167 Powerful Black Movies That Changed Cinema Forever

1995 | 1h 31m | Directed by F. Gary Gray
 

Starring Ice Cube, Chris Tucker and Nia Long

If you're a young netizen, you certainly know this movie from the memes Daaaamn! and Bye, Felicia! Winner of a Def Movie Award, this buddy stoner film shows the misadventures of Craig and Smokey having to deal with a local bully that wants his money back. Director Quentin Tarantino included Friday as one of his 20 favorite movies from 1992 to 2009. That says a lot!

1991 | 1h 52m | Directed by John Singleton
 

Starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut and Ice Cube

With 12 wins and 23 nominations, Boyz N The Hood is an unmissable gem among the best black movies. It follows the lives of three young men growing up together in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles and portrays several social issues, like racial discrimination, violence, and uncertain future prospects.

1985 | 2h 34m | Directed by Steven Spielberg
 

Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey
 

The historical drama that marked Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg's careers. A black Southern woman struggles to find her identity after a life of abuse. The movie shows the crude reality of the early 20th century for African American women, an existence made of domestic violence, abuse, pedophilia, poverty, racism, and sexism.

1993 | 1h 58m | Directed by Brian Gibson
 

Starring Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne and RaéVen Kelly

Based on Tina Turner's autobiography I, Tina. The movie shows the real story of Tina Turner, her rise to fame, and her courage to break free from an abusive marriage. In an interview, Tina Turner stated that she wished the film had contained more truth, but the studio felt that the public would not believe everything that actually happened to her. Definitely one of the black drama movies you don't wanna miss.

1989 | 1h 48m | Directed by John G. Avildsen
 

Starring Morgan Freeman, Beverly Todd and Robert Guillaume
 

Based on a true story. Joe Louis Clark is appointed as the principal of a decaying inner-city school in danger of being turned over to state administration unless students improve their test scores. Morgan Freeman, cast as Joe Clark, spent time with the real-life Joe Clark to capture his mannerisms and sayings and portray a better performance. We can confidently say it did work out!

1993 | 1h 37m | Directed by Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes
 

Starring Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett and Larenz Tate
 

MTV Movie Award winner for Best Movie. A young street hustler attempts to escape the temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life. Legendary rapper Tupac Shakur was initially cast to play Sharif but was then fired, which led to a physical fight with co-director Allen Hughes. For this, he was sentenced to fifteen days in jail.

1996 | 2h 3m | Directed by F. Gary Gray
 

Starring Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise
 

Four desperate women start robbing banks to solve their financial and personal problems. The first attempts are a huge success, but policemen are on their trail. With every robbery, their interests begin to change and their trust in each other is on the verge of collapsing. Starring Queen Latifah in her first leading role and Kimberly Elise in her film debut.

2000 | 2h 4m | Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
 

Starring Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps and Alfre Woodard

Monica and Quincy share the same dream: take their deep love for basketball to the next level and play in the NBA. In the end, fate always seems to drag them to each other. With 13 wins and 15 nominations, Love & Basketball established itself as one of those classic black movies that will never tire you out, doesn't matter how many times you rewatch it!

1993 | 1h 49m | Directed by John Singleton
 

Starring Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur and Regina King
 

After witnessing her boyfriend's murder, Justice tries to cope with it through poetry. On her way to a convention, she meets an old face she would have preferred stayed in the past. But this meeting could have been decided by fate, as she now feels she's not as lonely as before.
 

Some random fact? When Justice is driving in her car in the beginning, she passes Crenshaw Boulevard near the shopping center, damaged during the Los Angeles riots in 1992, which Tupac Shakur also joined.

1997 | 1h 55m | Directed by George Tillman Jr.
 

Starring Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox and Nia Long
 

The family matriarch Mama Joe has held her family together for decades. When she gets hospitalized for diabetes, everything starts to fall down. Her three daughters fight all the time, and it seems like there's no solution until 11-year-old Ahmad, Mama Joe's grandson, plans how to bring the family back together for another Sunday dinner.

