African-American & African Diaspora Cinema
The Best Movies & TV of the African Diaspora; in order of year/s
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- StarsGiancarlo EspositoZackary MomohPaula MalcomsonFollows a taxi driver whose life is turned upside down when he agrees to pick-up a Zimbabwean gangster mostly known for exploiting undocumented immigrants at the U.S. southern ports.
- DirectorJesse WashingtonStarsGrandmaster CazDavey DKRS-OneHip-hop's rise from marginalized urban culture to powerful mainstream force is explored alongside its intersections with presidential politics and policies from the 1970s to present day.Multiple narratives/ opinions / voices; the history of rap & it's connection to the presidency...
- DirectorP. Frank WilliamsStarsAndré 3000The Notorious B.I.G.21 SavageRecounts the rise and fall of a small Atlanta HBCU picnic that exploded into an influential street party and spotlighted ATL as a major cultural stage.I know what you are thinking. However there's a back story. Things start out with good intentions- that's what's interesting about this documentary
- DirectorAva DuVernayStarsAunjanue Ellis-TaylorJon BernthalNiecy NashThe unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.
- DirectorCord JeffersonStarsJeffrey WrightTracee Ellis RossJohn OrtizA novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.
- DirectorMichael B. JordanStarsMichael B. JordanTessa ThompsonJonathan MajorsAdonis has been thriving in both his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces, the face-off is more than just a fight.
- DirectorDaniel KaluuyaKibwe TavaresStarsKanoJedaiah BannermanHope Ikpoku JnrIn a dystopian future London where all social housing has been eliminated, Izi and Benji fight to navigate the world as residents of The Kitchen, a community that refuses to abandon their home.
- DirectorMinhal BaigStarsTyla AbercrumbieEchaka AgbaMadisyn BarnesTwo young boys, best friends Malik and Eric, discover the joys and hardships of growing up in the sprawling Cabrini-Green public housing complex in 1992 Chicago.
- CreatorChad FeehanStarsDavid OyelowoLauren E. BanksDemi SingletonAbout the legendary lawman Bass Reeves, one of the greatest frontier heroes and one of the first Black deputy U.S. marshals west of the Mississippi River.
- StarsLaKeith StanfieldVictor LaValleClark BackoSet in an alternate New York City, a father and husband searches through a magical world for his abducted son and missing wife.
- CreatorJim Field SmithGeorge KayStarsIdris ElbaNeil MaskellMax BeesleyA plane from Dubai to London is hijacked over a 7-hour flight, while authorities on the ground scramble for answers.
- StarsAdesuwa OniEshe AsanteSivuyile NgesiExpert interviews and other documentary content with premium scripted docudrama about different queens.
- CreatorEli RothJames FreyStarsSydney MikaylaTim Johnson Jr.Terrence Little GardenhighAn ancient prophecy and a Voodoo Queen put misfit teens in charge of saving New Orleans from the biggest demonic threat it's faced in almost two centuries. But, honestly? Saving the world might be easier than becoming friends.
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsLetitia WrightLupita Nyong'oDanai GuriraThe people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T'Challa.
- DirectorGina Prince-BythewoodStarsViola DavisThuso MbeduLashana LynchA historical epic inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.
- DirectorJordan PeeleStarsDaniel KaluuyaKeke PalmerBrandon PereaThe residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
- DirectorBaltasar KormákurStarsLiyabuya GongoMartin MunroDaniel HadebeA father and his two teenage daughters find themselves hunted by a massive rogue lion intent on proving that the Savanna has but one apex predator.
- CreatorAndy BorowitzSusan BorowitzT.J. BradyStarsJabari BanksCassandra FreemanJimmy AkingbolaThe journey of a street-smart teen whose life is forever transformed when he moves from the streets of West Philadelphia to live with his relatives in one of LA's wealthiest suburbs.
- DirectorJeymes SamuelStarsJonathan MajorsZazie BeetzRJ CylerWhen an outlaw discovers his enemy is being released from prison, he reunites his gang to seek revenge.
- DirectorNia DaCostaStarsYahya Abdul-Mateen IITeyonah ParrisNathan Stewart-JarrettA sequel to the horror film Candyman (1992) that returns to the now-gentrified Chicago neighborhood where the legend began.
- CreatorLittle MarvinStarsDeborah AyorindeAshley ThomasShahadi Wright JosephAnthology horror series with varying characters and locations by season, featuring different aspects of the horror genre.
