Great Movies with a Black Female Lead
by tizaki | created - 08 Oct 2022 | updated - 3 weeks ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Shape of Water (2017)
R | 123 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.
Director: Guillermo del Toro | Stars: Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Doug Jones
Votes: 447,897 | Gross: $63.86M
2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
PG-13 | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
The Guardians struggle to keep together as a team while dealing with their personal family issues, notably Star-Lord's encounter with his father, the ambitious celestial being Ego.
Director: James Gunn | Stars: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel
Votes: 760,226 | Gross: $389.81M
3. East New York (2022–2023)
TV-14 | 44 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Police procedural following Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood and her diverse team in East New York's 74th Precinct.
Stars: Amanda Warren, Kevin Rankin, Richard Kind, Elizabeth Rodriguez
Votes: 3,726
4. Stargirl (2020–2022)
TV-PG | 45 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
Teenager Courtney Whitmore joins the Justice Society of America. Based on the character from DC Comics.
Stars: Brec Bassinger, Trae Romano, Amy Smart, Luke Wilson
Votes: 20,641
5. I Hate You (2022)
22 min | Comedy
Two flatmates in their 20s and their messy friendship. Becca and Charlie live together, enjoy pranking each other and don't much like their jobs; to escape their present relationships, both girls start dating men in their seventies
Stars: Tanya Reynolds, Melissa Saint, Jonny Sweet, Shaquille Ali-Yebuah
Votes: 236
6. Whose Line Is It Anyway? (2013–2024)
TV-PG | 22 min | Comedy, Game-Show
Aisha Tyler hosts this skit comedy show where the actors on the show, usually Wayne Brady, Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles and another guest star or two do different comedy skits. It's all improv and made up on the spot.
Stars: Colin Mochrie, Aisha Tyler, Ryan Stiles, Wayne Brady
Votes: 9,676
7. Antebellum (2020)
R | 105 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Successful author Veronica Henley finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it's too late.
Directors: Gerard Bush, Christopher Renz | Stars: Janelle Monáe, Eric Lange, Jena Malone, Jack Huston
Votes: 29,833
8. Aisha (I) (2022)
94 min | Drama
While caught for years in Ireland's immigration system Aisha Osagie develops a close friendship with former prisoner Conor Healy. This friendship soon looks to be short lived as Aisha's future in Ireland comes under threat.
Director: Frank Berry | Stars: Letitia Wright, Josh O'Connor, Lorcan Cranitch, Denis Conway
Votes: 771
9. Firefly (2002–2003)
TV-14 | 45 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
Five hundred years in the future, a renegade crew aboard a small spacecraft tries to survive as they travel the unknown parts of the galaxy and evade warring factions as well as authority agents out to get them.
Stars: Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin
Votes: 281,857
10. Till (I) (2022)
PG-13 | 130 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
In 1955, after Emmett Till is murdered in a brutal lynching, his mother vows to expose the racism behind the attack while working to have those involved brought to justice.
Director: Chinonye Chukwu | Stars: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett
Votes: 15,245
11. The Woman King (2022)
PG-13 | 135 min | Action, Drama, History
A 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.
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood | Stars: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim
Votes: 73,244 | Gross: $67.33M
12. The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022)
TV-MA | 30 min | Comedy, Drama
As relationships evolve and past grievances resurface in the unpredictable stages of midlife crisis meets midlife renaissance.
Stars: Morris Chestnut, Melissa De Sousa, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard
Votes: 2,305
13. Shrinking (2023– )
TV-MA | 33 min | Comedy, Drama
A grieving therapist starts to tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge changes to people's lives - including his own.
Stars: Jason Segel, Jessica Williams, Harrison Ford, Luke Tennie
Votes: 69,866
14. Sharper (2023)
R | 116 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Motivations are suspect and expectations are turned to chaos as a con artist takes on Manhattan billionaires.
Director: Benjamin Caron | Stars: Julianne Moore, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, Briana Middleton
Votes: 30,657
15. Hello Tomorrow! (2023)
TV-MA | 31 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
In a retro-futuristic world, charismatic salesman Jack Billings leads a team of fellow sales associates determined to revitalize their customers' lives by hawking timeshares on the moon.
Stars: Billy Crudup, Haneefah Wood, Alison Pill, Nicholas Podany
Votes: 6,203
16. The Inspection (2022)
R | 95 min | Drama
A young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside.
