The 2015 movie “Dope,” starring Shameik Moore. Photo from imbd.com.
It’s important to honor history and educate ourselves through our media consumption as we near the end of Black History Month. Still, it’s also about celebration, so why don’t we look at some Black films and television shows that feature more than just the brutalization of Black bodies and spirits.
These films are obviously very important; we can’t just gloss over the history that is so troubling and the issues that are still plaguing the Black community in America and across the world today. Theresa Brown recommended four of these great films in last week’s issue, but I want to end the month on a high note. So, let’s get into some films and TV shows that highlight Black directors, artists and stories, but won’t leave you emotionally burnt out by the end of it.
- “Dope” (2015)
Rick Famuyiwa’s coming-of-age film tells the story high school senior whiz Malcolm (Shameik Moore) and his friends, Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemmons), who find themselves in an unexpected wild adventure after a chance encounter with a drug dealer at his nightclub birthday party. It’s a pretty intense film that leaves you on the edge of your seat, with one of my favorite film monologues to end it off, delivered brilliantly by Moore (“Spiderman: Into The Spiderverse,” “The Get Down”). What’s perhaps most memorable about it is the hip hop soundtrack, which I still listen to often. It’s way too overlooked in the coming-of-age genre, so give it a watch, but be careful who you watch it with — it’s rated R for a reason.
- “A Different World” (1987-1993)
If you’re looking for an easily bingeable, funny sitcom featuring fun, yet deep characters and storylines you can get invested in, this spinoff of “The Cosby Show” is perfect for you. The show originally followed Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and the life of students at the fictional historically Black college Hillman College. However, Bonet left after the first season, as she was pregnant with her daughter, Zoe Kravitz (who you can watch in “Dope”), giving room for the show to make a name for itself outside of “The Cosby Show.” Characters like privileged southern belle Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and nerdy math kid Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) were able to shine and have one of the best on-and-off relationships in TV history. It’s the perfect blend of comedy and more dramatic storytelling, never one to shy away from the issues the community was facing (perhaps most notably the 1992 Los Angeles riots), but reminding audiences that Black people experience more than just pain and their entertainment doesn’t always have to educate.
- “Jumping the Broom” (2011)
This wedding romantic-comedy with a nearly all-black cast that features Paula Patton, Angela Bassett, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Laz Alonso, Loretta Devine and more, is one I always return to when I need a laugh. There’s not a single character that hasn’t found themselves in hot water over the weekend leading up to the wedding of Jason (Alonso) and Sabrina (Patton), leaving room for great, comedic twists and turns and shockers. If Sabrina’s aunt (Valerie Pettiford) interrupting their rehearsal dinner to sing “Sexual Healing” doesn’t make you laugh, I don’t know what will. Julie Bowen (“Modern Family”) as the wedding planner is great as the token white character and it ends as every Black wedding film should; with “The Cupid Shuffle.”
- “Twenties” (2020-present)
Lena Waithe shares her genius again in her semi-autobiographical BET show that premiered early last year. The eight-episode first season follows Hattie (Jonica T. Gibbs), a Black lesbian aspiring screenwriter, and her best friends Marie (Christina Elmore), a TV studio excutive and Nia (Gabrielle Graham), a former child actor and current yoga teacher trying to get back into the game, as they work to find their way both professionally and romantically. It even features Ida B (Sophina Brown), Hattie’s boss, who is without a doubt inspired by Black producing legends, Shonda Rhimes and Tyler Perry. The characters are relatable, it’s very easy to binge with just eight episodes and it’s been renewed for a second season. So, if you want to say “I started watching before it blew up,” this is the show for you.
- “Dreamgirls” (2006)
I couldn’t make this list without a musical, and this Black movie musical is one of the best of all time; with stars like Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy, Anika Noni Rose and more, how could it not be? The Supremes-inspired tale of The Dreamettes, their success, drama and downfall, was an instant classic when it hit Broadway in 1981, and this movie does it justice. The music is great with fantastic performances to boot. You just need to hear a few notes of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” to understand why Hudson won the Oscar that year. It also gave us Beyoncé’s “Listen,” a song made specifically for the movie version, and introduced Hollywood to Noni Rose, now best known for her role as Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog.”
I could’ve included so many more films like “Drumline,” “Girls Trip,” “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and “Nappily Ever After,” or TV shows like “Pose,” “Black Lightning” and “Living Single,” but these are just a few to get you started.
Just because Black History Month is ending and award shows seem to forget Black people can be happy too, it doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the great entertainment and art that Black artists brought and continue to bring to our culture.