10 Underrated Movies To Watch This Black History Month 

Here are 10 overlooked films that explore identity, joy, resistance, and survival across generations and genres to watch during Black History Month. Check out our list below. 

Eve’s Bayou

Eve’s Bayou is a Southern Gothic film directed by Kasi Lemmons that is sure to enchant and thrill you. The film has been celebrated for its depiction of a complex and well-off black family in the 1960s from the south. Though it is hard to pin down the exact genre of the film, it can be seen as an exploration of one’s own memory and a loss of innocence. With four spectacular performances, from Jurnee Smollett, Samuel L. Jackson, Debbie Morgan, and Lynn Whitefield, and a great supporting ensemble Eve’s Bayou is a must-see genre film filled with secrets, lies, and betrayal. 

Fruitvale Station 

Before Ryan Coogler made box office gold, like Sinners, Black Panther, and Creed, he made a small indie drama about a real-life shooting at Fruitvale Station. Fruitvale Station is truly special, mostly due to the remarkable Michael B. Jordan. This marks Coogler and Jordan’s first of many collaborations, and definitely one of my favorites. What makes this movie so special is that it takes you through the entire day leading up to the shooting, giving you the opportunity to get to know the real-life victim, Oscar Grant, in a subtle way. It makes the inevitable end of the film only cut deeper, feel even more out of nowhere, and be even more tragic. The film skillfully examines police brutality and how their malpractice leads to innocent lives lost. Major trigger warning on this one, but if you think you can handle it, I would definitely check out Fruitvale Station as soon as possible. 

The Wiz 

The Wiz is such a great time. Incredibly underrated when it comes to Wizard of Oz movies, The Wiz deserves way more love. The film follows Dorothy Gale, played by Diana Ross, who gets whisked away to the crazy world of Oz. Dorothy is told the only way to get back to Manhattan is to go find the Wiz, played by Richard Pryor. Along the way she meets the Scarecrow, played by Michael Jackson, the Tin Man, played by Nipsey Russell, and the Lion, played by Ted Ross. As you can see, this movie has an all-timer cast. The Wiz is just a lot of fun, with insane production design, catchy songs, great performances, and a unique twist on the classic tale.

Losing Ground 

Losing Ground was made in the 1980s and buried until 2015. A stunning debut that is swirling with so many different nuanced ideas, such as the importance of having things you love outside of your relationship, how women are treated in the workplace, and how dehumanizing it can be to be a woman, specifically a woman of color. The film, directed by activist, playwright, and filmmaker Kathleen Collins, follows Sara, a college professor, and her husband, a painter. They decide to spend the summer away from the city and start to encounter problems in their relationship. Losing Ground is full of pops of color, honest performances, and a groundbreaking tale of the ambitions of a black woman. 

The 13th 

13th is a documentary by acclaimed director Ava DuVernay that explores racial inequities in the United States, with a focus on the fact that America’s prisons are disproportionately filled with African Americans. This documentary could have easily felt boring or by the book even though it is an important issue, but because of the direction by DuVernay, it was so engaging. On an artistic level this documentary is amazing. Yet 13th is not only a captivating watch, but it also covers extremely important issues that are still relevant today even though it was released in 2016. The film does not just show what has happened, it explains how it happened and how it worked. It is an infuriating watch that reminds you of how politicians use certain buzzwords and media to put labels on groups of people. Really shows how powerful narratives are when it comes to politics and how racism can be disguised as other things. 

Just Another Girl on the I.R.T 

Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. has a lot to say and a snappy way of saying it. Led by a charismatic debut performance by Ariyan A. Johnson and full of quirky side characters, the closest film I could relate this to is Clueless. Yet, Just Another Girl on the I.R.T is a lot more than just a rom-com. The movie is about Chantel, who has big dreams of getting out of her part of town, going to college, and becoming a doctor. A lot of this film is very funny, colorful, and light, but every moment is a look into what it is like to be a young black girl at the time. The film does take a turn and depicts some harsh realities, but this only puts you into the place of Chantel even more. Some great filmmaking on display from Leslie Harris, the only film she ever directed. Seek this film out as soon as you get the chance. 

Black Girl 

Black Girl is directed by Ousmane Sembène, who is often referred to as the Father of African Cinema. This revolutionary film from 1966 follows Diouana, who is eager to move abroad for a better life. The Senegalese woman moves to France and becomes a governess to a wealthy family, from whom she experiences discrimination from. A beautifully shot film, juxtaposed with the harsh realities of the life of a woman of color in 1960s France, Black Girl is one of the most important, tragic, and stunning films to come from Senegal and France. 

Pariah 

We have had many queer films from Black directors, such as The Watermelon Woman and Moonlight, but none of them are as underrated and beautiful as Dee Rees’s Pariah. The film follows Brooklyn teenager Alike (Adepero Oduye), who is a lesbian that hides her true self from her parents. She is forced to juggle conflicting identities, heartbreak, family troubles, and the need for sexual expression. This film also has some beautiful cinematography that employs incredible visual imagery to bring the themes to life. Pariah is a tender, truthful depiction of the life of a queer girl wanting to be herself and wanting approval from her parents. 

Bamboozled 

It might seem crazy to say that a movie by famous director Spike Lee is underrated, but Bamboozled deserves way more love. My personal favorite Spike Lee joint, Bamboozled, was critically panned at the time of release. Though in recent years the film has been recognized as a misunderstood masterpiece, it is not enough. Bamboozled is a scathing satire about network television and the prejudices there. It is more than that though. The film is extremely relevant today because of its depiction of how when something is shown to audiences and they are told they can laugh or enjoy it, they won’t bat an eye. One of the most accurate depictions of normalization of any subject, specifically racism, in the media. The film is about a television writer named Pierre Delacroix, who is the only person of color working for a tv studio. After being asked by his white boss to make something ‘more Black,’ Pierre pitches a modern minstrel show and gets green lite. It is hard to summarize Bamboozled because there is just so much there. I recommend going in as blind as possible. Definitely the hardest watch on this entire list, but it is worth it. 

Sambizanga 

Sambizanga is regarded as one of the first films directed by a woman to come from Africa. If that is not enough to prove the importance of this film, it is also a crucial film in anti-colonial cinema. Sambizanga follows Maria as she goes from prison to prison looking for her husband, who was arrested for speaking up against Portuguese rule over Angola. A harrowing depiction of female resistance, Sambizanga has been celebrated by critics and filmmakers, such as Martin Scorsese, the film being a part of his World Cinema Project with Criterion, for its accurate depiction of Angolan life at the time. 

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