Director: Elegance Bratton | Stars: Jeremy Pope, Gabrielle Union, Bokeem Woodbine, Raúl Castillo
Votes: 4,887
17. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
PG-13 | 161 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The people of Wakanda fight to protect their home from intervening world powers as they mourn the death of King T'Challa.
Director: Ryan Coogler | Stars: Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke
Votes: 306,003 | Gross: $453.72M
18. Let the Right One In (2022)
TV-MA | 53 min | Drama, Horror
Follows a 12-year-old girl who lives a closed-in life after turning into a vampire, only able to go out at night. Her father does his best to provide her with the minimal amount of human blood she needs to stay alive.
Stars: Demián Bichir, Anika Noni Rose, Grace Gummer, Madison Taylor Baez
Votes: 5,826
19. Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Brilliant but disgraced detective John Luther breaks out of prison to hunt down a sadistic serial killer who is terrorising London.
Director: Jamie Payne | Stars: Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis, Dermot Crowley
Votes: 64,329
20. Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)
TV-MA | 46 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Follow-up series to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) that centers on Jean-Luc Picard in the next chapter of his life.
Stars: Patrick Stewart, Michelle Hurd, Jeri Ryan, Alison Pill
Votes: 94,801
21. Rye Lane (2023)
R | 82 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Two youngsters reeling from bad breakups connect over an eventful day in South London.
Director: Raine Allen-Miller | Stars: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah, Poppy Allen-Quarmby, Charlie Knight
Votes: 12,767
22. A Thousand and One (2023)
R | 117 min | Crime, Drama
After unapologetic and fiercely loyal Inez kidnaps her son Terry from the foster care system, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.
Director: A.V. Rockwell | Stars: Teyana Taylor, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney, Josiah Cross
Votes: 6,957
23. Big George Foreman (2023)
PG-13 | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Fueled by an impoverished childhood, George Foreman channeled his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that took him from the boxing ring to the pulpit.
Director: George Tillman Jr. | Stars: Khris Davis, Jasmine Mathews, Sullivan Jones, Lawrence Gilliard Jr.
Votes: 8,795
24. Surrounded (2023)
R | 100 min | Drama, Western
Former Buffalo Soldier Mo Washington travels West to lay claim on a gold mine. After her stagecoach is ambushed, Mo is tasked with holding a dangerous outlaw captive and must survive the day when the bandit's gang tries to free him.
Director: Anthony Mandler | Stars: Letitia Wright, Jamie Bell, Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Kenneth Williams
Votes: 2,086
25. The Perfect Find (2023)
TV-MA | 99 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After a high-profile firing, Jenna's fashion career comeback hits a snag when she falls for a charming, much younger coworker - who happens to be her boss's son. As sparks fly, Jenna must decide if she'll risk it all on a secret romance.
Director: Numa Perrier | Stars: Gabrielle Union, Keith Powers, Gina Torres, La La Anthony
Votes: 3,131
26. Dreaming Whilst Black (2023)
TV-MA | 26 min | Comedy, Drama
Kwabena is an aspiring filmmaker trapped in his recruitment job. When he is given the opportunity he's always dreamed of, is he brave enough to chase it?
Stars: Adjani Salmon, Dani Moseley, Rachel Adedeji, Babirye Bukilwa
Votes: 626
27. Fences (2016)
PG-13 | 139 min | Drama
A working-class African-American father tries to raise his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms with the events of his life.
Director: Denzel Washington | Stars: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jovan Adepo
Votes: 118,129 | Gross: $57.68M
28. Three Little Birds (2023)
TV-MA | Drama
A life-affirming drama, written by Sir Lenny Henry inspired by his mother's stories about leaving Jamaica in the 1950s for Great Britain. Follows sisters Leah and Chantrelle and their friend Hosanna starting a new life in England.
Stars: Rochelle Neil, Yazmin Belo, Saffron Coomber, Javone Prince
Votes: 668
29. Culprits (2023– )
TV-MA | Action, Comedy, Crime
After a heist, the crew have gone their separate ways, but now, they are being targeted by a killer one-by-one.
