At BRIC, we live in a world of cameras, cutting rooms, late-night edits, and big creative swings. Film isn’t just something we watch – it’s what we study, support, produce, and champion. So this Black History Month, we’re proud to honor Black excellence in the medium that inspires so much of what we do.
We asked the creative minds at BRIC to share films of Black empowerment that they return to – the movies that challenged the form, shifted the culture, or simply told unforgettable tales. The result is a curated list of 100 favorites that celebrate visionary filmmaking and powerful storytelling.
Consider this your go-to watchlist for the weekend and beyond – and a reminder of the brilliance, range, and impact of Black cinema.
TOP 12
- Malcolm X, d. Spike Lee, 1992
“Spike Lee’s epic drama spans the extraordinary life of activist Malcolm X, whose relentless advocacy for Black liberation made him a humanitarian icon.” – Netflix
- Do the Right Thing, d. Spike Lee, 1989
“A landmark in American cinema, as politically and emotionally charged now as when it first hit the big screen.” – The Criterion Collection
- Get Out, d. Jordan Peele, 2017
“An exhilaratingly smart and scary freakout about a black man in a white nightmare, the laughs come easily and then go in for the kill.” – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
- Crooklyn, d. Spike Lee, 1994
“A heartfelt film about childhood. Co-written by Lee alongside his brother, Cinqué Lee, and sister, Joie Lee, Crooklyn is clearly a snapshot inspired by their Brooklyn upbringing.” – Alex Papaioannou, InSession Film
- Black Panther, d. Ryan Coogler, 2018
“A jolt of a movie, ‘Black Panther’ creates wonder with great flair and feeling partly through something Hollywood rarely dreams of anymore:
DOCUMENTARIES
- I Am Not Your Negro, Raoul Peck, 2016
“An extraordinary visual essay, distilling centuries of black history into 95 minutes, while serving as a biography of [James] Baldwin. Footage of 1960s civil rights protests lead into footage from Ferguson. The through-line is easily drawn.” – Olly Richards, NME
- Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), d. Questlove, 2021
“This Sundance award-winner is an absolute joy, uncovering a treasure trove of pulse-racing, heart-stopping live music footage. Intertwines music and politics in one of the best concert movies of all time.” – Mark Kermode, The Guardian
- Wattstax, d. Mel Stuart, 1973
“A mere concert flick it’s not. ‘Wattstax’ not only documents the soul-titan concert held at L.A. Coliseum seven years after Watts burned, but illuminates the rue and kinesis of a city in full Black Power flower.” – Laura Sinagra, Village Voice
- 4 Little Girls, d. Spike Lee, 1997
- 20 Feet from Stardom, d. Morgan Neville, 2013
- A Band Called Death, d. Mark Covino & Jeff Howlett, 2012
- A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks, d. John Maggio, 2021
- Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison, d. Cinque Northern, 2022
- Betty: They Say I’m Different, d. Philip Cox, 2017
- John Henrik Clarke: A Great And Mighty Walk, d. St. Clair Bourne, 1996
- Little Richard: I Am Everything, d. Lisa Cortes, 2023
- Luther: Never Too Much, d. Dawn Porter, 2024
- Miss Sharon Jones!, d. Barbara Kopple, 2015
- Muhammad Ali: When We Were Kings, d. Leon Gast, 1996
- O.J. Made in America, d. Ezra Edelman, 2016
- Paris is Burning, d. Jennie Livingston, 1990
- Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, d. Johan Grimonprez, 2024
- The Sun Rises in the East, d. Tayo Giwa, 2022
- Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me, d. Olivia Lichtenstein, 2018
- Time, d. Garrett Bradley, 2020
- Tina, d. Daniel Lindsay & T.J. Martin
- Tongues Untied, d. Marlon Riggs, 1989
- Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, d. Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, 2019
- What Happened, Miss Simone?, d. Liz Garbus, 2015
NARRATIVE FEATURES
- I Am Not Your Negro, Raoul Peck, 2016
“An extraordinary visual essay, distilling centuries of black history into 95 minutes, while serving as a biography of [James] Baldwin. Footage of 1960s civil rights protests lead into footage from Ferguson. The through-line is easily drawn.” – Olly Richards, NME
- Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), d. Questlove, 2021
“This Sundance award-winner is an absolute joy, uncovering a treasure trove of pulse-racing, heart-stopping live music footage. Intertwines music and politics in one of the best concert movies of all time.” – Mark Kermode, The Guardian
- Wattstax, d. Mel Stuart, 1973
“A mere concert flick it’s not. ‘Wattstax’ not only documents the soul-titan concert held at L.A. Coliseum seven years after Watts burned, but illuminates the rue and kinesis of a city in full Black Power flower.” – Laura Sinagra, Village Voice
- 4 Little Girls, d. Spike Lee, 1997
- 20 Feet from Stardom, d. Morgan Neville, 2013
- A Band Called Death, d. Mark Covino & Jeff Howlett, 2012
- A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks, d. John Maggio, 2021
- Angola Do You Hear Us? Voices from a Plantation Prison, d. Cinque Northern, 2022
- Betty: They Say I’m Different, d. Philip Cox, 2017
- John Henrik Clarke: A Great And Mighty Walk, d. St. Clair Bourne, 1996
- Little Richard: I Am Everything, d. Lisa Cortes, 2023
- Luther: Never Too Much, d. Dawn Porter, 2024
- Miss Sharon Jones!, d. Barbara Kopple, 2015
- Muhammad Ali: When We Were Kings, d. Leon Gast, 1996
- O.J. Made in America, d. Ezra Edelman, 2016
- Paris is Burning, d. Jennie Livingston, 1990
- Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, d. Johan Grimonprez, 2024
- The Sun Rises in the East, d. Tayo Giwa, 2022
- Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me, d. Olivia Lichtenstein, 2018
- Time, d. Garrett Bradley, 2020
- Tina, d. Daniel Lindsay & T.J. Martin
- Tongues Untied, d. Marlon Riggs, 1989
- Toni Morrison: The Pieces, d. Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, 2019
- What Happened, Miss Simone?, d. Liz Garbus, 2015