Black Excellence
Movies with stellar acting from black actors/actresses. Movies that depict black culture well.
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- DirectorEdward ZwickStarsMatthew BroderickDenzel WashingtonCary ElwesRobert 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.Black soldiers during the Civil War.
- DirectorAlbert HughesAllen HughesStarsTyrin TurnerLarenz TateJune Kyoto LuA young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.Young black man growing up in the hood tries to turn his life around but still gets sucked in, classic.
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsAlfre WoodardDelroy LindoDavid Patrick KellySpike Lee's vibrant semi-autobiographical portrait of a school teacher, her stubborn jazz musician husband and their five kids living in Brooklyn in 1973.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.
- DirectorJohn LandisStarsEddie MurphyPaul BatesGarcelle BeauvaisAn 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.Classic black movie, so humorous and cute. Shows the cultural differences between African Americans and blacks.
- DirectorRick FamuyiwaStarsElayn J. TaylorOmar EppsRichard T. JonesWhile dealing with a friend's cold feet on his wedding day, a writer reminisces about his youth with his best friends.Wedding jitters of a black man makes three successful black men reminisce on their teenage years growing up in California despite their neighborhood.
- DirectorDenzel WashingtonStarsDenzel WashingtonForest WhitakerKimberly EliseA 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.Problematic and political debating coach creates an undefeated team of young black students from an HBCU who have their own personal struggles
- DirectorBoaz YakinStarsDenzel WashingtonWill PattonWood HarrisIn 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.Football team rises to greatness when racial tension is destroyed.
- DirectorGina Prince-BythewoodStarsDakota FanningJennifer HudsonQueen LatifahIn 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.Strong black women who were beyond independent (in the south at that) in the 60s!
- DirectorBrian HelgelandStarsChadwick BosemanT.R. KnightHarrison FordIn 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.Great biopic of the legendary Jackie Robinson.
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsViola DavisEmma StoneOctavia SpencerAn 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.Strong black women workers who remain content and calm in the 60s .... until they finally get a voice.
- DirectorRichard LaGraveneseStarsHilary SwankImelda StauntonPatrick DempseyA young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves and pursue education beyond high school.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.
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsMichael B. JordanMelonie DiazOctavia SpencerThe 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.Biopic of actual police harassment towards black people. Totally relevant, so heavy hearted.
- DirectorTed DemmeStarsEddie MurphyMartin LawrenceObba BabatundéIn 1932, two strangers are wrongfully convicted and develop a strong friendship in prison that lasts them through the 20th century.
- DirectorThomas CarterStarsSamuel L. JacksonRick GonzalezRobert Ri'chardControversy surrounds high school basketball coach Ken Carter after he benches his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him.Strong black father figure helps to push demotivated talent athletes to be more.
- DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsO'Shea Jackson Jr.Corey HawkinsJason MitchellThe 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.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
- DirectorGina Prince-BythewoodStarsSanaa LathanOmar EppsGlenndon ChatmanMonica and Quincy love and play basketball together through many life challenges from childhood to adulthood.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.
- DirectorRick FamuyiwaStarsShameik MooreTony RevoloriKiersey ClemonsLife 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.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
- DirectorSanaa HamriStarsQueen LatifahCommonPaula PattonA physical therapist falls for the basketball player she is helping recover from a career-threatening injury.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
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsMichael B. JordanSylvester StalloneTessa ThompsonThe 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.Black Rocky.
- DirectorSam O'SteenStarsPhilip Michael ThomasIrene CaraLonette McKeeThree sisters form a singing group in 1950s Harlem, but success threatens to ruin their relationship forever.3 talented sisters struggle to get to fame.
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsChadwick BosemanNelsan EllisDan AykroydA chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.Superb biopic of the legendary James Brown, so soulful.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsDjimon HounsouMatthew McConaugheyAnthony HopkinsIn 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.Biopic of the Africans who fought from being enslaved. Iconic
- DirectorJohn SingletonStarsSamuel L. JacksonVanessa WilliamsChristian BaleNew 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.
- DirectorEmile ArdolinoStarsWhoopi GoldbergMaggie SmithHarvey KeitelWhen 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.
- DirectorWayne WangStarsQueen LatifahLL Cool JTimothy HuttonUpon learning of a terminal illness, a shy woman decides to sell all her possessions and live it up at a posh Central European hotel.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.
- DirectorTim StoryStarsQueen LatifahJimmy FallonGisele BündchenA 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.
- DirectorMichael SchultzStarsRichard PryorFranklyn AjayeSully BoyarA 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.
- DirectorPeter SegalStarsEddie MurphyJanet JacksonLarry MillerScientist Sherman Klump's inventions, his upcoming marriage to his pretty colleague Denise Gaines, and his reputation, are threatened by his evil clone Buddy Love.
- DirectorIce CubeStarsLisaRaye McCoyDick Anthony WilliamsJudyann ElderA woman must contend with rival strippers and her boss in an attempt to make a legitimate living.
