Our Favorite Films by Black Directors
Add these iconic films by Black directors to your watchlist, which are featured in our "Salute to Black Directors."
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- DirectorOscar MicheauxStarsEvelyn PreerFlo ClementsJames D. RuffinAbandoned by her fiancé, an educated black woman with a shocking past dedicates herself to helping a near bankrupt school for impoverished black youths.Directed by Oscar Micheaux
- DirectorZora Neale HurstonA 2018 compilation of Zora Neale Hurston's registers of activities in American black communities from the rural South, it possesses a highly anthropological value. Shot in 1928-29, the collection includes children's games, capers and dance, a baseball crowd, a baptism and portraits of a beautiful black young woman and a tall man with an axe. The images are enhanced by the score composed by Renée Clark Baker.Directed by Zora Neale Hurston
- DirectorSpencer WilliamsStarsCathryn CavinessSpencer WilliamsJuanita RileyAn atheist accidentally shoots his Baptist wife. She dies and goes to a crossroads, where the devil tries to lead her astray.Directed by Spencer Williams
- DirectorGordon ParksStarsKyle JohnsonAlex ClarkeEstelle EvansA bittersweet, idyllic story about a year in the life of 14-year-old Newt Winger, born into a poor Black family in Kansas, who learns about love, fear, racial injustice, and immorality.Directed by Gordon Parks
- DirectorGordon ParksStarsRichard RoundtreeMoses GunnCharles CioffiA crime lord hires black private eye, John Shaft, to find and retrieve his kidnapped daughter.Directed by Gordon Parks
- DirectorMelvin Van PeeblesStarsMelvin Van PeeblesHubert ScalesJohn DullaghanAfter saving a Black Panther from some racist cops, a black male prostitute goes on the run from "the man" with the help of the ghetto community and some disillusioned Hells Angels.Directed by Melvin Van Peebles
- DirectorGordon Parks Jr.StarsRon O'NealCarl LeeSheila FrazierThe daily routine of cocaine dealer Priest who wants to score one more super deal and retire.Directed by Gordon Parks Jr.
- DirectorIvan DixonStarsLawrence CookJanet LeaguePaula KellyA black man plays 'uncle Tom' in order to gain access to CIA training, then uses that knowledge to plot a new American revolt.Directed by Ivan Dixon
- DirectorBerry GordyTony RichardsonJack WormserStarsDiana RossBilly Dee WilliamsAnthony PerkinsTracy, an aspiring designer from the slums of Chicago puts herself through fashion school in the hopes of becoming one of the world's top designers. Her ambition leads her to Rome spurring a choice between the man she loves or her newfound success.Directed by Berry Gordy
- 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.Directed by Michael Schultz
- 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.Directed by Michael Schultz
- DirectorCharles BurnettStarsHenry G. SandersKaycee MooreCharles BracySet in the Watts area of Los Angeles, a slaughterhouse worker must suspend his emotions to continue working at a job he finds repugnant, and then he finds he has little sensitivity for the family he works so hard to support.Directed by Charles Burnett
- DirectorSidney PoitierStarsGene WilderRichard PryorGeorg Stanford BrownSet up and wrongfully accused, two best friends are sent to prison for a crime they didn't commit. However, no prison cell can keep them locked in a cage.Directed by Sidney Poitier
- DirectorEuzhan PalcyStarsDonald SutherlandJanet SuzmanZakes MokaeA white middle class South African suburbanite with no interest in politics agrees to help his black gardener find his jailed son. His investigation opens his eyes to the horrors committed by the secret police and turns him into a target.Directed by Euzhan Palcy
- DirectorHaile GerimaStarsJohn AndersonEvelyn A. BlackwellNorman BlalockA troubled Vietnam veteran hoping to forget the war and reconnect with American life struggles with disillusionment, self-worth, and cynicism.Directed by Haile Gerima
- 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.Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans
- DirectorRobert TownsendStarsRobert TownsendCraigus R. JohnsonHelen MartinAn actor limited to stereotypical roles because of his ethnicity, dreams of making it big as a highly respected performer. As he makes his rounds, the film takes a satiric look at African American actors in Hollywood.Directed by Robert Townsend
- 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.Directed by Spike Lee
- 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.Directed by Reginald Hudlin
- DirectorMatty RichStarsGeorge T. OdomAnn D. SandersLawrence Gilliard Jr.A young man living in poverty makes a plan to rob a drug dealer and change the life of his family.Directed by Matty Rich
- DirectorJulie DashStarsCora Lee DayAlva RogersBarbara OA languid, impressionistic story of three generations of Gullah women living on the South Carolina Sea Islands in 1902.Directed by Julie Dash
- DirectorJohn SingletonStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Laurence FishburneHudhail Al-AmirFollows the lives of three young males living in the Crenshaw ghetto of Los Angeles, dissecting questions of race, relationships, violence, and future prospects.Directed by John Singleton
- DirectorMario Van PeeblesStarsWesley SnipesIce-TAllen PayneA crime lord ascends to power and becomes megalomaniacal while a maverick police detective vows to stop him.Directed by Mario Van Peebles
- 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.Directed by Reginald Hudlin
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsDenzel WashingtonAngela BassettDelroy LindoBiographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his eventual assassination.Directed by Spike Lee
