him), a man publishes a break-up hand-book for men, becoming a best-selling author in the process.

Director: Daniel Taplitz | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, Peter MacNicol

Votes: 6,389 | Gross: $11.83M

70. Two Can Play That Game (2001)

R | 90 min | Comedy, Romance

35 Metascore

An arrogant career woman plays a series of heartless mind-games with her boyfriend to "put him in line," only to discover that he has a few tricks up his own sleeve.

Director: Mark Brown | Stars: Vivica A. Fox, Morris Chestnut, Anthony Anderson, Gabrielle Union

Votes: 7,369 | Gross: $22.24M

71. Dear White People (2014)

R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

79 Metascore

The lives of four black students at an Ivy League college.

Director: Justin Simien | Stars: Tyler James Williams, Tessa Thompson, Kyle Gallner, Teyonah Parris

Votes: 26,564 | Gross: $4.40M

72. I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988)

R | 88 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

48 Metascore

In this parody of blaxploitation movies, a black hero wannabe reunites former black heroes from the 70s to help him get revenge on Mr. Big.

Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans | Stars: Keenen Ivory Wayans, Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas, Steve James

Votes: 14,974 | Gross: $13.03M

73. Juice (1992)

R | 95 min | Action, Crime, Drama

60 Metascore

Four inner-city teenagers get caught up in the pursuit of power and happiness, which they refer to as "the juice".

Director: Ernest R. Dickerson | Stars: Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine Hopkins, Khalil Kain

Votes: 30,357 | Gross: $20.15M

74. Paid in Full (2002)

R | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama

49 Metascore

A young man from Harlem, forced to cope with the 1980s drug scene, builds an illegal empire, only to have a crisis of conscience.

Director: Charles Stone III | Stars: Mekhi Phifer, Wood Harris, Chi McBride, Kevin Carroll

Votes: 14,231 | Gross: $3.04M

75. Head of State (2003)

PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy

44 Metascore

When a presidential candidate dies unexpectedly in the middle of the campaign, Washington, D.C. alderman Mays Gilliam is unexpectedly picked as his replacement.

Director: Chris Rock | Stars: Chris Rock, Bernie Mac, Lynn Whitfield, Dylan Baker

Votes: 21,233 | Gross: $37.79M

76. Black Knight (2001)

PG-13 | 95 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

32 Metascore

Martin Lawrence plays Jamal, an employee in Medieval World amusement park. After sustaining a blow to the head, he awakens to find himself in 14th century England.

Director: Gil Junger | Stars: Martin Lawrence, Marsha Thomason, Tom Wilkinson, Vincent Regan

Votes: 43,297 | Gross: $33.42M

77. Down to Earth (2001)

PG-13 | 87 min | Comedy, Fantasy

32 Metascore

After dying before his time, an aspiring black comic gets a second shot at life - by being placed in the body of a wealthy white businessman.

Directors: Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz | Stars: Chris Rock, Regina King, Chazz Palminteri, Eugene Levy

Votes: 24,793 | Gross: $64.19M

78. Crash (I) (2004)

R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

66 Metascore

Los Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption.

Director: Paul Haggis | Stars: Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, Thandiwe Newton, Karina Arroyave

Votes: 448,984 | Gross: $54.58M

79. American Gangster (2007)

R | 157 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

76 Metascore

An outcast New York City cop is charged with bringing down Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, whose real life inspired this partly biographical film.

Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin

Votes: 452,463 | Gross: $130.16M

80. Cooley High (1975)

PG | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

72 Metascore

In 1964 on Chicago's Near-North Side, the lives of four carefree high school seniors and best friends, including an aspiring playwright and an all-city basketball champion, takes a tragic turn.

Director: Michael Schultz | Stars: Glynn Turman, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis

Votes: 5,545

81. ATL (2006)

PG-13 | 105 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama

63 Metascore

As four friends prepare for life after high school, different challenges bring about turning points in each of their lives. The dramas unfold and resolve at their local rollerskating rink, Cascade.

Director: Chris Robinson | Stars: Tip 'T.I.' Harris, Lauren London, Evan Ross, Greg Andrews

Votes: 12,243 | Gross: $21.16M

82. You Got Served (2004)

PG-13 | 95 min | Drama, Music

37 Metascore

In order to achieve their dream of opening a recording studio, two friends (Omarion, Houston) must first win their city's dance contest -- a fierce competition that pits them against a group of tough street dancers.

Director: Chris Stokes | Stars: Omarion, Jarell Houston, Raz B, Lil' Fizz

Votes: 28,605 | Gross: $40.07M

83. Save the Last Dance (2001)

PG-13 | 112 min | Drama, Music, Romance

53 Metascore

A white midwestern girl moves to Chicago, where her new boyfriend is a black teen from the South Side with a rough, semi-criminal past.

Director: Thomas Carter | Stars: Julia Stiles, Sean Patrick Thomas, Kerry Washington, Fredro Starr

Votes: 65,964 | Gross: $91.06M

84. National Security (2003)

PG-13 | 88 min | Action, Comedy, Crime

31 Metascore

Two mismatched security guards are thrown together to bust a smuggling operation.

Director: Dennis Dugan | Stars: Martin Lawrence, Steve Zahn, Colm Feore, Bill Duke

Votes: 54,275 | Gross: $36.38M

85. Stomp the Yard (2007)

PG-13 | 115 min | Drama, Music, Romance

44 Metascore

When his brother is murdered, a street dancer moves to Georgia to work his way through college. He joins a fraternity's step dancing team for a competition. Will he also get an education and the girl?

