1. Carmen Jones (1954)
20th Century Fox
Written by: Harry Kleiner, based off of the stage play written by Oscar Hammerstein II
Directed by: Otto Preminger
What it’s about: It’s a version of the opera Carmen, set in World War II.
Why you need to see it: It stars Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte (Diahann Carroll is also in this!) and it was a major studio film that featured an all-black cast. Also, it’s one of the most amazing musicals ever. Ever.
2. Imitation of Life (1959)
Universal Pictures
Written by: Based on the novel by Fannie Hurst, adapted in 1934 and 1959 by Eleanore Griffin and Allan Scott
Directed by: Douglas Sirk
What it’s about: A black domestic’s lighter-skinned daughter rejects her mother and passes for white.
Why you need to see it: It’ll make you cry — hard — and it will be the source of great conversations because everyone else in the world has seen this film many, many times. So should you.
3. A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
Columbia Pictures
Written by: Lorraine Hansberry
Directed by: Daniel Petrie
What it’s about: A struggling black family awaits news on an insurance check that may very well change the course of their lives.
Why you need to see it: It’s written by Hansberry, who was the first black woman to write a play performed on Broadway. And it stars Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee, two of Hollywood’s greatest and most celebrated actors.
4. Shaft (1971)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Written by: Ernest Tidyman and John D.F. Black
Directed by: Gordon Parks
What it’s about: One of the most well-known films to come out of the blaxploitation era, this tells the story of John Shaft, a black detective who takes on the Italian mob.
Why you need to see it: It’s one of the first black action movies and it made a star of Richard Roundtree. The film also features one of the best film scores ever, by Isaac Hayes.
5. Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
Melvin Van Peebles
Written by: Melvin Van Peebles
Directed by: Melvin Van Peebles
What it’s about: It’s a story of a poor black male prostitute who saves a Black Panther from racist white cops — so he goes on the run!
Why you need to see it: The entire film was written, directed, produced, scored — you name it — by Van Peebles; no studio would touch it, so he did it all himself. He spent $150,000 to do it and it ended up earning $15.2 million at the box office despite showing on very few screens.
6. Super Fly (1972)
Warner Bros.
Written by: Phillip Fenty
Directed by: Gordon Parks Jr.
What it’s about: A New York cocaine dealer wants to make one last deal before leaving the drug game altogether.
Why you need to see it: The soundtrack — by Curtis Mayfield — is reason enough; it made more money than the actual movie did, and it got the legendary soul singer more soundtrack work. The car is perhaps one of the most famous characters in the controversial movie (criticized for its glorifying of drug dealers): It’s a 1971 Cadillac Eldorado that ~inspired~ many drug dealers, gangsters, and pimps to redo their rides in homage to it.
7. Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
Paramount Pictures
Written by: Suzanne de Passe, Chris Clark, Terence McCloy
Directed by: Sidney J. Furie
What it’s about: It’s a biopic telling the troubled, sad story of blues legend Billie Holiday.
Why you need to see it: It’s one of the best musical biopics around, and Diana Ross absolutely nails the singer’s short life. Rightly, it was nominated for five Academy Awards. Also: Billy Dee Williams will make you swoon.
8. The Mack (1973)
Cinerama Releasing Corporation / New Line
Written by: Robert J. Poole
Directed by: Michael Campus
What it’s about: A small-time drug dealer gets released from prison and becomes the king of the pimp game in Oakland. He encounters two corrupt, racist white police detectives and a crime lord who want him to go back to the small time.
Why you need to see it: This was the highest-grossing blaxploitation film of its time — though the filmmakers would prefer viewers not loop it in that particular category. Instead, they thought of this as a social commentary of the era. Either way, it’s responsible for many references in pop culture today.
9. Coffy (1973)
American International Pictures
Written by: Jack Hill
Directed by: Jack Hill
What it’s about: Pam Grier is a vigilante nurse who is looking to even the score after her younger sister gets hooked on drugs and has to be institutionalized.
Why you need to see it: Grier is a badass heroine. She uses her sexuality to seduce the bad guys and kill them, all in the name of sweet street justice. This is the film that established Grier as the blaxploitation era’s female star.
10. Black Caesar (1973)
American International Pictures
Written by: Larry Cohen
Directed by: Larry Cohen
What it’s about: After being brutally assaulted by a white cop as a kid, Tommy Gibbs (era star Fred Williamson) turns to a life of crime. Under the director of the mafia, he becomes the head of a black crime unit in Harlem.
