18 Movies by Black Directors to Watch This Black History Month
February marks Black History Month, and it is now more important than ever to engage with Black creators and the stories they tell—and film is a great place to start.
The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery at the hands of police last summer were not the first instances of police brutality and racism deeply ingrained in our highest regarded institutions. But it broke a final straw and sparked widespread protest and push for political and social reform as communities worldwide stood up to advocate for Black lives. As well as signing petitions, donating, voting, joining in person at local protests, and more, films became a way for people to get educated on an American history of racial oppression.
The film industry has been notorious for its long history of discrimination, especially when it comes to the inclusion of non-white directors, writers, and producers. Despite the obstacles Black filmmakers face in being included in the cinema canon, Black leaders in film have long been telling important stories through the screen—stories that continue to speak to the very pivotal moment in history in which we currently find ourselves.
This Black History Month, celebrate the Black directors from the past and present, who pushed the restrictions of the industry and put their flag in the future of cinema.
Do The Right Thing (1989)
Do The Right Thing is Spike Lee’s third film, and is set during a single, swelting summer day in Brooklyn. An homage to New York streets and an intricate dive into the ways racism and discrimination operates on the day-to-day, the film explores nuanced neighborhood tensions and voices. The movie's final scene bears uncanny resemblance to last year's tragedies of lives lost at the hands of police, making it a relevant film over 30 years after its making.
To Sleep With Anger (1990)
Directed by Charles Burnett and starring Danny Glover, To Sleep With Anger follows an enigmatic Southern drifter who visits an old friend in Los Angeles with less than pure intentions. Burnett is an award-winning independent filmmaker, and his upbringing in the Watts neighborhood of LA informed much of his work, which was praised for its portrayals of the Black experience in America.
Daughters of the Dust (1991)
Set in 1902, Daughters of the Dust follows three generations of Gullah women living off the South Carolina-Georgia coast, exploring generational rifts and the persistent effects of slavery. Director, writer, and producer Julie Dash gained critical success for her captivating and poetic cinematography in this independent feat.
Boyz n the Hood (1991)
Starring Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett, and other celebrated actors, this coming-of-age drama set in South Central LA was a commercial success from the get go, and continues to be a classic. The film deals with the systemic issues that breed Black poverty in non-white neighborhoods, educating its protagonist and the viewer on police intimidation, gentrification, and violence. John Singleton wrote the film, his feature directorial debut, about his own life—the place he grew up and the people he grew up with. He was the youngest person and first Black director to be nominated for Best Director at the 1992 Academy Awards.
Juice (1992)
This crime drama directed by Ernest Dickerson follows four teenage friends growing up in Harlem, starring the late legendary rapper Tupac Shakur for his acting debut. Dickerson's work also includes notable cinematography credits, including Do the Right Thing, and he has had a prolific career in both film and TV.
Love & Basketball (2000)
This romance sports drama, the directorial debut of Gina Prince-Bythewood, explores the life and love of two young athletes. With the help of Spike Lee, this film became a cult classic, and Gina Prince-Bythewood became an acclaimed director in modern cinema.
Precious (2009)
Acclaimed filmmaker Lee Daniels didn’t hold back with Precious, which tells the story of a teenage girl who is the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her father. Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, the film received six Academy Award nominations and two wins. Daniels is also known for his other films with moving Black stories, like 2013’s The Butler and the upcoming biopic The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
Night Catches Us (2010)
Director Tanya Hamilton launches the viewer into the tumultuous period of the United States in the 1970s, when a former Black Panther member returns home to Philadelphia for his father’s funeral. But Hamilton’s film isn’t stuck in the past. Hamilton told the Los Angeles Times that she wanted to explore “what it is to be a Black American, the variations in that experience, what life is like for people who are ordinary.” On top of stellar performances by Kerry Washington and Anthony Mackie, the film’s soundtrack is scored by famed hip hop band The Roots.
Fruitvale Station (2013)
Now known for his box office smashes like Creed (2015) and Black Panther (2018), Ryan Coogler’s debut film Fruitvale Station is a biographical drama that details the final hours of 22-year old Oscar Grant, who died at the hands of police officers in 2009. With a powerful performance from Michael B. Jordan and superb direction, the film is complex and as horrifically pertinent of a topic as ever.
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Adapted from a 1853 memoir, 12 Years a Slave follows the life of a free Black man born in New York and kidnapped to be sold into slavery in the South. Director Steve McQueen won hundreds of awards for this legendary film, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay in the 2014 Oscars.
Selma (2014)
Selma is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches, led by Martin Luther King Jr. and other key Civil Rights Movement pioneers. Backed by Oprah Winfrey and directed by Ava DuVernay, who went on to direct the documentary 13th and the Netflix crime series When They See Us, the historical drama was met with critical acclaim.
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Charting the historic rise and fall of hip hop group NWA in the '80s, director F. Gary Gray brings his expertise from creating award-winning music videos to this feature film. Produced by NWA members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, Straight Outta Compton not only gives a look at the rappers' lives but also reflects on the social conflicts of the time and what hip hop music represented in pop culture.
Get Out (2017)
Get Out isn’t simply a horror film—it’s an unflinching exploration of the nuances of being Black in America. The directorial debut of comedian Jordan Peele, it’s a movie full of twists, turns, and deep-seeded underlayers that expose themes of colonialism and racism. Peele became the first and only Black director to ever win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Follow this up with Peele’s second film, Us, an equally thought-provoking, thrilling, and even at times humorous watch.
Monsters and Men (2018)
The directorial debut of Reinaldo Marcus Green, Monsters and Men stars Anthony Ramos and John David Washington, intertwining a set of stories based around a bystander who films the killing of an unarmed Black man by NYPD. It's said to be inspired by the real life murder of Eric Garner and the subsequent community reaction.
Sorry To Bother You (2018)
Boots Riley made his feature-film directorial debut in 2018 with Sorry To Bother You, a dark comedy about a young, Black, struggling telemarketer who uses his “white” accent to land success in a corporate world and conspiracy.
If Beale Street Could Talk (2019)
Barry Jenkins followed up his sensational, Oscar-winning film Moonlight with If Beale Street Could Talk, a film adaptation of legendary author James Baldwin’s novel of the same name. The story centers around a romance in 1970s Harlem, disrupted when the protagonist is arrested for a crime he did not commit. Jenkins brings Baldwin’s timeless writing to life and shows how racism corrupts the American systems and institutions in place.
Harriet (2019)
Director Kasi Lemmons' biopic of abolitionist Harriet Tubman stars Cynthia Erivo in the titular role that earned the actress nominations at the Oscars, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards. The beautiful film shows Tubman's escape from slavery and determination in ensuring others' safe passage via the Underground Railroad.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
Viola Davis features as the titular character in this fim adaptation of August Wilson's play of the same name. Directed by George C. Wolfe, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom gives a fictionalized glimpse at the real-life Mother of the Blues, with support from rising actress Taylour Paige and the final performance from Chadwick Boseman before his passing.