- CreatorGeorge KayStarsOmar SyLudivine SagnierSoufiane GuerrabInspired by the adventures of Arsène Lupin, gentleman thief Assane Diop sets out to avenge his father for an injustice inflicted by a wealthy family.
- CreatorLesean ThomasStarsLaKeith StanfieldMaya TanidaWilliam Christopher StephensHe came from Africa and fought alongside a mighty feudal lord in brutal 16th century Japan. They called him the Black Samurai, and he became a legend.
- 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.
- CreatorMisha GreenStarsJonathan MajorsJurnee SmollettCourtney B. VanceA young African-American travels across the U.S. in the 1950s in search of his missing father.
- CreatorGraeme MansonJosh FriedmanStarsDaveed DiggsMickey SumnerAlison WrightSeven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, the remnants of humanity inhabit a perpetually-moving train that circles the globe, where class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out.
- DirectorEmmanuel AdjeiIbra AkeBlitz BazawuleStarsBeyoncéTina KnowlesJay-ZVisual album from Beyoncé inspired by 'The Lion King'.
- CreatorGareth EvansMatt FlanneryStarsJoe ColeSope DirisuMichelle FairleyTells the story of London being torn apart by the turbulent power struggles of its international gangs and the sudden power vacuum that's created when the head of London's most powerful crime family is assassinated.
- 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.
- DirectorMelina MatsoukasStarsDaniel KaluuyaJodie Turner-SmithBokeem WoodbineA couple's first date takes an unexpected turn when a police officer pulls them over.
- 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.
- DirectorChiwetel EjioforStarsChiwetel EjioforMaxwell SimbaFelix LemburoAgainst all the odds, a thirteen-year-old boy in Malawi invents an unconventional way to save his family and village from famine.
- CreatorDamon LindelofStarsRegina KingYahya Abdul-Mateen IITom MisonSet in an alternate history where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, Watchmen embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel of the same name, while attempting to break new ground of its own.
- CreatorChris BrancatoPaul EcksteinStarsForest WhitakerIlfenesh HaderaLucy FryA gangster named Bumpy Johnson makes his way in Harlem during the 1960s. A TV prequel to the 2007 film, 'American Gangster', which centered on the criminal enterprise of Frank Lucas.
- CreatorRZAAlex TseStarsAshton SandersShameik MooreSiddiq SaundersonThe show tracks the Wu Tang Clan's formation, a vision of Bobby Diggs, who strives to unite a dozen young Black men who are torn between music and crime but eventually rise to become the unlikeliest of American success stories.
- DirectorStefon BristolStarsEden Duncan-SmithDante CrichlowAstroTwo Brooklyn teenage prodigies, C.J. Walker and Sebastian Thomas, build makeshift time machines to save C.J.'s brother, Calvin, from being wrongfully killed by a police officer.
- 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.
- 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.
- CreatorLena WaitheStarsJason MitchellJacob LatimoreNtare Guma Mbaho MwineFrom Emmy® winner Lena Waithe, The Chi is a timely coming-of-age drama series centered on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.With the new season this year in 2024, its' amazing to see the child actors growing up. This series has been about growth, change, and of course drama.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- CreatorSpike LeeStarsDeWanda WiseAnthony RamosLyriq BentThe story of one woman and her three lovers. TV series based on the film by Spike Lee.
- 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.
- DirectorMira NairStarsMadina NalwangaDavid OyelowoLupita Nyong'oA Ugandan girl sees her world rapidly change after being introduced to the game of chess.
- DirectorFabrice du WelzStarsChadwick BosemanLuke EvansAlfred MolinaJacob King, a mysterious outsider from South Africa, arrives in Los Angeles to look for his missing younger sister.
- DirectorKasper CollinStarsLee MorganHelen MorganWayne ShorterAn exploration of the relationship between jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan and his common-law wife Helen, who was implicated in his murder in 1972.
- CreatorIssa RaeLarry WilmoreStarsIssa RaeYvonne OrjiJay EllisFollows the awkward experiences and racy tribulations of a modern-day African-American woman.
- CreatorAva DuVernayStarsRutina WesleyKofi SiriboeOmar J. DorseyFollows the life of three siblings, one of whom moves from Los Angeles to Louisiana to claim a shared inheritance from their recently departed father: an 800-acre sugarcane farm.
- 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.
- CreatorStephen Adly GuirgisBaz LuhrmannStarsJustice SmithShameik MooreHerizen F. GuardiolaA ragtag group of teenagers run wild in the streets of the Bronx in the late 1970s.