1992 | 1h 35m | Directed by Ernest R. Dickerson
 

Starring Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine Hopkins and Khalil Kain
 

The lives of four Harlem teenagers take an unexpected turn after robbing a corner grocery store. Follow their story as they struggle with police harassment, rival gangs, their families and the pursuit of happiness, which they refer to as "the juice". Did you know Omar Epps learned how to spin as a DJ even before production began? A lot of what he does in the movie is authentic.

1992 | 3h 22m | Directed by Spike Lee
 

Starring Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett and Albert Hall

With 19 wins and 24 nominations, the movie follows the epic life of Malcolm X, the influential black nationalist leader as presented in The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The movie made history as the first non-documentary film that was given permission to film in Mecca. Director Spike Lee removed all mention of Louis Farrakhan from the film after receiving direct threats from him.

1988 | 1h 57m | Directed by John Landis
 

Starring Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall and James Earl Jones
 

After refusing an arranged marriage, an undercover pampered African prince travels to the Big Apple to find a wife that can genuinely love him for his personality, not for his title. This was the first time Eddie Murphy played multiple characters in the same film, which became his trademark.

1991 | 1h 37m | Directed by Mario Van Peebles
 

Starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T and Allen Payne
 

When Nino ascends to power and takes over Harlem's criminal scene, the maverick cop Scotty vows to bring him down for good. The story is based on the real-life Detroit gang The Chambers Brothers. Writer Barry Michael Cooper got the idea for the film after visiting Detroit and learning about the gang's exploits.

1995 | 1h 59m | Directed by Michael Bay
 

Starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence and Téa Leoni

72 hours. That's how long detectives Marcus and Mike have to solve a case of stolen heroin and protect a witness to a murder in the 1997 film Bad Boys. In the movie, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence play two Miami narcotics detectives who also happen to be best friends. Director Michael Bay wasn't the biggest fan of the script and often allowed Will Smith and Martin Lawrence to improvise on the spot.

1990 | 1h 40m | Directed by Reginald Hudlin
 

Starring Christopher Reid, Christopher Martin and Robin Harris

Two friends, Kid and Play, organize a house party, but neither can predict what's in store for them on what could be the wildest night of their lives. What's craziest is that the movie was shot at Play's real-life home in Los Angeles! House Party is considered a cult classic, highlighting the "Golden Age of Hip-Hop music" when its culture was centered around parties, fun, and consensual affairs.

2004 | 2h 32m | Directed by Taylor Hackford
 

Starring Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington and Clifton Powell

Jamie Foxx portrays the legendary singer and musician Ray Charles, known as "The Genius", from his humble beginnings in the South, his blindness at a very young age, to his rise to stardom. With 53 wins and 54 nominations, Ray earned its place as one of the best black movies ever made.

1999 | 2h | Directed by Malcolm D. Lee
 

Starring Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau and Morris Chestnut

The life of Harper, a Chicago writer, becomes crazy when his almost-married best friend guesses that Harper's brand new autobiographical novel is based on his own bride's past. Actresses Sanaa Lathan, Regina Hall, and Monica Calhoun were cast to work together again one year later for Love & Basketball.

1999 | 1h 46m | Directed by Rick Famuyiwa
 

Starring Omar Epps, Richard T. Jones and Taye Diggs
 

On his wedding day, the groom goes missing before the ceremony. During his efforts to retrieve him, his friend and writer Mike tells the story of his youth. Ever since he met his friends at a new school, they shared the ups and downs of discovering life. Some trivia facts? Malinda Williams played the younger Alicia for the movie, and Sanaa Latham played Alicia as an adult. However, Malinda is actually one year older than Sanaa.

1999 | 1h 48m | Directed by Ted Demme
 

Starring Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence and Obba Babatundé

In 1932, two strangers are wrongfully convicted and end up in prison. Here, they'll develop a strong friendship that lasts them through the 20th century. Life premiered in theaters in the United States on April 16, 1999, which also happened to be Martin Lawrence's 34th birthday.