- DirectorOlivier MegatonStarsZoe SaldanaMichael VartanCallum BlueA young girl in Bogotá witnesses her parents' murder and grows up to be a stone-cold assassin.
- DirectorForest WhitakerStarsWhitney HoustonAngela BassettLoretta DevineBased on Terry McMillan's novel, this film follows four very different African-American women and their relationships with men.
- DirectorBill DukeStarsWhoopi GoldbergKathy NajimyMaggie SmithShowgirl 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.
- DirectorMichael BayStarsWill SmithMartin LawrenceLisa BoyleTwo hip detectives protect a witness to a murder while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room from their police precinct.
- DirectorMartin LawrenceStarsMartin LawrenceLynn WhitfieldRegina KingA 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.
- DirectorReginald HudlinStarsEddie MurphyRobin GivensHalle BerryA 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.
- DirectorTony ScottStarsWill SmithGene HackmanJon VoightA lawyer becomes targeted by a corrupt politician and his N.S.A. goons when he accidentally receives key evidence to a politically motivated crime.
- DirectorBenh ZeitlinStarsQuvenzhané WallisDwight HenryLevy EasterlyFaced 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.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.
- DirectorAndrzej BartkowiakStarsJet LiAaliyahIsaiah WashingtonAn 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.
- DirectorGina Prince-BythewoodStarsGugu Mbatha-RawNate ParkerMinnie DriverThe 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.Like it because it challenges that a black woman cant be depressed.
- CreatorBruce W. SmithDoreen SpicerStarsKyla PrattTommy DavidsonJo Marie PaytonFollow the adventures and misadventures of Penny Proud as she does her best to navigate through the early years of teend-dom.
- DirectorBruce W. SmithStarsTommy DavidsonKyla PrattPaula Jai ParkerPenny 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.
- DirectorStuart GillardStarsTia MowryTamera Mowry-HousleyKristen WilsonTwin 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.
- DirectorStuart GillardStarsTia MowryTamera Mowry-HousleyKristen WilsonAfter 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.
- DirectorLee DanielsStarsGabourey SidibeMo'NiquePaula PattonIn 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.
- DirectorTyler PerryStarsKathy BatesAlfre WoodardSanaa LathanTwo families from different walks of life learn to work together.
- DirectorTyler PerryStarsGabrielle UnionIdris ElbaTracee Ellis RossA 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.
- DirectorTyler PerryStarsJanet JacksonAnika Noni RoseWhoopi GoldbergEach 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.
- DirectorGabriele MuccinoStarsWill SmithThandiwe NewtonJaden SmithA struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career
- DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsWill SmithAlice BragaCharlie TahanYears 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.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonEthan HawkeScott GlennA rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.
- DirectorGary HardwickStarsGabrielle UnionLL Cool JEssence AtkinsEva 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.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
- DirectorDaniel PetrieStarsSidney PoitierClaudia McNeilRuby DeeA substantial insurance payment could mean either financial salvation or personal ruin for a poor black family.
- DirectorDarrell RoodtStarsJennifer HudsonTerrence HowardElias KoteasA drama that chronicles the life of Winnie Mandela from her childhood through her marriage and her husband's incarceration.
- DirectorDoug AtchisonStarsAngela BassettLaurence FishburneKeke PalmerAkeelah, 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.
- DirectorBrian GibsonStarsAngela BassettLaurence FishburneRaéVen KellyThe story of singer Tina Turner's rise to stardom and how she gained the courage to break free from her abusive husband, Ike Turner.
- StarsLawrence Hilton-JacobsAngela BassettHolly Robinson PeeteThe story of the Jackson family and their rise to success.
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsLaurence FishburneGiancarlo EspositoTisha CampbellA not so popular young man wants to pledge to a popular fraternity at his historically black college.
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsJamie FoxxRegina KingKerry WashingtonThe 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.
- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsDavid OyelowoCarmen EjogoOprah WinfreyA 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.
- DirectorBill CondonStarsBeyoncéJamie FoxxEddie MurphyA trio of black female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.
- DirectorRon ClementsJohn MuskerStarsAnika Noni RoseKeith DavidOprah WinfreyA 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.
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsDanny AielloOssie DavisRuby DeeOn 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.
- DirectorJohn Lee HancockStarsQuinton AaronSandra BullockTim McGrawThe 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.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsDiana RossMichael JacksonNipsey RussellAn adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African-American experience.
- DirectorPhil JoanouStarsDwayne JohnsonXzibitL. Scott CaldwellTeenagers at a juvenile detention center, under the leadership of their counselor, gain self-esteem by playing football together.
- DirectorJeff StilsonStarsChris RockMaya AngelouAl SharptonChris Rock explores the wonders of African-American hairstyles.
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsNick CannonTeyonah ParrisWesley SnipesA modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago, Illinois.
- DirectorTim StoryStarsIce CubeCedric The EntertainerEveA day in the life of a South Side Chicago barbershop.