- 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".Directed by Ernest R. Dickerson
- DirectorLeslie HarrisStarsAriyan A. JohnsonKevin ThigpenEbony JeridoWith hopes of becoming a doctor and not a product of her environment, a Brooklyn teenager is faced with numerous challenges that threaten her dreams.Directed by Leslie Harris
- DirectorDarnell MartinStarsLuna Lauren VelezJon SedaTomas MellyMoney issues and misunderstandings divide a couple who struggle to raise their children in the Bronx.Directed by Darnell Martin
- DirectorForest WhitakerStarsWhitney HoustonAngela BassettLoretta DevineBased on Terry McMillan's novel, this film follows four very different African-American women and their relationships with men.Directed by Forest Whitaker
- DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsIce CubeChris TuckerNia LongIt's Friday, and Craig and Smokey must come up with $200 they owe a local bully or there won't be a Saturday.Directed by F. Gary Gray
- DirectorCarl FranklinStarsDenzel WashingtonTom SizemoreJennifer BealsA Black war hero is hired to find a mysterious woman, and gets mixed up in a murderous political scandal in 1948 Los Angeles.Directed by Carl Franklin
- DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsJada Pinkett SmithQueen LatifahVivica A. FoxDesperation drives four inner-city women to bank robbery in Los Angeles, then they start mistrusting each other.Directed by F. Gary Gray
- DirectorCheryl DunyeStarsCheryl DunyeGuinevere TurnerValarie WalkerA young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.Directed by Cheryl Dunye
- DirectorTheodore WitcherStarsLarenz TateNia LongIsaiah WashingtonDarius Lovehall is a young black poet in Chicago who starts dating Nina Mosley, a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "kicking it," they hang out with their friend, talking about love and sex. Then Nina tests the strength of Darius' feelings and sets a chain of romantic complications into motion.Directed by Theodore Witcher
- DirectorKasi LemmonsStarsSamuel L. JacksonJurnee SmollettMeagan GoodWhat did little Eve see--and how will it haunt her? Husband, father and womanizer Louis Batiste is the head of an affluent family, but it's the women who rule this gothic world of secrets, lies and mystic forces.Directed by Kasi Lemmons
- DirectorKevin Rodney SullivanStarsAngela BassettTaye DiggsWhoopi GoldbergStella is a highly successful, forty-something San Francisco stock broker who is persuaded by her colorful New York girlfriend Delilah to take a well deserved, first-class vacation to Jamaica.Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan
- DirectorGina Prince-BythewoodStarsSanaa LathanOmar EppsGlenndon ChatmanMonica and Quincy love and play basketball together through many life challenges from childhood to adulthood.Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood
- DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsWyatt CenacTracey HegginsJohn ThurgoodTwenty-four hours in the tentative relationship of two young San Franciscans also dealing with the conundrum of being a minority in a rapidly gentrifying city.Directed by Barry Jenkins
- 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.Directed by Tyler Perry
- DirectorDee ReesStarsAdepero OduyeKim WayansAasha DavisA Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.Directed by Dee Rees
- 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.Directed by Lee Daniels
- DirectorSteve McQueenStarsChiwetel EjioforMichael Kenneth WilliamsMichael FassbenderIn the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free Black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.Directed by Lee Daniels
- DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsMahershala AliNaomie HarrisTrevante RhodesA young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.Directed by Barry Jenkins
- 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.Directed by Ava DuVernay
- DirectorDee ReesStarsJason MitchellCarey MulliganJason ClarkeTwo men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war.Directed by Dee Rees
- DirectorTanya HamiltonStarsAnthony MackieKerry WashingtonJamara GriffinIn 1976, complex political and emotional forces are set in motion when a young man returns to the race-torn Philadelphia neighborhood where he came of age during the Black Power movement.Directed by Tanya Hamilton
- DirectorReginald HudlinStarsChadwick BosemanJosh GadKate HudsonThe story of Thurgood Marshall, the crusading lawyer who would become the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases.Directed by Reginald Hudlin
- DirectorAlbert HughesAllen HughesStarsDenzel WashingtonMila KunisRay StevensonA drifter fights his way across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic America while protecting a sacred book that holds the secrets to humanity's salvation.Directed by Albert and Allen Hughes
- 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.Directed by Ryan Coogler
- DirectorJordan PeeleStarsDaniel KaluuyaAllison WilliamsBradley WhitfordA young African-American visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.Directed by Jordan Peele
- DirectorNia DaCostaStarsTessa ThompsonLily JamesLuke KirbyIn Little Woods North Dakota, two estranged sisters are driven to extremes when their mother dies, leaving them with one week to pay back her mortgage.Directed by Nia DaCosta
- DirectorChinonye ChukwuStarsAlfre WoodardRichard SchiffAldis HodgeAs she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.Directed by Chinonye Chukwu
- DirectorGeorge Tillman Jr.StarsAmandla StenbergRegina HallRussell HornsbyStarr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what's right.Directed by George Tillman Jr.