Why you need to see this: James Brown provided the soundtrack for this classic blaxplotation film that’s centered on a bad guy (he rapes his wife, among other crimes) who gets his just due in the end.
11. Cleopatra Jones (1974)
Warner Bros.
Written by: Max Julien and Sheldon Keller
Directed by: Jack Starrett
What it’s about: The late Tamara Dobson stars as Cleo, a badass undercover special agent for the U.S. government. She works overseas, but her real mission is to get the drugs out of her neighborhood back home in the States.
Why you need to see this: Her character was designed to be a black, female version of Bond — she even rode around in a 1973 Corvette Stingray (it had automatic weapons!). She masquerades as an international model, but what keeps this story grounded is her quest to take down an underworld drug business in L.A.’s black community. (Her nemesis is played by the late Shelley Winters.)
12. Foxy Brown (1974)
American International Pictures
Written by: Jack Hill
Directed by: Jack Hill
What it’s about: Once again, Pam Grier turns up the sexy while fighting villains. Foxy Brown is seeking revenge on a drug syndicate that murdered her boyfriend. She pretends to be a prostitute to get inside of a modeling agency (not-so-much-of-a-spoiler alert: it’s not a modeling agency) and saves black women from spending their lives becoming sex slaves and lost in the world of drugs.
Why you need to see this: This is perhaps the definitive Pam Grier movie — she’s best known for this role — and it’s clearly inspired modern-day pop culture (Beyoncé’s character Foxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember was modeled after both Cleopatra Jones and Foxy Brown, down to the “whole lot of woman” line, and ’90s rapper Foxy Brown plucked her stage name from Grier’s character).
13. Claudine (1974)
Third World Cinema
Written by: Lester Pine and Tina Pine
Directed by: John Berry
What it’s about: Claudine (Diahann Carroll) is a single mother of six on welfare who falls in love with Roop (James Earl Jones). The welfare theme runs rampant in the film: If the two marry, they’ll lose money and not be able to take care of the kids. Also in this film: Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Roxie Roker (mother of Lenny Kravitz!).
Why you need to see this: It’s one of the few films with an African-American cast made during this time that was not a blaxploitation film.
14. Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
Warner Bros.
Written by: Richard Wesley
Directed by: Sidney Poitier
What it’s about: Poitier pulls double-duty by both directing and starring in this comedy that pairs him with Bill Cosby (their first of three films together). Everything goes wrong when the two are robbed at a Saturday night party and Poitier’s character realizes that he’s won the lottery — but the crooks made off with his wallet the night before. This circumstance sets off a tailspin of funny as the two friends run across fake detectives, crooked politicians, and underworld crime lords.
Why you need to see this: The cast is inspired — Harry Belafonte, Flip Wilson, Richard Pryor, and Rosalind Cash all have roles in this as well.
15. Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975)
American International Pictures
Written by: Ronald Fair and Leonard Lamensdorf
Directed by: Joseph Manduke
What it’s about: Cornbread is the local hero — he’s a star basketball player who is about to be the first from his neighborhood to go to college on an athletic scholarship. His younger friends are Earl and Wilford (Laurence Fishburne in his first role!) and…tragedy strikes.
Why you need to see this: It’s a coming-of-age story that no one wants to be real: An innocent kid loses his life in a senseless way, at the hand of police involvement.
16. Dolemite (1975)
Dimension Pictures
Written by: Rudy Ray Moore and Jerry Jones
Directed by: D’Urville Martin
What it’s about: Based on the stand-up comedy of Rudy Ray Moore, Dolemite is a pimp who is set up and is looking for his friends — who include a group of karate-literate call girls — to help spring him out.
Why you need to see this: Moore was a widely influential comedic genius (his material was profane and sexually explicit) and is considered to be an early pioneer of rap music.
17. Cooley High (1975)
AIP
Written by: Eric Monte
Directed by: Michael Schultz
What it’s about: The film follows the adventures of Preach and Cochise and their crew, high school friends in 1960s Chicago, and the twists and turns their lives take.
Why you need to see this: The writer of the film actually attended Cooley High and also co-created hit TV series Good Times, which was also set in the Cabrini-Green Chicago housing projects. Monte has said that he wrote this film to help dispel misconceptions of what life in the projects was really like. (Also: The 1991 Boyz II Men cover “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” was originally recorded by G.C. Cameron for this film. In fact, the group’s debut album is called Cooleyhighharmony in homage of the film.)