- DirectorDaniel TaplitzStarsJamie FoxxGabrielle UnionMorris ChestnutInspired by his fiancée (who dumped him), a man publishes a break-up hand-book for men, becoming a best-selling author in the process.
- DirectorMark BrownStarsVivica A. FoxMorris ChestnutAnthony AndersonAn 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.
- DirectorJustin SimienStarsTyler James WilliamsTessa ThompsonKyle GallnerThe lives of four black students at an Ivy League college.
- DirectorKeenen Ivory WayansStarsKeenen Ivory WayansBernie CaseyAntonio FargasIn this parody of blaxploitation movies, a black hero wannabe reunites former black heroes from the 70s to help him get revenge on Mr. Big.
- DirectorErnest R. DickersonStarsOmar EppsTupac ShakurJermaine HopkinsFour inner-city teenagers get caught up in the pursuit of power and happiness, which they refer to as "the juice".
- DirectorCharles Stone IIIStarsMekhi PhiferWood HarrisChi McBrideA young man from Harlem, forced to cope with the 1980s drug scene, builds an illegal empire, only to have a crisis of conscience.
- DirectorChris RockStarsChris RockBernie MacLynn WhitfieldWhen a presidential candidate dies unexpectedly in the middle of the campaign, Washington, D.C. alderman Mays Gilliam is unexpectedly picked as his replacement.
- DirectorGil JungerStarsMartin LawrenceMarsha ThomasonTom WilkinsonMartin 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.
- DirectorChris WeitzPaul WeitzStarsChris RockRegina KingChazz PalminteriAfter 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.
- DirectorPaul HaggisStarsDon CheadleSandra BullockThandiwe NewtonLos Angeles citizens with vastly separate lives collide in interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsDenzel WashingtonRussell CroweChiwetel EjioforAn outcast New York City cop is charged with bringing down Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, whose real life inspired this partly biographical film.
- DirectorMichael SchultzStarsGlynn TurmanLawrence Hilton-JacobsGarrett MorrisIn 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.
- DirectorChris RobinsonStarsTip 'T.I.' HarrisLauren LondonEvan RossAs 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.
- DirectorChris StokesStarsOmarionJarell HoustonRaz BIn 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.
- DirectorThomas CarterStarsJulia StilesSean Patrick ThomasKerry WashingtonA white midwestern girl moves to Chicago, where her new boyfriend is a black teen from the South Side with a rough, semi-criminal past.
- DirectorDennis DuganStarsMartin LawrenceSteve ZahnColm FeoreTwo mismatched security guards are thrown together to bust a smuggling operation.
- DirectorSylvain WhiteStarsColumbus ShortMeagan GoodNe-YoWhen 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?
- DirectorMalcolm D. LeeStarsShad MossNick CannonMeagan GoodIn 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.
- DirectorPreston A. Whitmore IIStarsRegina KingColumbus ShortDelroy LindoA Christmastime drama centered around the Whitfield family's first holiday together in four years.
- DirectorMalcolm D. LeeStarsSamuel L. JacksonBernie MacSharon LealThough 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.
- DirectorScott LazerStarsJ. ColeAndre Smith Dj DummyHip-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 concert footage and interviews, this insightful music special is a must-see for any J. Cole fan.
- DirectorGeorge Tillman Jr.StarsVanessa WilliamsVivica A. FoxNia LongOne person can keep a family together and, when that one person is gone, a family can be torn apart.
- DirectorNick CassavetesStarsDenzel WashingtonRobert DuvallGabriela OlteanJohn Quincy Archibald takes a hospital emergency room hostage when his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant.
- DirectorMalcolm D. LeeStarsTaye DiggsNia LongMorris ChestnutJust 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.
- DirectorTamra DavisStarsChris RockAllen PayneDeezer DA 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.
- DirectorMick JacksonStarsKevin CostnerWhitney HoustonGary KempA former Secret Service agent takes on the job of bodyguard to an R&B singer, whose lifestyle is most unlike a President's.
- DirectorMalcolm D. LeeStarsIce CubeRegina HallAnthony AndersonAs 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.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.
- DirectorBarry SonnenfeldStarsTommy Lee JonesWill SmithLinda FiorentinoJames, 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.
- DirectorTom ShadyacStarsEddie MurphyJada Pinkett SmithJames CoburnGrossly overweight yet good-hearted professor Sherman Klump takes a special chemical that turns him into the slim but obnoxious Buddy Love.
- DirectorReginald HudlinStarsChristopher ReidRobin HarrisChristopher MartinKid 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.Music culture of the 90s, how genuine and carefree parties were.
- DirectorJessy TerreroStarsDwayne AdwaySnoop DoggTom ArnoldThings get raucously funny aboard the maiden flight of a black-owned airline, thanks to some last-minute passenger additions.
- DirectorStuart ConnellyStarsMekhi PhiferWilliam SadlerSterling K. BrownTwo 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.