While notions of love and romance are not new to the human race and love is a universal experience, oftentimes images and messages of Black people in the media don’t focus on such narratives of. While there’s still a need for more romantic movies that people of all races can identify with, this list of 26 Black romance movies showcases various forms of representation within Black culture, reflecting a unique array of Black identities and highlighting the many diverse experiences of Black people and love.
Best Black romance movies from the 1950s and 1960s
Porgy and Bess (1959)
Directed by Otto Preminger and Rouben Mamoulian, the movie Porgy and Bess featured some of the most successful Black actors and performers of the time, such as the incomparable Sidney Poitier, Dorothy Dandridge, Sammy Davis Jr. and Diahann Carroll, to name a few. This movie was based on the classic George Gershwin opera set in a fishing village in South Carolina in 1912.
Carmen Jones (1954)
Also directed by Preminger, the 1954 version of the Bizet opera Carmen Jones featured an all-star Black cast. Carmen Jones (Dandridge) is a beautiful woman who seduces Joe (Harry Belafonte) who’s espoused to Cindy Lou. Things unfold, and lessons are learned about lust, love, life and consequences.
Nothing But A Man (1964)
Directed by Michael Roemer, the movie Nothing But A Man poses a very valid question: What do you do when you feel unqualified to be loved? Starring Ivan Dixon as Duff, a railroad worker, and Abbey Lincoln as Josie, this movie examines the pressures of expectation, discrimination and love in the 1960s.
A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
Under the direction of Daniel Petrie, A Raisin in the Sun, written by Black female playwright Lorraine Hansberry, starred an amazing cast of actors that were true trailblazers in the film industry. Poitier, Ruby Dee, Diana Sands, Claudia McNeil and Louis Gossett Jr. are just a few of the actors that brought this film about family, money and the working-class to life and made it such a cherished classic.
Best Black romance movies from the 1970s and 1980s
Lady Sings The Blues (1972)
Directed by Sidney J. Furie, Lady Sings the Blues is a biographical drama that takes viewers on a journey into the life of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday. Starring Diana Ross as Holiday and Billy Dee Williams as the man who falls deeply in love with her, this movie is a beautiful depiction of love, loss and addiction.
A Warm December (1973)
Starring Poitier as Dr. Matt Younger and Esther Anderson as Catherine Oswandu, A Warm December depicts aspects of the Black upper-middle class as well as African royalty. Catherine must choose between the man that she has falling in love with and her home country.
Claudine (1974)
Claudine is a 1970s romantic comedy/drama loved by many within the Black community. Directed by John Berry, this movie gets it right with its depiction of two poor Black people who have fallen on hard times in life but are willing to take a chance on love. It provides an introspective look into the welfare system and perceptions of Black motherhood, and depicts that love can endure despite socioeconomic pressure.
Aaron Loves Angela (1975)
Directed by Gordon Parks, Aaron Loves Angela is about a Black boy, Aaron (Kevin Hooks) and a Puerto Rican girl, Angela (Irene Cara). Their love exposes the fears, prejudices and hatred that the peculiar institution of “race” has created. Danger ensues as they rebel against the opinions and views of others about their love.
Purple Rain (1984)
The legendary musician and singer Prince shines bright in Purple Rain. Dealing with a difficult situation at home, a new romance, a disgruntled band and the culmination of dreams becoming reality, in Purple Rain Prince showed the world his acting chops as The Kid, and sealed his fate as both an actor and musician.
Best Black romance movies from the 1990s
Mo’ Better Blues (1990)
Directed by Spike Lee, Mo’ Better Blues is about Jazz musician Bleek Gilliam (Denzel Washington), a man with great talent and many options when it comes to women. Mo’ Better Blues soulfully takes viewers on a journey that confirms the notion that for every decision made, there will surely be consequences.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
Adapted from Terry McMillan’s book of the same name, Kevin Rodney Sullivan’s dramedy stars Angela Bassett as a 40-something stockbroker who falls for a drool-worthy 20-something (Taye Diggs in his film debut) while on Jamaican holiday with her best friend, played by Whoopi Goldberg.
Love Jones (1997)
Directed by Theodore Witcher, Love Jones showcases love between Black folks in a mature, sultry manner. Jazz, poetry and middle-class Black intellectuals all collide in this beautiful, romantic film that stars Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington, Lisa Nicole Carson and more.
Poetic Justice (1993)
Written and directed by John Singleton, Poetic Justice is a romantic drama about a woman, Justice (Janet Jackson), who’s dealing with depression as a result of her boyfriend’s murder. Then, she meets Lucky (Tupac Shakur), who has also had his fair share of heartache and pain. They end up taking a trip that changes both of their lives forever. While this film highlights the senseless loss that comes with gun violence, it also shows that love comes when you least expect it.
Jason’s Lyric (1994)
Directed by Doug McHenry, Jason’s Lyric takes place in the Third Ward of Houston, Texas and tells the story of two brothers who both experienced childhood trauma, which set them on different paths. Jason (Allen Payne) finds love with Lyric (Jada Pinkett-Smith), while his brother Joshua (Bokeem Woodbine) chooses violence and pain to cope. It’s a poignant story of loss, love and pain and depiction of the power of love, both romantic and brotherly.