Director: Sylvain White | Stars: Columbus Short, Meagan Good, Ne-Yo, Darrin Dewitt Henson

Votes: 26,444 | Gross: $61.36M

86. Roll Bounce (2005)

PG-13 | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Music

59 Metascore

In the summer of 1978, a teenager and his group of friends face new challenges when their neighborhood roller-skating rink closes, forcing them to visit a different rink.

Director: Malcolm D. Lee | Stars: Shad Moss, Nick Cannon, Meagan Good, Brandon T. Jackson

Votes: 7,833 | Gross: $17.38M

87. This Christmas (2007)

PG-13 | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

63 Metascore

A Christmastime drama centered around the Whitfield family's first holiday together in four years.

Director: Preston A. Whitmore II | Stars: Regina King, Columbus Short, Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba

Votes: 10,448 | Gross: $49.12M

88. Soul Men (2008)

R | 100 min | Comedy, Drama, Music

49 Metascore

Though it's been about twenty years since they have spoken with one another, two estranged soul-singing legends agree to participate in a reunion performance at the Apollo Theater to honor their recently deceased band leader.

Director: Malcolm D. Lee | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac, Sharon Leal, Adam Herschman

Votes: 11,716 | Gross: $12.08M

89. J. Cole Forest Hills Drive Homecoming (2016 TV Special)

TV-MA | 84 min | Music

Hip-hop superstar J. Cole returns to his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina for an endearing performance of his platinum selling album 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Interspersed with ... See full summary »

Director: Scott Lazer | Stars: J. Cole, Andre Smith Dj Dummy

Votes: 141

90. Soul Food (1997)

R | 115 min | Comedy, Drama

70 Metascore

One person can keep a family together and, when that one person is gone, a family can be torn apart.

Director: George Tillman Jr. | Stars: Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach

Votes: 9,007 | Gross: $43.49M

91. John Q (2002)

PG-13 | 116 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller

30 Metascore

John Quincy Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant.

Director: Nick Cassavetes | Stars: Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, Gabriela Oltean, Kimberly Elise

Votes: 143,667 | Gross: $71.76M

92. The Best Man (1999)

R | 120 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

61 Metascore

Just before his best friend's wedding, the life of a Chicago writer becomes crazy when his best friend guesses that his new book's story is based on his bride's fervent past.

Director: Malcolm D. Lee | Stars: Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau

Votes: 11,839 | Gross: $34.10M

93. CB4 (1993)

R | 89 min | Comedy, Music

49 Metascore

A guy makes a documentary of the rap band CB4 by following them. CB4 got popular by stealing Gusto's name, background and image. He wants them dead.

Director: Tamra Davis | Stars: Chris Rock, Allen Payne, Deezer D, Chris Elliott

Votes: 10,422 | Gross: $17.95M

94. The Bodyguard (1992)

R | 129 min | Action, Drama, Music

39 Metascore

A former Secret Service agent takes on the job of bodyguard to an R&B singer, whose lifestyle is most unlike a President's.

Director: Mick Jackson | Stars: Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston, Gary Kemp, Bill Cobbs

Votes: 147,627 | Gross: $121.95M

95. Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016)

PG-13 | 111 min | Comedy, Drama

67 Metascore

As their surrounding community has taken a turn for the worse, the crew at Calvin's Barbershop come together to bring some much needed change to their neighborhood.

Director: Malcolm D. Lee | Stars: Ice Cube, Regina Hall, Anthony Anderson, Eve

Votes: 16,133 | Gross: $54.03M

Shows what goes down in the barbershop, which is a location crucial to any black neighborhood. They also tackle the social issues inside of their convos, and they try to do something about it.

96. Men in Black (1997)

PG-13 | 98 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy

72 Metascore

James, an NYC cop, is hired by Agent K of a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Together, they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld | Stars: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Linda Fiorentino, Vincent D'Onofrio

Votes: 612,782 | Gross: $250.69M

97. The Nutty Professor (1996)

PG-13 | 95 min | Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi

64 Metascore

Grossly overweight yet good-hearted professor Sherman Klump takes a special chemical that turns him into the slim but obnoxious Buddy Love.

Director: Tom Shadyac | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Jada Pinkett Smith, James Coburn, Larry Miller

Votes: 123,656 | Gross: $128.81M

98. House Party (1990)

R | 100 min | Comedy, Music, Romance

76 Metascore

Kid decides to go to his friend Play's house party, but neither of them can predict what's in store for them on what could be the wildest night of their lives.

Director: Reginald Hudlin | Stars: Christopher Reid, Robin Harris, Christopher Martin, Martin Lawrence

Votes: 16,720 | Gross: $26.39M

Music culture of the 90s, how genuine and carefree parties were.

99. Soul Plane (2004)

R | 86 min | Comedy

33 Metascore

Things get raucously funny aboard the maiden flight of a black-owned airline, thanks to some last-minute passenger additions.

Director: Jessy Terrero | Stars: Dwayne Adway, Snoop Dogg, Tom Arnold, Kevin Hart

Votes: 24,554 | Gross: $13.92M

100. The Suspect (2013)

Not Rated | 98 min | Action, Crime, Mystery

Two African American social scientists pose as bank robbers in an effort to understand the racial dynamics of small-town law enforcement. However, their experiment takes an unplanned, deadly turn.

Director: Stuart Connelly | Stars: Mekhi Phifer, William Sadler, Sterling K. Brown, Derek Roché

Votes: 1,531



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