Stars: Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Kirby, Kevin Vidal, Ned Dennehy
Votes: 3,418
30. The Purge: Anarchy (2014)
R | 103 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Three groups of people intertwine and are left stranded in the streets on Purge Night, trying to survive the chaos and violence that occurs.
Director: James DeMonaco | Stars: Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez
Votes: 162,369 | Gross: $71.96M
31. The Preacher's Wife (1996)
PG | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
An angel comes to Earth to help a preacher save his church and his family.
Director: Penny Marshall | Stars: Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Courtney B. Vance, Gregory Hines
Votes: 13,739 | Gross: $48.10M
32. Stamped from the Beginning (2023)
R | 91 min | Documentary
A hybrid documentary/scripted feature based on Dr. Kendi's National Book Award-winning "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas".
Director: Roger Ross Williams | Stars: John Toon, Angela Davis, Lynae Vanee, Rafa Marinho
Votes: 1,232
33. The Holdovers (2023)
R | 133 min | Comedy, Drama
A cranky history teacher at a prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a grieving cook and a troubled student who has no place to go.
Director: Alexander Payne | Stars: Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Carrie Preston
Votes: 140,447
34. Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
PG-13 | 133 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
When a peaceful settlement on the edge of a distant moon finds itself threatened by a tyrannical ruling force, a stranger living among its villagers becomes their best hope for survival.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman
Votes: 116,906
35. All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023)
PG | 92 min | Drama
A decades-spanning exploration of a woman's life in Mississippi and an ode to the generations of people, places, and ineffable moments that shape us.
Director: Raven Jackson | Stars: Kaylee Nicole Johnson, Chris Chalk, Jayah Henry, Sheila Atim
Votes: 992
36. Criminal Record (2024– )
TV-MA | 50 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Follows two brilliant detectives in a tug of war over a historic murder conviction and the quest to find common ground in a polarized Britain.
Stars: Peter Capaldi, Cush Jumbo, Aysha Kala, Dionne Brown
Votes: 9,376
37. Truelove (2024– )
43 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
A group of old friends reunited at a funeral make a drunken pact. Rather than let each other suffer a slow and painful decline they would engineer a dignified death. But what starts out as a fanciful idea soon morphs into shocking reality.
Stars: Lindsay Duncan, Clarke Peters, Peter Egan, Fiona Button
Votes: 727
38.
SparkShorts (2018–2024)
Episode:
Self
(2024)
PG | 6 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A wooden puppet who desperately wants to fit in makes an ill-fated wish upon a star, sparking a journey of self-discovery.
Director: Searit Huluf | Star: Searit Huluf
Votes: 518
39. Suncoast (2024)
R | 109 min | Drama
While caring for her brother along with her audacious mother, a teenager strikes up a friendship with an eccentric activist who is protesting one of the most landmark medical cases of all time.
Director: Laura Chinn | Stars: Nico Parker, Laura Linney, Woody Harrelson, Daniella Taylor
Votes: 5,155
40. Kokomo City (2023)
R | 73 min | Documentary
A raw depiction of the lives of four black trans sex workers as they confront the dichotomy between the black community and themselves.
Director: D. Smith | Stars: Daniella Carter, Dominique Silver, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell
Votes: 984
41. Wild Cards (2024– )
TV-14 | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A spirited con woman and a demoted by-the-book detective are given the chance to redeem themselves. The catch? They have to find a way to work together each using their unique skills to solve crimes.
Stars: Vanessa Morgan, Giacomo Gianniotti, Terry Chen, Michael Xavier
Votes: 1,705
42. Shirley (2024)
PG-13 | 117 min | Biography, Drama, History
Shirley Chisholm makes a trailblazing run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination after becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress.
Director: John Ridley | Stars: Regina King, Lance Reddick, Terrence Howard, Lucas Hedges
Votes: 2,108
43. Origin (2023)
PG-13 | 141 min | Drama, History
The unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.
Director: Ava DuVernay | Stars: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash, Emily Yancy
Votes: 4,368
44. A Bit of Light (2022)
98 min | Drama
Ella, at almost forty, is forced to move back in with her father Alan. She's trying to stay sober having temporarily given up custody of her young daughters to her ex-husband Joseph and his new partner Bethan.
Director: Stephen Moyer | Stars: Pippa Bennett-Warner, Rebecca Callard, Tim Cullingworth-Hudson, Luca Hogan
Votes: 226
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