18. Mahogany (1975)
Paramount Pictures
Written by: Toni Amber, Bob Merrill, and Stan Lee
Directed by: Berry Gordy
What it’s about: This film came out of the success of Lady Sings the Blues, and it brings Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams back together. Ross is Tracy Chambers, a poor black woman who ultimately becomes a sought-after fashion model in Italy.
Why you need to see this: Ross and Williams aside, this is a film that dares to follow the dreams of a little girl from Chicago. At the end, after amassing more success than even she could imagine, she realizes what’s really important — a lesson we all can learn from.
19. Sparkle (1976)
Warner Bros.
Written by: Joel Schumacher and Howard Rosenman
Directed by: Sam O’Steen
What it’s about: The original movie follows the rise of the Williams sisters in Harlem, as they set out to be the best big thing in music.
Why you need to see this: The cast is ridiculous: Irene Cara, Philip Michael Thomas, Lonette McKee, Dwan Smith, and Mary Alice; the music is even better, with original material scored by the legendary Curtis Mayfield and recorded by Aretha Franklin. It was a cultural moment to see black women dressed elegantly in shimmering gowns while performing onstage and was wholly influential to folks like Whitney Houston, who later pushed for a remake of the film, which was released in 2012, her last project before her untimely death.
20. Car Wash (1976)
Universal Pictures
Written by: Joel Schumacher
Directed by: Michael Schultz
What it’s about: A hilarious film about a day in the life of a multiracial group of co-workers at a Los Angeles car wash.
Why you need to see this: The cameo appearances are phenomenal — Richard Pryor is Daddy Rich, a money-hungry preacher with an all-female entourage played by the Pointer Sisters, and Bill Duke is a young revolutionary.
21. The Wiz (1978)
Universal Studios
Written by: Joel Schumacher
Directed by: Sidney Lumet
What it’s about: This is a soulful take on the musical based on The Wizard of Oz. The music is Motown official, and soon it’ll be an upcoming holiday musical live on NBC.
Why you need to see this: Thanks to the fantastic Motown-centric cast — Diana Ross as Dorothy and Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow, among others — the soundtrack is amazing and funky and it stays with you decades later.
22. Breakin’ (1984)
Cannon Pictures
Written by: Charles Parker, Allen DeBevoise, and Gerald Scaife
Directed by: Joel Silberg
What it’s about: Ozone, Turbo, and Special K meet and become a multiracial breakdance troupe that takes the Los Angeles street dance scene by storm.
Why you need to see this: It hits hard on the rising popularity of breakdancing by integrating the pristine white world of jazz dance with the pop-locking unpredictability of breakdancing.
23. Beat Street (1984)
Orion Pictures
Written by: Andy Davis, David Gilbert, Paul Golding, Steven Hager, and Richard Lee Sisco
Directed by: Stan Lathan
What it’s about: It’s a drama that expertly chronicles New York City (specifically, the South Bronx) hip-hop culture — breakdancing, graffiti, and DJ battles — in the early ’80s.
Why you need to see this: It was released in the thick of the rise of hip-hop, yet it really gives a great look at the heart of a cultural shift. Plus, Rae Dawn Chong was the era It girl for brown girls everywhere.
24. A Soldier’s Story (1984)
Columbia Pictures
Written by: Charles Fuller
Directed by: Norman Jewison
What it’s about: Based on a Pulitzer Prize–winning play, a black officer is sent to Louisiana to investigate the murder of a black sergeant near the end of World War II.
Why you need to see this: This twisty film dives deep into the struggle with racism in the armed services and boasts a phenomenal cast, including Howard E. Rollins Jr. and Adolph Caesar. And it introduced us to the brilliance of Denzel Washington — it was his second film, but his first meaty role.
25. Purple Rain (1984)
Warner Bros.
Written by: Albert Magnoli and William Blinn
Directed by: Albert Magnoli
What it’s about: The Kid (Prince!) is ready to rule the Minneapolis music scene — and escape his troubled home life while finding love with the beautiful Apollonia at the same damn time.
Why you need to see this: Is it not enough that Prince is in this? Listen: It’s horrible — like really bad. But it’s wildly entertaining (best musical performances in a movie, ever!) and produced the best soundtrack of all time.
26. Krush Groove (1985)
Warner Bros.
