In celebration of Black History Month, and all of the media we love at Her Campus Pitt, here are some awesome Black-led film recommendations!
- Moonlight (dir. Barry Jenkins)
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This movie deserved every ounce of that 2017 Best Picture Award. It is one of the most breathtaking and emotional movies I’ve ever seen. This is an amazing story of Black queer manhood and is something I think everyone should watch.
- Rye Lane (dir. Raine Allen Miller)
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This movie is just so wonderful. It’s fun, charming, eye-catching and features two incredibly charismatic leads. It’s a perfect modern rom-com.
- Nope (dir. Jordan Peele)
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This movie doesn’t get nearly all the love it deserves, Jordan Peele is an unstoppable force in the horror genre and I really truly love this work. The movie deals with aliens, the history of film and is truly a visual miracle.
- Spiderman Into the Spiderverse (dir. Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, Kemp Powers)
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I absolutely adore this movie (and Across the Spiderverse). The first time I watched this I remember nearly crying because it felt like a comic book had truly burst to life on the big screen. I truly cannot express how much I love this movie.
- American Fiction (dir. Cord Jefferson)
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A recent release (and Best Picture Nominee), this movie is a scathing critique of racism in the publishing industry and academic world. A blend of satire, family drama, social critique and romance, this movie balances so many genres so well that it turns into something magical.
- Pariah (dir. Dee Rees)
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The only movie on this list I haven’t seen (but that is at the very top of my watchlist), this is a deep and complex exploration of Black girlhood.
- The Watermelon Woman (dir. Cheryl Dunye)
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I finally watched this for the first time a couple of weeks ago and fell absolutely in love with it. The story is about Cheryl, a Black lesbian woman who is working in a video store while also making a film about a black actress credited only as the “Watermelon Woman”. This is a must-watch for anyone who has ever been interested in the history of film, and even while being a sharp commentary, it’s also very funny and wonderful.
- Do the Right Thing (dir. Spike Lee)
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If you only watch one movie off this list, watch this one.
- Sorry to Bother You (dir. Boots Riley)
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This is an incredibly weird movie–and however weird you think that is, it’s even weirder. But I absolutely adore LaKeith Stanfield, and this is a sharp critique of racism and code-switching.
- Illusions (dir. Julie Dash)
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This is a short film, but one of my very favorite things I’ve ever watched. It deals with passing and the history of music and exploitation in film–and it does all of it so deeply, heartbreakingly and beautifully.
Ultimately, Hollywood remains incredibly un-diverse. Stories and creators of color are continually undervalued, under-awarded, and under-recognized. Diversifying the content you’re watching and consuming is incredibly important and celebrating filmmakers of color all the more important.