- DirectorRyan CooglerStarsMichael B. JordanSylvester StalloneTessa ThompsonThe former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.
- DirectorDee ReesStarsQueen LatifahKamryn JohnsonRikki McKinneyThe story of legendary blues performer Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
- DirectorCary Joji FukunagaStarsAbraham AttahEmmanuel AffadziRicky AdelayitorA drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country.
- DirectorLiz GarbusStarsNina SimoneLisa Simone KellyRoger NupieA documentary about the life and legend Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist labeled the "High Priestess of Soul."
- 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.
- DirectorJustin ChadwickStarsNaomie HarrisOliver LitondoTony KgorogeThe story of an 84 year-old Kenyan villager and ex Mau Mau veteran who fights for his right to go to school for the first time to get the education he could never afford.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonMarton CsokasChloë Grace MoretzA man who believes he has put his mysterious past behind him cannot stand idly by when he meets a young girl under the control of ultra-violent Russian gangsters.
- DirectorAbderrahmane SissakoStarsIbrahim AhmedAbel JafriToulou KikiA cattle herder and his family who reside in the dunes of Timbuktu find their quiet lives -- which are typically free of the Jihadists determined to control their faith -- abruptly disturbed.
- DirectorOne9StarsNasCornel WestPharrell WilliamsThe story behind Nas's groundbreaking debut album 'Illmatic, ' and the early life of one of the most talented rappers of all time. Featuring Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, and Busta Rhymes.
- CreatorKenya BarrisStarsAnthony AndersonTracee Ellis RossMarcus ScribnerA family man struggles to gain a sense of cultural identity while raising his kids in a predominantly white, upper-middle-class neighborhood.
- 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.
- DirectorBenh ZeitlinStarsQuvenzhané WallisDwight HenryLevy EasterlyFaced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsBob MarleyZiggy MarleyRita MarleyA documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley.
- DirectorAnthony HemingwayStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Gerald McRaneyDavid OyelowoA crew of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program, having faced segregation while kept mostly on the ground during World War II, are called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard.
- CreatorShonda RhimesStarsKerry WashingtonDarby StanchfieldKatie LowesA former White House Communications Director starts her own crisis management firm only to realize her clients are not the only ones with secrets.
- CreatorChris NeeStarsLara Jill MillerLoretta DevineRobbie Rist"Doc McStuffins" is an imaginative animated series about Doc McStuffins, a young girl who aspires to be a doctor like her mom and communicates with and heals broken toys and stuffed animals.
- DirectorDee ReesStarsAdepero OduyeKim WayansAasha DavisA Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.
- CreatorNeil CrossStarsIdris ElbaDermot CrowleyMichael SmileyJohn Luther is a brilliant homicide detective with a knack for getting inside the minds of murderers. Unfortunately, his unconventional methods and personal demons put him at odds with his team.
- DirectorErik WhiteStarsShad MossBrandon T. JacksonNaturi NaughtonKevin Carson is a young man living in the projects who has to survive a three-day weekend after his opportunistic neighbors find out he's holding a winning lottery ticket worth $370 million.
- DirectorHarald ZwartStarsJackie ChanJaden SmithTaraji P. HensonWork causes a single mother to move to China with her young son; in his new home, the boy embraces kung fu, taught to him by a master.
- CreatorReginald HudlinStarsDjimon HounsouJill ScottCarl LumblyBlack Panther is the ruler and protector of the African nation of Wakanda. Using technology, wits, and extraordinary fighting ability he must protect his nation from an invasion led by Ulysses Klaw, the man who killed his father.
- DirectorJoão Daniel TikhomiroffStarsAílton CarmoJéssica BarbosaFlávio RochaBased on the life of a legendary capoeira fighter from Bahia, "Besouro" spins a fantastic tale of a young Brazilian man of African descent in search of his mission.
- 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.
- StarsJill ScottAnika Noni RoseLucian MsamatiPrecious Ramotswe launches the first-ever female detective agency in Botswana. She embarks on various adventures while investigating cases and must also overcome several challenges in her quest.
- DirectorDavid MametStarsChiwetel EjioforTim AllenEmily MortimerA fateful event leads to a job in the film business for top mixed-martial arts instructor Mike Terry. Though he refuses to participate in prize bouts, circumstances conspire to force him to consider entering such a competition.