Written by: Ralph Farquhar
Directed by: Michael Schultz
What it’s about: The film is loosely based on how Def Jam Records got its start. Blair Underwood is Russell Walker (the Russell Simmons character), who has inked deals for all of New York’s best acts, including Kurtis Blow and Run-D.M.C., and the romantic tension comes from both Russell and Run vying for the love of Sheila E.
Why you need to see this: Pretty much everyone who helped to define hip-hop and R&B in the ’80s has an appearance in this: LL Cool J as a teenager, New Edition, the Fat Boys, and the Beastie Boys. Also, if you look REALLY hard in one scene, you’ll see a teenage Chris Rock holding up the wall at the club.
27. The Color Purple (1985)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Written by: Menno Meyjes and Alice Walker
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
What it’s about: Based on Walker’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel of the same name, this follows the story of Celie Harris (Whoopi Goldberg) and what life was like being a black woman in the early 1900s. Over the course of her life, she deals with racism, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and poverty.
Why you need to see this: This marked Oprah Winfrey’s film debut and featured remarkable work by an insanely talented cast, including Goldberg, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, Margaret Avery, and Danny Glover. It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.
28. Hollywood Shuffle (1987)
The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Written by: Keenen Ivory Wayans and Robert Townsend
Directed by: Robert Townsend
What it’s about: It’s a satirical take on stereotypes of black people! Townsend has said it’s semiautobiographical in that it follows a middle-class black guy, Bobby Taylor, who constantly gets told he’s not black enough to make it.
Why you need to see this: As funny as it is, it really drives home the very serious point of the lack of roles and the skewed representation of black people in Hollywood.
29. Raw (1987)
Paramount Pictures
Written by: Eddie Murphy
Directed by: Robert Townsend
What it’s about: Murphy gives a grade-A stand-up performance and takes on a variety of subjects including STDs, his humble background, and romantic relationships.
Why you need to see this: It’s a definitive film that takes a look at the man who was wildly influenced by Richard Pryor and who went on to have a pretty successful run at the box office in the late ’80s and ’90s. Also, there are fun cameos in flashback scenes, including Samuel L. Jackson, Tatyana Ali, and Kim Wayans.
30. School Daze (1988)
40 Acres and a Mule
Written by: Spike Lee
Directed by: Spike Lee
What it’s about: We get to see what life is like at a historically black college over homecoming weekend: Greek life, colorism, and a fight for Apartheid and pushing the school to divest from South Africa set the film’s pace.
Why you need to see this: It’s one of Lee’s best films ever — loosely based off of what he saw as a college student in Atlanta at an HBCU (historically black college or university), he taps into life all too well in the film. He also jam-packed it with a powerful cast: Ossie Davis, Tisha Campbell, Larry Fishburne, and Giancarlo Esposito (as Dean Big Brother Almighty!).
31. Coming to America (1988)
Paramount Pictures
Written by: David Sheffield and Barry W. Blaustein (story by Eddie Murphy)
Directed by: John Landis
What it’s about: The heir to the throne of Zamunda (Eddie Murphy) wants to sow his royal oats and debunk tradition by searching for his own queen. Naturally, he and his trusted manservant Semmi (Arsenio Hall) head to Queens, New York, to live as impoverished college students who work as custodians at a McDonald’s rip-off while he woos the woman of his dreams.
Why you need to see this: You’ll finally understand the Sexual Chocolate meme you see circulating the interwebs.
32. Lean On Me (1989)
Warner Bros.
Written by: Michael Schiffer
Directed by: John G. Avildsen
What it’s about: It’s loosely based on Joe Clark, a principal at an inner-city high school in New Jersey. Clark (Morgan Freeman) wants to prevent his school from being taken over by the state and ensure the students get a proper education while ridding the school of drug dealers and gang members.
Why you need to see this: You’ll finally understand that this line — “You smoke crack, don’t you?!” — was actually serious. It’s also a good look at a real-life educator who went the extra mile to make sure his kids were getting the education they deserved.
33. Glory (1989)
TriStar Pictures
Written by: Kevin Jarre
Directed by: Edward Zwick
What it’s about: The story was based off of a number of sources — personal letters and a novel — about the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry on Boston Common, the first official African-American units in the United States during the Civil War. It’s primarily told from the viewpoint of Col. Shaw (Matthew Broderick), the white commanding officer.
Why you need to see this: It sheds light on the work the men did to eventually get the Union to accept black men for combat. And Denzel Washington won his first Supporting Actor Oscar for the portrayal of Pvt. Trip in this well-acted drama.
