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28 Black Movies To Watch in February, Black Films, Black Films Month, Black History Month, Black Movies, Black Movies Month
As we begin to celebrate Black History Month, VB has comprised a daily watch guide to some films that are essential to us black Millennials. Some of these movies you have already seen, some you may have never heard of, and others you can probably recite word for word. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry, and others will make you want to lead a Black revolution. Nonetheless, these are films that I recommend for the month of February!
February 1st: Training Day
We begin our Black Movies Month with the Oscar winning film starring Denzel Washington who plays an unorthodox and corrupt cop working alongside a reluctant and hesitant rookie. This one is a classic.
February 2nd: Lean On Me
This classic film starring Morgan Freeman as the no-nonsense Principal Joe Clark is a good follow-up after Denzel in Training Day. Freeman will have you wishing you had a principal like him to keep you in line back in the day.
February 3rd: Boyz N Da Hood
The mother of black hood films, Boyz N Da Hood is a film that this list would not be complete without. Watch (for the hundredth time probably) as Tre, Doughboy, and Ricky face daily struggles living in the rough streets of South Central, LA.
February 4th: Harlem Nights
In this film we get to see the hilarious Eddie Murphy alongside Richard Pryor, Redd Fox, and Della Reese as they run a nightclub in 1930s Harlem and face drama and competition with both New York Gangsters and New York Police as well. It surprises me that many people haven’t seen this film – I was lucky to be introduced to it at a young age (despite it not being age appropriate)!
February 5th: School Daze
If you didn’t have the opportunity to go to an HBCU, now is your chance to experience life at one! Watch as the students at Mission College struggle with black identity, sexuality, manhood, and other themes in this Spike Lee directed film.
February 6th: Selma
While it’s still in theaters, go see the latest Civil Rights Movement movie Selma which chronicles the struggle for equal black suffrage in 1965. It is a moving film with themes that resonate in America today.
February 7th: Dreamgirls
This Broadway adaptation starring names like Beyoncé, Eddie Murphy, and Jamie Foxx is a must-see for those particularly interested in music. Follow the career of the Supremes under Motown Records and watch Jennifer Hudson out-act Beyoncé in this film directed by Bill Condon.
February 8th: For Colored Girls
Get ready to grab your Kleenex. Today, this Tyler Perry film about the lives and struggles of nine colored girls will send you on an emotional roller coaster.
February 9th: Do The Right Thing
Watch how racial tensions between blacks and whites come to a head in Brooklyn in this Spike Lee film that is still culturally significant today.
February 10th: Set it Off
Probably one of the most gangsta films to date, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Jada Pinkett pull out all the stops on the chase for those Benjamins. Warning: Watching this film may lead to thoughts of bank robbery – Don’t do it.
February 11th: X
TODAY – A MOVIE THAT DESERVED AN OSCAR. Watch as Denzel Washington embodies Malcolm X, to a T. In a MLK-ruled world, get a glimpse of the more radical side of the Civil Rights Movement – also watch as Denzel debunks many of the myths surrounding Malcolm X in the film.
February 12th: The Best Man
This movie is probably your mother’s favorite. As Valentine’s Day approaches, cuddle up with that special someone and watch the classic black film where friends get together to celebrate that very special moment – marriage.
February 13th: Brown Sugar
Another one for the lovers, Brown Sugar is about childhood friends who share not only a love for Hip-Hop, but a love for each other as well. Watch Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs get all mushy and romantic in this lovers’ favorite.
February 14th: Love Jones
(This is one of MY mother’s favorites) On this day for lovers, Love Jones is the perfect film to watch. Larenz Tate and Nia Long display a genuine and loving relationship, with the romantic element of poetry added.
February 15th: Love & Basketball
I bet you were surprised when this wasn’t the choice for Valentine’s Day! It was a tough choice but end your Valentine’s Day extravaganza with the classic black love story, Love & Basketball. If you’re like me, this is the one film you can recite word for word. Watching it one more time won’t hurt.
February 16th: A Low Down Dirty Shame
This movie starring Keenon Ivory Wayans and Jada Pinkett is the epitome of a 90s film and it will keep you laughing, just like the Wayans family always does.
February 17th: Don’t Be A Menace…
Another Wayans Brothers creation, Don’t Be A Menace… is purely for laughs. If you haven’t seen this film, do yourself a favor and get in. It’s a spoof of a myriad of hood films, most notably Boyz N Da Hood.
February 18th: House Party
Nothing like a good ol’ HOUSE PARTY! Take a trip back to 1990 and see how House Parties used to be – before iPhones, Snapchat, and before party shootings were a common thing. This film has many familiar faces like Kid N Play, Martin Lawrence, and Tisha Campbell.
February 19th: Life
Life is a hilarious film starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence as two unlikely friends who find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and end up serving life in prison. Watch their friendship grow over 60+ years and be prepared to laugh as the jokes are non-stop with this dynamic duo!
February 20th: Friday
TGIF. Kick back and enjoy as Craig and Smokey pussyfoot around the hood and get into all sorts of shenanigans on one long Friday.
February 21st: Why Do Fools Fall in Love?
This is a classic and one of my personal faves. Watch as 3 women (Vivica A. Fox, Halle Berry, Lela Rochon) battle in court over the late doo-wop singer Frankie Lymon (who was married to them at concurring times) and the rights to his fortune. Who will come out on top? Did I mention this is a true story?
February 22nd: The Help
In The Help Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer star as maids for white families during the Civil Rights era. The film sheds a lot of light on the racism of the time, and the inferior status of those essential blacks referred to as “The Help.”
February 23rd: Eve’s Bayou
In Eve’s Bayou watch as the Batiste family deals with generational lies and secrets in the small town of Eve’s bayou. Watch Samuel L. Jackson, Meagan Good, and Lynn Whitfield in this film about life in creole Louisiana.
February 24th: Baby Boy
Baby Boy is another one of those hood classics that you find on BET at least once a month. Nevertheless, make time for it today. Watch Tyrese and Taraji P. Henson appear in their first roles as Jody (Tyrese) lives and learns in the hood of LA.
February 25th: Coming to America
Eddie Murphy stars in Coming to America in another hilarious role about an African prince who comes to America in search of a wife. Enjoy the American hijinks of Eddie Murphy as Prince Akeem and Arsenio Hall as his sidekick Semmi.
February 26th: The Wood
LA seems to be a common destination for hood films. In The Wood, 3 childhood friends from IngleWOOD, LA get together as grown men for one of their weddings, and the reunion takes (several) surprising turns. The trio of friends is a perfect lineup, and this film gives a feeling of brotherhood and will immediately remind the guys of themselves and their closest friends.
February 27th: Next Friday
For the last Friday of the month, enjoy the sequel to the unforgettable Friday, this time with Mike Epps playing Ice Cube’s sidekick rather than Chris Tucker. Some say this one is not as funny as the original but it definitely has it’s kicks – you be the judge.
February 28th: The Wiz
The Grand Finale! For the final day of Black Movies Month, grace your screens and your brains with the excellence that is The Wiz. For those unfamiliar, The Wiz is the black version of The Wizard of Oz. It stars Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Lena Horne. Get you some culture! The perfect ending to Black History Month.