Ten years prior, in 2016, in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Sha Battle took the necessary steps to lay the foundation for shining a light on the numerous contributions that Black women have given and continue to give to society, and to give the world Black Women’s History Month. While March is known for its focus on Women’s History Month, there was generally a greater push for white women in that timeframe. Dr. Battle provides a theme and focus every year to give us the breathing room to focus on overlooked contributions, and this year the theme is: “Sharing Our Stories, Honoring Our Legacies.”
Black women’s stories in film have had a long history of being the crutch to the betterment of white protagonists or falling down the slippery slope of trauma porn without context or reason. Black women deserve to, and are allowed to be, complex characters; whether that be by way of clutching your pearls, listening to Emma’s secret in The Drama (2026), or watching Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills command the screen and then leave us high and dry in One Battle After Another (2025).
So, let’s take a look at these ten films focusing on Black women’s stories, honoring the different types of Black women that we see in our lives, and honoring Black women’s legacies — whether the history books want to acknowledge it or not.
Set It Off (1996) dir. F. Gary Gray
It’s hard for me to talk about Black women and not mention my favorite movie of all time, Set It Off. This film focuses on four Black women in mid-1990s Los Angeles, not long after the Rodney King riots of 1992, and the socioeconomic struggles that they are facing. What better way to get the reparations they deserve after the world continues to be against them than to rob a bank (or a few)?
This film does a wonderful job of incorporating the various obstacles that Black women face, whether that be misogynoir, income, government systems that are supposed to help families rather than destroy them, or even sacrificing yourself for the betterment of your family. Cleo (Queen Latifah), Frankie (Vivica A. Fox), Stony (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Tisean (Kimberly Elise) will have you rooting for bank robbers like you never have before, and also have you crying an amount of tears that could break a Guinness World Record. After this movie, you’ll understand my plight with The Town (2010) and its undeserved recognition.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) dir. Doug Atchison
We are so rarely given a film about a young Black girl that isn’t wrapped in a blanket of sadness, but Akeelah and the Bee is the shining light in that darkness. A film that embraces the importance of community, education, family, and friendship, Akeelah (Keke Palmer) shows the world that you truly can do anything with the right support around you — even take on the Scripps National Spelling Bee. We are given the one-two punch of laughs and tears throughout the entire film, but always tears of joy and an overwhelming sense of pride.
Few things are as important to me as the community montage backed by the song “Wake Up Everybody” by Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes. What is extra special about this film is that while it is directed by a white man who was under pressure from studios to make Akeelah’s mentor a white person, Atchison understood the importance of seeing someone like yourself from your own community be in higher places and stood ten toes down on his decision. Now that is what we call an ally! With shining and memorable performances from Keke Palmer, Angela Bassett, and Laurence Fishburne, this will be a movie that sticks with you forever. As Derrick T (Eddie Steeples) says, “Kick his butt, Akeelah! B-U-T-T, butt!“
Nanny (2022) dir. Nikyatu Jusu
While this historic month was created by a Black-American woman, the intention behind Black Women’s History Month is to recognize Black Women around the world! Nanny focuses on a Senegalese woman named Aisha (Anna Diop) who takes a role as a nanny to a wealthy and white family comprised of Amy (Michelle Monaghan), Adam (Morgan Spector), and Rose (Rose Decker), in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, in hopes of being able to earn enough money to bring her son to the United States for a better life. This is a film rooted in the American Dream, but it takes a horrifying turn toward the truth about Black immigrants and relies on Senegalese folklore to amplify the narrative. This is an engaging opportunity to both satisfy your horror craving and get an introduction to Senegalese folklore!
A Thousand and One (2023) dir. A.V. Rockwell
Couldn’t get enough of Teyana Taylor in One Battle After Another? Check her out in A Thousand and One, a film that genuinely will tear your heart into pieces. Set in various boroughs of New York City, Inez (Taylor) and her son Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney, Josiah Cross) attempt to find their sense of home and connection in the face of an ever-changing and gentrified city, a system set up for failure, and complex motherhood where Inez meets the 4-way intersection of right, wrong, selfishness, and motherhood. An underrated film of 2023 during the year focused entirely too much on Barbenheimer.