34. Do the Right Thing (1989)
Universal Pictures
Written by: Spike Lee
Directed by: Spike Lee
What it’s about: It’s the hottest day of the year in New York, and the colorful characters that pizza delivery dude Mookie (Lee) encounters in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood set the day in motion. Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) doesn’t like that local pizzeria owner Sal doesn’t have any black folks on his wall of fame. He starts a protest that’s supported by Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) and Smiley (Roger Guenveur Smith), and, well, let’s just say that the neighborhood isn’t the same after.
Why you need to see this: It’s one of Lee’s best films, and it earned him and Danny Aiello Academy Award nominations. It also tapped into the cultural undercurrent of inner-city neighborhoods.
35. Harlem Nights (1989)
Paramount Pictures
Written by: Eddie Murphy
Directed by: Eddie Murphy
What it’s about: This crime comedy stars three generations of black comedic excellence: Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, and Redd Foxx. The period piece is set in the early 1900s: Think gangsters and heroin and brothels and trickery.
Why you need to see this: Even though it didn’t do ~that~ badly, it was considered a flop compared to Murphy’s other successes. But it’s responsible for so much pop culture fun, all the same. “Sunshine!”
36. Mo’ Better Blues (1989)
40 Acres and a Mule
Written by: Spike Lee
Directed by: Spike Lee
What it’s about: It’s a film that’s centered on the life of fictional jazz trumpet player Bleek Gilliam (Denzel Washington) and all of the horrible choices he makes with regards to his life.
Why you need to see this: Per usual, Lee stacks his cast with some heavy hitters: This time Washington gets support from actors including Wesley Snipes, Cynda Williams, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and Samuel L. Jackson.
37. House Party (1990)
New Line Cinema
Written by: Reginald Hudlin
Directed by: Reginald Hudlin
What it’s about: Kid ’n Play co-star as high school BFFs who throw the ultimate house party while Play’s parents are away for the night. Kid gets grounded by his dad (played by the late, great Robin Harris) but sneaks out to make sure he doesn’t miss out on the rap battle, the dance-off, and, of course, the hot girls.
Why you need to see this: One of the greatest rap duos of all time prove they have some pretty decent acting chops. Plus, they teach us all a lesson on safer sex.
38. The Five Heartbeats (1991)
20th Century Fox
Written by: Robert Townsend and Keenen Ivory Wayans
Directed by: Robert Townsend
What it’s about: In flashback sequence, we see the rise of a Motown-like singing group and all of the heartache and turmoil that they endure — racism, drug use, philandering, and more — on their struggle to rise to the top.
Why you need to see this: It’s a fictional account of what groups like the Temptations and the Four Tops endured — some things that happened in the film actually happened in real life for those pioneering groups — and the music is absolutely incredible. Dare you not to doo-wop.
39. Jungle Fever (1991)
40 Acres and a Mule
Written by: Spike Lee
Directed by: Spike Lee
What it’s about: Lee packs a great deal into this film: interracial relationships, marital infidelity, racism, drug-addicted relatives, and more. Flipper (Wesley Snipes) is a happily married architect who happens to be the lone black professional in his office. His new secretary Angie (Annabella Sciorra) isn’t exactly what he asked his associates for, but turns out, after working late at the office one night, they hit it off and begin a sexual affair that turns both of their worlds upside down.
Why you need to see this: Samuel L. Jackson delivers a breakout performance as Gator, the crackhead brother who can’t quite get it together.
40. Strictly Business (1991)
Warner Bros.
Written by: Pam Gibson and Nelson George
Directed by: Kevin Hooks
What it’s about: The friendship between mail clerk Bobby Johnson (Tommy Davidson) and a would-be partner Waymon Tinsdale III (Joseph C. Phillips) kicks into high gear after Waymon reveals his crush on a popular club girl (Halle Berry). Bobby teaches Waymon how to be cool, while Waymon teaches Bobby how to be more corporate.
Why you need to see this: Check this out for Berry’s haircut alone: Her crop inspired brown girls throughout the ’90s to adopt this funky mushroom ‘do. (Also, it’s pretty funny, and a chance to see Jodeci before they blew up as the go-to ’90s R&B group.)
41. Boyz n the Hood (1991)
Columbia Pictures
Written by: John Singleton
Directed by: John Singleton
What it’s about: Wholly inspired by N.W.A’s debut album Straight Outta Compton, Singleton writes what life is like for black kids in South Central L.A. in the 1990s.