- DirectorDenzel WashingtonStarsDenzel WashingtonForest WhitakerKimberly EliseA drama based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship.
- DirectorSylvain WhiteStarsColumbus ShortMeagan GoodNe-YoWhen his brother is murdered, a street dancer moves to Georgia to work his way through college. He joins a fraternity's step dancing team for a competition. Will he also get an education and the girl?
- DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsWill SmithAlice BragaCharlie TahanYears after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.
- CreatorTakashi OkazakiStarsSamuel L. JacksonPhil LaMarrYuri LowenthalA Black samurai goes on a mission to avenge the wrongful death of his father in a futuristic feudal Japan.
- DirectorChris RobinsonStarsTip 'T.I.' HarrisLauren LondonEvan RossAs four friends prepare for life after high school, different challenges bring about turning points in each of their lives. The dramas unfold and resolve at their local rollerskating rink, Cascade.
- DirectorGabriele MuccinoStarsWill SmithThandiwe NewtonJaden SmithA struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.
- DirectorSpike LeeStarsDenzel WashingtonClive OwenJodie FosterA police detective, a bank robber, and a high-power broker enter high-stakes negotiations after the criminal's brilliant heist spirals into a hostage situation.
- DirectorDoug AtchisonStarsAngela BassettLaurence FishburneKeke PalmerAkeelah, a young gifted girl, comes from a dysfunctional family and is on the verge of quitting school. She discovers that she has a high aptitude for spellings and enters a spelling bee contest.
- DirectorTony ScottStarsDenzel WashingtonPaula PattonJim CaviezelAfter a ferry is bombed in New Orleans, an A.T.F. agent joins a unique investigation using experimental surveillance technology to find the bomber, but soon finds himself becoming obsessed with one of the victims.
- DirectorBryan BarberStarsAndré 3000Big BoiTerrence HowardAt a sexy, sizzling nightclub, pianist Percival lives life by the rules, while Rooster, the club's flashy lead performer, struts his stuff on the stage. But all changes when greed, fame and murder threaten to destroy them and the joint.
- DirectorCraig BrewerStarsTerrence HowardLudacrisAnthony AndersonWith help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.
- DirectorMalcolm D. LeeStarsShad MossNick CannonMeagan GoodIn the summer of 1978, a teenager and his group of friends face new challenges when their neighborhood roller-skating rink closes, forcing them to visit a different rink.
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsJamie FoxxRegina KingKerry WashingtonThe story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.
- DirectorTerry GeorgeStarsDon CheadleSophie OkonedoJoaquin PhoenixPaul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, houses over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda, Africa.
- DirectorTony ScottStarsDenzel WashingtonChristopher WalkenDakota FanningIn Mexico City, a former CIA operative swears vengeance on those who committed an unspeakable act against the family he was hired to protect.
- DirectorFernando MeirellesKátia LundStarsAlexandre RodriguesLeandro FirminoMatheus NachtergaeleIn the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.
- DirectorMichael BayStarsWill SmithMartin LawrenceGabrielle UnionTwo loose-cannon narcotics cops investigate the flow of Ecstasy into Florida from a Cuban drug cartel.
- DirectorDenzel WashingtonStarsDenzel WashingtonDerek LukeJoy BryantAntwone Fisher, a young navy man, is forced to see a psychiatrist after a violent outburst against a fellow crewman. During the course of treatment a painful past is revealed and a new hope begins.
- DirectorCharles Stone IIIStarsNick CannonZoe SaldanaOrlando JonesA band director recruits a Harlem street drummer to play at a Southern university.
- DirectorAntoine FuquaStarsDenzel WashingtonEthan HawkeScott GlennA rookie cop spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective who isn't what he appears to be.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsWill SmithJamie FoxxJon VoightA biography of sports legend Muhammad Ali, focusing on his triumphs and controversies between 1964 and 1974.
- DirectorGina Prince-BythewoodStarsSanaa LathanOmar EppsGlenndon ChatmanMonica and Quincy love and play basketball together through many life challenges from childhood to adulthood.
- DirectorMalcolm D. LeeStarsTaye DiggsNia LongMorris ChestnutJust before his best friend's wedding, the life of a Chicago writer becomes crazy when his best friend guesses that his new book's story is based on his bride's fervent past.
- DirectorRick FamuyiwaStarsElayn J. TaylorOmar EppsRichard T. JonesWhile dealing with a friend's cold feet on his wedding day, a writer reminisces about his youth with his best friends.