Kokomo City (2023) dir. D. Smith
Kokomo City is a striking documentary centered on Black trans women and their journey through sex work and how that shows up in their lives. The film presents us with the hardships of trans women, amplified by the country’s aggressive policies and biases, doused in rich black and white cinematography that somehow simultaneously contrasts and complements devastating narratives.
Shortly after the documentary’s premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, one of the stars, Koko Da Doll, was a victim of gun violence and died on April 18, 2023. Her death reinforces the narrative within the documentary of the amplified violence that Black trans women are subject to in the face of hatred.
The Invitation (2022) dir. Jessica M. Thompson
A Black woman in a sexy vampire film? Sign me up. In The Invitation, Evie takes a DNA test to find a biological connection that she longs to have after growing up as an orphan. With one message from a long-lost cousin and a plane ticket in hand, Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) finds herself in the English countryside at a gorgeous, gothic, Victorian home. There she meets Walt (Thomas Doherty), the lord of the manor in which she is a guest for a wedding that gives her the glorious opportunity to meet her relatives. The film suffered at the hands of marketing that didn’t capitalize on the gothic romance angle and reveals a devastating amount of plot in the trailer — a fate many films succumb to today. This film will have you squealing from the sexual tension while also finding yourself trying to jump through the screen to give Evie a stern talking-to. She contains multitudes!
Hard Truths (2024) dir. Mike Leigh
One of my personal favorite situations of a director and their muse making magic is seeing Mike Leigh and Marianne Jean-Baptiste working together. In Hard Truths, we see the ultimate version of a complex character who deserves empathy and understanding regarding their decisions.
Pansy (Jean-Baptiste), a curt and nihilistic woman who lashes out at family and strangers alike, is trying to navigate the world while being a hurt and anxiety-riddled person who believes the world is against her. Her sister, Chantelle (Michele Austin), is set on showing her the grace she needs to know that it is not true. This heartfelt movie is my favorite project, as it explores the emotional changes in people and their relationships during the COVID-19 Pandemic. At the end of the day, everyone desires connection, but remembering the risk that comes with it is sometimes too much for those to bear.
One of Them Days (2025) dir. Lawrence Lamont
Easily the funniest movie on this list, One of Them Days is a buddy comedy with Keke Palmer and SZA that keeps us asking the question, “Damn, what else can go wrong?” The answer to that — it’s simply just one of them days.
Dreux (Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) are on a journey to get their rent money back after Alyssa’s man takes their money and blows it all. They meet many curious characters along their way around the city of Los Angeles, which at some points feels as though the city is a character itself. You’ll be in stitches from laughing too hard at many points throughout the film, and as the credits roll, you’ll wonder when a much-desired sequel will start its production.
Drylongso (1998) dir. Cauleen Smith
One of the most artsy films on this list, shot on 16mm and taking place in Oakland, California, Drylongso follows Pica (Toby Smith), a young photographer who is obsessed with photographing Black men because she fears that they will disappear. A loaded plotline that can be unpacked several times over between mass incarceration and police brutality, this film touches on a few key aspects of Black culture — spirituality, art, and connection. Easily one of the most moving films I’ve seen in recent years, and I will never find another like it.
Last Holiday (2006) dir. Wayne Wang
As mentioned in my bio, I make it my mission for everyone to know about this movie. It also makes the most sense for me to start and end this list the best way I know how — with Queen Latifah. In Last Holiday, we see Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) diagnosed with a terminal illness, and from there she gets a wake-up call — she has not been living the way she needs to. So she cashes out any bonds she had in her name and books a ticket from Louisiana to the Czech Republic to fulfill her Food Network home cook fantasy of being wine and dined at a restaurant led by Chef Didier (Gérard Depardieu).
This film has an angle of romance with her budding crush, Sean (LL Cool J), and comedy as Georgia finds the humor and love in life that she’s always searched for. While this film has great commentary on capitalism and healthcare, I think a bigger takeaway from this is that we deserve to live our lives to the fullest, and the hope audience members felt in the wake of Y2K fatphobia — a beautiful and busty Queen Latifah can get an equally hot and desired man, and no one questions it!
List Courtesy of Des Mack