Black Cinema/TV
A list of some of my personal favorite films and television programmes which star (or at least prominently feature) black or African-American protagonists or which focus primarily on themes of the struggle of people of color against racism.
I have included not only "serious" films, but also cartoons, comedies, reality TV, and genres such as sci-fi and horror, in which black protagonists are often underrepresented.
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list or a "best of," simply a reflection of my own picks among many possibilities.
I have included not only "serious" films, but also cartoons, comedies, reality TV, and genres such as sci-fi and horror, in which black protagonists are often underrepresented.
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list or a "best of," simply a reflection of my own picks among many possibilities.
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- CreatorSam LevinsonStarsZendayaHunter SchaferJacob ElordiA look at life for a group of high school students as they grapple with issues of drugs, sex, and violence.
- 2022–8.5 (619)TV EpisodeDirectorCraig ZiskStarsJacob AndersonSam ReidAssad ZamanLouis recounts Claudia's quest to find Old World Vampires amidst the backdrop of Europe during World War II.
- DirectorCharmaine VerhagenMatt BurnettBen LevinStarsPhilip SolomonNoël WellsMichael CronerCraig Williams is the shy, new kid in town. Little does he know, he'll soon set off on the biggest adventure he could ever dream of: treasure maps, pirate ships, and a villain who wants to destroy the Creek.
- CreatorKyle BradstreetStarsSamuel L. JacksonEmilia ClarkeDon CheadleFury and Talos try to stop the Skrulls who have infiltrated the highest spheres of the Marvel Universe.
- CreatorBranden Jacobs-JenkinsStarsMallori JohnsonMicah StockRyan KwantenA young aspiring writer discovers secrets about her family's past when she finds herself mysteriously being pulled back and forth in time to a 19th century plantation.
- DirectorHenry SelickStarsLyric RossKeegan-Michael KeyJordan PeeleTwo scheming demon brothers, Wendell and Wild, enlist the aid of 13-year-old Kat Elliot to summon them to the Land of the Living.
- DirectorCoralie FargeatStarsTom SturridgeBoyd HolbrookPatton OswaltOdd disturbances shake up The Dreaming, Rose sets out on a road trip with a new friend, and The Corinthian arrives with a guest at a creepy convention.
- 2017–202342mTV-146.4 (549)TV EpisodeDirectorClaudia YarmyStarsK.J. ApaLili ReinhartCamila MendesAfter learning that Percival's plan to reinvigorate Riverdale would lead to the demise of Pop's, Tabitha searches for a way to fight back. But when she is targeted by one of Percival's accomplices, the incident sends her back in time and searching for answers.
- DirectorMariama DialloStarsRegina HallZoe ReneeJulia NightingaleThree women strive to find their place at an elite Northeastern university. When anonymous racist attacks target a Black freshman, who insists she is being haunted by ghosts, each woman must determine where the real menace lies.
- CreatorMalcolm SpellmanStarsAnthony MackieSebastian StanWyatt RussellFollowing the events of 'Avengers: Endgame,' Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities -- and their patience.
- 2017–202453mTV-MA7.3 (5.1K)TV EpisodeDirectorOlatunde OsunsanmiStarsSonequa Martin-GreenDoug JonesAnthony RappArriving 930 years in the future, Burnham navigates a galaxy she no longer recognizes while searching for the rest of the U.S.S. Discovery crew.
- DirectorJoe MarcantonioStarsTamara LawranceEdward HolcroftJack LowdenPlagued by mysterious hallucinations, a pregnant woman suspects that the family of her deceased boyfriend has intentions for her unborn child.
- DirectorSydney FreelandStarsBrandee EvansNicco AnnanShannon ThorntonUncle Clifford goes to war for the hearts and minds of Chucalissa. Back at the club, the Pynk family comes together to prepare for its biggest night yet.
- 2018–202142mTV-147.5 (419)TV EpisodeDirectorSalim AkilStarsCress WilliamsChina Anne McClainNafessa WilliamsBlack Lightning faces off against Gravedigger.
- DirectorRemi WeekesStarsSope DirisuWunmi MosakuMalaika Wakoli-AbigabaA refugee couple makes a harrowing escape from war-torn South Sudan, but then they struggle to adjust to their new life in an English town that has an evil lurking beneath the surface.
- CreatorCaroline DriesStarsCamrus JohnsonRachel SkarstenMeagan TandyBatwoman seeks justice for Gotham City.
- DirectorMark PolishStarsMelissa LeoAri GraynorMichael AngaranoRon decides to get married. Goldie turns it into publicity. Nick moves out of Bill's and in with Cassie. Cassie auditions for Lorne Michaels, but Nick complicates that. Roy tests the limits of his mortality. Eddie makes a mistake with Goldie's daughter making Goldie question her parenting.
- CreatorJustin SimienStarsLogan BrowningBrandon P BellDeRon HortonAt a predominantly white Ivy League college, a group of black students navigate various forms of racial and other types of discrimination.
- 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.
- CreatorDonald GloverStarsDonald GloverBrian Tyree HenryLaKeith StanfieldEarn and his cousin, Alfred, try to make their way in the world through Atlanta's rap scene. Along the way they come face-to-face with social and economic issues touching on race, relationships, poverty, status and parenthood.
- DirectorNick ChakwinDavid GuglielmoStarsFreya TingleyTom WilliamsonTimothy V. MurphyAn interracial teenage couple in the 1950's American South, rob and steal to escape their oppressive town, but when violence erupts they are forced to confront their own dark secrets.
- DirectorBernard DerrimanDon MacKinnonStarsJermaine FowlerRiki LindhomeMichael PeñaAspiring cowboy Morris and his best pal (and talking cow) Florence visit the rodeo to see their hero Jimmy Ray Royce. During their adventure, the duo encounters a wise goth, a down-on-his-luck bull, and a troupe of well-meaning clowns.
- StarsJonathan Rhys MeyersMalachi KirbyForest WhitakerAn adaptation of Alex Haley's "Roots." Chronicles the history of an African man and his descendants sold into slavery in America.
- DirectorBeyoncéKahlil JosephDikayl RimmaschStarsBeyoncéBrittani AlexanderJasmine BadieA view of a woman's journey through life.
- DirectorBeck ColeErica GlynnStarsAdam BriggsAaron Fa'aosoNakkiah LuiThere's a computer that comes up with Aboriginal names, the Tiddas make an announcement and we visit Wandaroorah, a little town that needs Aboriginals - and will do anything to get them.The Wandarooah segment in particular is hilarious