Black Brilliance Challenge

There are so many absolutely stunning films with amazing performances by black actors that don’t get the recognition they deserve. With a mindset of always celebrating yourself and empowering others, this is the perfect list to incorporate into your movie binge nights.

Black Brilliance Challenge

All these films star some of your favorite actors and every single one is just as impactful as the last. What’s wonderful about this list is the variety of main plot points: racism, romance, education, discrimination, self-love, and so on.

There’s a movie for just about any occasion so there’s always a chance to come back to this list!

Hidden Figures

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner (Actors)

Hidden Figures

An incredible & inspiring untold true story about three women at NASA who were instrumental in one of history’s greatest operations – the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. | Stream on Disney+

To continue this unit study, check out the Hidden Figures Movie Guide.

Precious

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey (Actors)

Precious

Precious Jones, an inner-city high school girl, is illiterate, overweight, and pregnant…again. Naïve and abused, Precious responds to a glimmer of hope when a door is opened by an alternative-school teacher.

She is faced with the choice to follow opportunities and test her own boundaries. Prepare for shock, revelation, and celebration.

Straight Outta Compton

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
O'Shea Jackson, Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell (Actors)

Straight Outta Compton

In the mid-1980s, rap group N.W.A. bursts from the mean streets of Compton, revolutionizing hip-hop culture with its raw, provocative authenticity. | Stream on Netflix

Homecoming

This intimate, in-depth look at Beyoncé’s celebrated 2018 Coachella performance reveals the emotional road from creative concept to a cultural movement. | Stream on Netflix

The Color Purple

A Southern woman’s correspondence with her sister in Africa and friendship with a singer help her escape an abusive husband and a hardscrabble life. | Stream on Netflix

Queen Of Katwe

Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o (Actors)
Mira Nair (Director) - Screenplay by William Wheeler (Writer)

Queen of Katwe

Disney presents Queen of Katwe, based on a vibrant true story and starring Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo. A Ugandan girl’s life changes forever when she discovers she has an amazing talent for chess, in this celebration of the human spirit. | Stream on Disney+

The Help

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer (Actors)

The help

An aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African-American maids’ point of view.

Barbershop

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Ice Cube, Anthony Anderson, Cedric The Entertainer (Actors)

Barbershop

Barbershop is a comedy about a day in the life of a barbershop on the south side of Chicago. Calvin (Ice Cube), who inherited the struggling business from his deceased father, views the shop as nothing but a burden and waste of his time.

Fences

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson (Actors)

Fences

A father tries to raise his family amid the complicated race relations of 1950s Pittsburgh. While coming to terms with his unrealized dream of playing baseball, he creates strife within his family when he ruins his son’s dreams of playing college football.

Get Out

A young African American man visits his Caucasian girlfriend’s cursed family estate. Includes Alternate Ending, Deleted Scenes, and more.

The Hate U Give

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby (Actors)

The Hate U give

In this powerful drama based on the best-selling novel, when a teenager witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood friend, she must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.

Sorry To Bother You

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler (Actors)

Sorry To Bother You

Telemarketer Cassius Green discovers an alluring method toward success. However, owing to his greed, he ends up fading away from his family and friends.| Stream on Hulu

Moonlight

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Trevante Rhodes, Andre Holland, Janelle Monáe (Actors)

Moonlight

Chiron, a young African-American boy, finds guidance in Juan, a drug dealer, who teaches him to carve his own path. As he grows up in Miami, Juan’s advice leaves a lasting impression on him.

Harriet

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Cynthia Erivo, Jr.,Leslie Odom, Janelle Monae (Actors)

Harriet

The extraordinary story of abolitionist Harriet Tubman is chronicled in this “powerful” (New York Times) drama starring Cynthia Erivo. | Stream on Netflix

To continue this unit study, check out the Harriet Movie Study.

Akeelah And The Bee

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Keke Palmer (Actors)

Akeelah & the Bee

A bright, but unmotivated, 11-year-old girl from South Los Angeles is encouraged to compete in the National Spelling Bee competition.

Akeelah And The Bee

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Keke Palmer (Actors)

Selma

In the face of violent racist attacks, Martin Luther King Jr. leads a protest in Alabama that culminates in a historic march from Selma to Montgomery. | Stream on Netflix

Selma

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo (Actors)

BlacKkKlansman

The first black detective of the Colorado Springs Police Department teams up with a Jewish colleague to infiltrate a group of white supremacists. | Stream on Netflix

If Beale Street Could Talk

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Kiki Layne, Stephan James, Teyonah Parris (Actors)

If Beale Street Could Talk

From acclaimed director Barry Jenkins comes this timeless love story set in 1970s Harlem, where a young couple and their families fight for justice – and the promise of the American dream. | Stream on Netflix

Set It Off

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox (Actors)

Set It Off

Desperation drives four inner-city women to bank robbery in Los Angeles, then they start mistrusting one another. | Stream on Netflix

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne (Actors)

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Story of Tina Turner, whose incredible voice and indomitable spirit took her from obscurity to the heights of stardom in the music world.

Friday (1995)

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long (Actors)

Friday

This comedy with a strong hip-hop soundtrack features Craig (Ice Cube), who manages to get fired on his day off and spends the day hanging out with his buddy Smokey (Chris Tucker).

Judas and the Black Messiah

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons (Actors)

Judas and the Black Messiah

FBI informant William O’Neal infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party and is tasked with keeping tabs on their charismatic leader, Chairman Fred Hampton.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Will Smith, Thandiwe Newton, Jaden Smith (Actors)

The Pursuit of Happyness

Based on true events – a man struggles to keep himself and his young son from diving headlong into homeless poverty while pursuing his dreams of a better life. An inspirational story, with Jaden Smith.

To continue this unit study, check out The Pursuit of Happyness Movie Study.

Ray

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell (Actors)

Ray

Ray Charles’ rags-to-riches story from his poor beginnings in Albany, Georgia to his rise through the music industry while battling racism, drug use, and problems in love.

Love and Basketball

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Alfre Woodard (Actors)

Love & Basketball

A young African-American couple navigates the tricky paths of romance and athletics in this drama. Starring Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Dennis Haysbert and Alfre Woodard.

Hair Love

“Hair Love” is a heartfelt animated short film that centers around the relationship between an African-American father, his daughter Zuri, and the most daunting task a father could ever come across – doing his daughter’s hair for the first time.

Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short.| Stream on Sony Pictures Animation

Black Panther

Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o (Actors)

Black Panther

When young King T’Challa is drawn into conflict with an old foe that puts his homeland Wakanda and the entire world at risk, he must release Black Panther’s full power to save them.

Here are ways to score your Black Brilliance Challenge:

1-5: You’re missing out! – You need to pick up some more of these films!

6-10: Only the classics – Newer films are just as amazing, so give one a try

11-15: Loving the diversity – Some of these are on your “Fav Movies” list

16-20: Positively in love – These are your go-to films every weekend

20+: Absolutely brilliant! – You practically live off these films!

Click here to download this printable.

Check out our other challenges to test your movie and tv watching skills! We have great printables for anyone to enjoy, so don’t hold back and share this list with your favorite people.

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