The Best Man (1999)
Written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee, The Best Man centers on a running back for the New York Giants, Lance (Morris Chestnut) and his college friends who all come to town as he prepares to marry the love of his life, Mia (Monica Calhoun). Everything is just perfect until secrets begin to threaten the forthcoming nuptials. True love is tested, but true friends come through in this fun rom-com.
The Wood (1999)
The Wood centers on Roland (Diggs), who’s about to get married. But… he’s missing. His friends Slim (Richard T. Jones) and Mike (Omar Epps) set out to find him, and through reminiscing, they help their friend make it to the altar just in time. It’s a film about marriage, friendship and nostalgia.
Best Black romance movies from the 2000s
Love & Basketball (2000)
Written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, Love & Basketball beautifully merges sports and romance, and the chemistry between Quincy McCall (Epps) and Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) is unforgettable. This movie has become a cult classic, and rightly so, because it gets everything right with its sweet depiction of a childhood crush that turns into everlasting love.
Brown Sugar (2002)
Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, Brown Sugar is about love and hip-hop. Sidney (Lathan) is an editor-in-chief and Andre (Diggs) is in A&R at a record label, and they both attribute their career success, as well as their long friendship, to the day they fell in love with hip-hop. When Andre plans to marry another woman, Reese (Nicole Ari Parker), Sidney begins to realize that it isn’t just hip-hop that connects their friendship, but something even greater.
Why Did I Get Married? (2007)
Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? takes a close look at the ups and downs of marriage through the lives of four very different married couples who are all going through things in their lives and marriages. This film poses many powerful questions about marriage and priorities. A woman scorned, Sheila (Jill Scott), loses her marriage yet finds true love. A very successful professor, Patricia (Janet Jackson) has public gains but her personal life and marriage is very strained. Angela (Tasha Smith) has a man that loves her, but she’s so over-the-top that at times she can’t even see that he does. Diane (Sharon Leal) is a successful woman but she’s so busy that she neglects her husband needs. This movie gets real about marriage, while sending a message not to take it for granted, too.
Best Black romance movies from the 2010s
Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)
Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too? is the sequel to Why Did I Get Married?, in which four married couples are tested in various areas of their marriage. Catch up with the couples you learned to love in the first film, and see where their nuptials stand now.
Jumping The Broom (2011)
Directed by Salim Akil, Jumping the Broom showcases many cultural themes and traditions within Black culture including “jumping the broom.” Jumping The Broom is about Sabrina Watson (Paula Patton) and Jason Taylor (Laz Alonso), who are madly in love with one another despite their extremely different upbringings. Sabrina grew up wealthy and privileged, and Jason’s childhood was quite different. When their families both convene on Martha’s Vineyard at Sabrina’s family estate, issues arise because of these differences, which they have to face and attempt to overcome.
Moonlight (2016)
In a gritty film unlike most sentimentally sappy romances, director and screenwriter Barry Jenkinstells this story of light and love in seemingly hopeless circumstances with broad strokes, stark reality and some of the most intoxicating audiovisuals you’ll ever experience. It’s no wonder Moonlight won the Oscar for Best Picture.
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
Directed by Jenkins and based on James Baldwin’s book of the same name, If Beale Street Could Talk shows that love can carry both beauty and pain. As a young woman, Clementine Rivers (KiKi Layne) fights to clear the name of the love of her life, Alonzo Hunt (Stephan James) while pregnant with their child. Sub-narratives on the judicial system, racial discrimination and systemic oppression are all neatly interwoven in this heart-wrenching, yet beautiful film that also won Regina King the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Queen & Slim (2019)
Directed by Melina Matsoukas, Queen & Slim unapologetically showcases Black love as a revolutionary act. Starring Daniel Kaluuya as Slim and Jodie Turner-Smith as Queen, this film centers on a new, Black couple with their entire lives ahead of them. Those very lives are turned upside down when what should have been just a speeding ticket or warning turns into a cop being murdered at a traffic stop. Knowing what awaits them, regardless of their innocence, they make the courageous decision to go on the run, and fall in love along the way.
Best Black romance movies from the 2020s (so far)
The Photograph (2020)
Written and directed by Stella Meghie, The Photograph showcases middle-class millennials living in New York City. When Mae Morton (Issa Rae)’s famous mother dies suddenly, journalist Michael Bock (LaKeith Stanfield) reaches out to Mae to do a story about her mother. But he becomes intrigued with Mae as well. The Photograph showcases carefree love and well-established young Black professionals in a nuanced, multidimensional manner.
Sylvie’s Love (2020)
Directed by Eugene Ashe, Sylvie’s Love follows Sylvie Parker (Tessa Thompson) as she attempts to build her career while falling in love with saxophonist Robert Holloway (Nnamdi Asomugha). This period drama gives a glimpse into 1950s Harlem during a time when the cultural and social landscapes were changing through the lenses of two emotionally-mature adults.