Why you need to see this: Smartly, Singleton cast Ice Cube (who penned many of the lyrics on that first album) as Doughboy, the neighborhood dope dealer, and gave budding actor Cuba Gooding Jr. a shot at Tre, a teenager whose parents (Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett) are trying to keep him on track. The film’s success — Singleton earned Oscar nominations for both writing and directing — inspired several movies based on this same neighborhood to come later in the decade. Have your tissues ready for the ending; you’ve been warned. The cast also introduced us to Nia Long and Morris Chestnut.
42. New Jack City (1991)
Warner Bros.
Written by: Thomas Lee Wright and Barry Michael Cooper
Directed by: Mario Van Peebles
What it’s about: Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes) is a New York City drug lord whose reign gets even bigger when his gang, the Cash Money Brothers, starts pushing crack, a new street drug in this fantastic crime story.
Why you need to see this: One of the film’s writers, Cooper, wrote an impactful piece about the rise of the crack epidemic for Spin magazine in the ’80s — so much so, his bosses thought he made the drug and the pandemic up — and it all makes for a very realistic portrayal of how the drug infiltrated and crippled the community. Plus ’80s R&B heartthrob Christopher Williams is in it. And Chris Rock stars as Pookie, a crackhead. (Snipes delivers this classic line: “Sit yo five-dollar ass down before I make change.”)
43. White Men Can’t Jump (1992)
20th Century Fox
Written by: Ron Shelton
Directed by: Ron Shelton
What it’s about: Billy Hoyle (Woody Harrelson) and Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes) are street ball hustlers who clean up on the courts in California. There’s crossing and good double-crossing throughout the movie before the two realize that they need to stick together in order to win the big bucks.
Why you need to see this: It’s a good buddy comedy, Rosie Perez is Harrelson’s girlfriend who’s on a quest to get on Jeopardy! (spoiler, she does), and there’s plenty of good hoops.
44. Bebe’s Kids (1992)
Paramount Pictures
Written by: Reginald Hudlin
Directed by: Bruce W. Smith
What it’s about: Based on the comedy of Robin Harris — he died tragically two years prior of a heart attack — it’s about a man who agrees to take the woman he’s wooing, her son, and her friend Bebe’s kids on an amusement park date. Everything goes wrong, all in the name of comedy.
Why you need to see this: If you missed out on the brilliance of hearing Harris talk about Bebe’s kids (imagine the worst kids on planet Earth who misbehave constantly in public), then you’ll want to see this film, which also was the first animated feature with an entirely African-American main cast.
45. Boomerang (1992)
Paramount Pictures
Written by: Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield (story by Eddie Murphy)
Directed by: Reginald Hudlin
What it’s about: A single, womanizing advertising executive (Murphy) gets the script flipped on him after he links up with Jacqueline Broyer (Robin Givens), who teaches that dog a new trick!
Why you need to see this: A phenomenal cast — Murphy, Givens, Halle Berry, David Alan Grier, Martin Lawrence, Eartha Kitt, Chris Rock, and more — helps tell such a great, funny story with a fantastic, semi-storybook ending.
46. Malcolm X (1992)
40 Acres and a Mule
Written by: Spike Lee and Arnold Perl
Directed by: Spike Lee
What it’s about: In this film based on Alex Haley’s celebrated The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Denzel Washington takes the title role and turns in one of the best biographical performances of all time. Through the course of the film, we get to see what turned Malcolm Little into Malcolm X: his childhood, his incarceration, his conversion to Islam, his rise to power, and his ultimate death.
Why you need to see this: The film was extremely well-reviewed, largely due to Washington’s compelling performance as the civil rights leader.
47. Juice (1992)
Paramount Pictures
Written by: Ernest R. Dickerson and Gerard Brown
Directed by: Ernest R. Dickerson
What it’s about: “The Wrecking Crew” – four friends growing up in Harlem — skip school, steal music from a local store, and get into it with a Puerto Rican gang. Roland Bishop (Tupac, in his first film role) decides the teens need to step it up a bit to gain respect, and start robbing and killing.
Why you need to see this: It’s a hard coming-of-age story to watch, seeing four kids going down the wrong path, but it has a timeless feel to it.
48. Class Act (1992)
Warner Bros. Pictures
Written by: Cynthia Friedlob and John Semper
Directed by: Randall Miller
What