- DirectorSteven Caple Jr.StarsMichael B. JordanSylvester StalloneTessa ThompsonUnder the tutelage of Rocky Balboa, newly crowned heavyweight champion Adonis Creed faces off against Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago.Directed by Steven Caple Jr.
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsChadwick BosemanMichael B. JordanLupita Nyong'oT'Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country's past.Directed by Ryan Coogler
- DirectorKasi LemmonsStarsCynthia ErivoJanelle MonáeLeslie Odom Jr.The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.Directed by Kasi Lemmons
- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsStorm ReidOprah WinfreyReese WitherspoonAfter the disappearance of her scientist father, three peculiar beings send Meg, her brother, and her friend to space in order to find him.Directed by Ava DuVernay
- DirectorMelina MatsoukasStarsDaniel KaluuyaJodie Turner-SmithBokeem WoodbineA couple's first date takes an unexpected turn when a police officer pulls them over.Directed by Melina Matsoukas
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonPedro PascalAshton SandersRobert McCall serves an unflinching justice for the exploited and oppressed, but how far will he go when that is someone he loves?Directed by Antoine Fuqua
- 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.Directed by Rick Famuyiwa
- DirectorBoots RileyStarsLaKeith StanfieldTessa ThompsonJermaine FowlerIn an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a universe of greed.Directed by Boots Riley
- DirectorJustin SimienStarsTyler James WilliamsTessa ThompsonKyle GallnerThe lives of four black students at an Ivy League college.Directed by Justin Simien
- DirectorTina GordonStarsRegina HallIssa RaeMarsai MartinA woman is transformed into her younger self at a point in her life when the pressures of adulthood become too much to bear.Directed by Tina Gordon
- DirectorRashaad Ernesto GreenStarsZora HowardJoshua BooneMichelle WilsonSeventeen year-old Ayanna meets handsome and mysterious Isaiah in her path toward self-discovery. Her entire world is turned upside down as she travails on the rigorous terrain of young love in the summer before she leaves for college.Directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green
- DirectorStella MeghieStarsIssa RaeLaKeith StanfieldChanté AdamsA series of intertwining love stories set in the past and in the present.Directed by Stella Meghie
- DirectorMalcolm D. LeeStarsRegina HallQueen LatifahJada Pinkett SmithWhen four lifelong friends travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival, sisterhoods are rekindled, wild sides are rediscovered, and there's enough dancing, drinking, brawling and romancing to make the Big Easy blush.Directed by Malcolm D. Lee
- DirectorJordan PeeleStarsLupita Nyong'oWinston DukeElisabeth MossAdelaide Wilson and her family are attacked by mysterious figures dressed in red. Upon closer inspection, the Wilsons realize that the intruders are exact lookalikes of them.Directed by Jordan Peele
- DirectorBob PersichettiPeter RamseyRodney RothmanStarsShameik MooreJake JohnsonHailee SteinfeldTeen Miles Morales becomes the Spider-Man of his universe and must join with five spider-powered individuals from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
- DirectorTayarisha PoeStarsLovie SimoneCeleste O'ConnorJharrel JeromeFive factions run the underground life of Haldwell School, a prestigious East Coast boarding school. At the head of the most powerful faction, The Spades, sits Selah Summers, walking the fine line between being feared and loved.Directed by Tayarisha Poe
- DirectorChanning Godfrey PeoplesStarsNicole BeharieLiz MikelMarcus M. MauldinA former beauty queen and single mom prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the "Miss Juneteenth" pageant.Directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples
- DirectorGerard BushChristopher RenzStarsJanelle MonáeEric LangeJena MaloneSuccessful author Veronica Henley finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it's too late.Directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz
- DirectorRadha BlankStarsRadha BlankPeter KimOswin BenjaminRadha is a down-on-her-luck NY playwright, who is desperate for a breakthrough before 40. Reinventing herself as rapper RadhaMUSPrime, she vacillates between the worlds of Hip Hop and theater in order to find her true voice.Directed by Radha Blank
- DirectorGeorge C. WolfeStarsViola DavisChadwick BosemanGlynn TurmanTensions rise when trailblazing blues singer Ma Rainey and her band gather at a recording studio in Chicago in 1927.Directed by George C. Wolfe
- DirectorEugene AsheStarsTessa ThompsonNnamdi AsomughaEva LongoriaWhen a young woman meets an aspiring saxophonist in her father's record shop in 1950s Harlem, their love ignites a sweeping romance that transcends changing times, geography, and professional success.Directed by Eugene Ashe
- DirectorShaka KingStarsLaKeith StanfieldDaniel KaluuyaJesse PlemonsOffered a plea deal by the FBI, William O'Neal infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton.Directed by Shaka King
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsDelroy LindoJonathan MajorsClarke PetersFour African-American vets battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Vietnam seeking the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide.Directed by Spike Lee
- DirectorRegina KingStarsKingsley Ben-AdirEli GoreeAldis HodgeA fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the Civil Rights Movement and cultural upheaval of the 60s.Directed by Regina King