In the ever-evolving landscape of cinema, 2024 promises a captivating array of films helmed by talented Black directors. This curated list showcases films that not only reflect the diversity of storytelling but also underscore the significant contributions of Black directors to the industry. From thought-provoking dramas to exhilarating adventures, each film encapsulates a unique narrative perspective, illuminating the rich tapestry of Black storytelling in Hollywood. Join us on a cinematic journey as we celebrate the artistic brilliance and cultural impact of these groundbreaking movies set to shape the cinematic landscape in 2024.
READ: 31 New Holiday Movies Releasing in 2023 With Black Leads
Check back as we’ll update this as new movies are released.
Shirley
In 1972, the first-ever Black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, launched a trailblazing campaign to become the president of the United States.
Director: John Ridley
Writer: John Ridley
Cast: Regina King, Lance Reddick, Lucas Hedges, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Christina Jackson, Michael Cherrie, André Holland, Terrence Howard
Bob Marley: One Love
Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Writer: Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers, Zach Baylin, Reinaldo Marcus Green
Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James Norton
The American Society of Magical Negroes
A young man gets recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to making white people’s lives easier. Although initially enamored with his new powers, he begins to question the value of using supernatural means to do the very thing he’s felt obligated to do his whole life.
Director: Kobi Libii
Writer: Kobi Libii
Cast: Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan
Suncoast
A semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story about a young woman dealing with her brother’s serious illness and forming an unusual friendship with an eccentric activist.
Director: Laura Chinn
Writer: Laura Chinn
Cast: Nico Parker, Laura Linney, Woody Harrelson
Outlaw Posse
1908. Chief returns from years of hiding in Mexico to claim stolen reparations gold hidden in the hills of Montana but is chased by Angel, whose rationale to the gold leaves a trail of dead bodies.
Director: Mario Van Peebles
Writer: Mario Van Peebles
Cast: Mario Van Peebles, D.C. Young Fly, Mandela Van Peebles, Amber Reign Smith, Allen Payne, Cedric the Entertainer, Whoopi Goldberg
Kemba
The film follows criminal justice reform advocate Kemba Smith, a woman charged as a co-conspirator to her college boyfriend’s drug-trafficking crimes and sentenced to 24.5 years in federal prison with no opportunity for parole.
Director: Kelley Kali
Writer: Christine Swanson
Cast: Nesta Cooper, Sean Patrick Thomas, Michelle Hurd, Andrea Laing, Siddiq Saunderson, Kelsey Scott, Stephen Ruffin, Elvire Emanuelle, June Carryl, Ashley Denise Robinson
Da ‘Partments
Exploring the fine line between the everyday struggles of the underprivileged and the enchantment hidden within an apartment complex.
Director: T.I.
Cast: Tyler Chronicles, Ronnie Jordan, Erica Duchess, Charles King, Jay Ski, Good Game
Bob Marley: One Love
Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Writer: Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers, Zach Baylin
Cast: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch
A Soweto Love Story
Desperate for her three single sons to get married, a woman promises her house to the first one to tie the knot, setting off a race to the altar.
Director: Rolie Nikiwe
Writer:
Cast: Lunga Shabalala, Duduzile Ngcobo, Sparky Xulu, Didintle Khunou, N’kone Mametja
Origin
Grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, writer Isabel Wilkerson sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery as she writes Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.
Director: Ava Duvernay
Writer: Ava DuVernay Based on Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Cast:Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Niecy Nash-Betts, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood and more
The Book of Clarence
A down-on-his-luck man struggles to find a better life for his family while fighting to free himself of debt. Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah, he risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, ultimately discovering that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out.
Director: Jeymes Samuel
Writer: Jeymes Samuel
Cast:LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Micheal Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch
Lift
A master thief is wooed by his ex-girlfriend and the FBI to pull off an impossible heist with his international crew on a 777 passenger flight from London to Zurich.
Director: F. Gary Gray
Writer: Keith Bunin, Justin Hillian
Cast: Kevin Hart, Jacob Batalon, Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Mea Culpa
A criminal defense attorney takes on the case of a seductive artist accused of murdering his girlfriend, but when burning desire takes hold, things get hot — and dangerous.
Director: Tyler Perry
Writer: Tyler Perry
Cast: Kelly Rowland, Trevante Rhodes, RonReaco Lee, Shannon Thornton, Nick Sagar, Sean Sagar
A Hip Hop Story
Hip Hop culture is in a crisis! A pioneer of the culture joins forces with a few of rap music’s elite performers to attempt to save Hip Hop. Exciting and hilarious, this film also offers relevant social commentary on the state of Hip Hop culture.
Director: Damaine Radcliff
Writer: Affion Crockett
Cast: Cedric the Entertainer, Damaine Radcliff, Jevin Smith, Damien Dante Wayans, Lil Rel Howery, Wayne Brady, Lil Mama, and Norm Nixon, Jr.
The Kitchen
The storyline unfolds in a near-future London where the wealth gap has been pushed to its limits, leaving only one remaining bastion of social housing—The Kitchen. In this desolate setting, we encounter Izi, portrayed by Kane Robinson (also known as Kano), a lone resident grappling with the necessity of staying, and 12-year-old Benji, played by newcomer Jedaiah Bannerman, on a quest to find family amid the societal collapse.
Director: Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya
Writer: Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya
Cast: Kane Robinson, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jnr, Ian Wright, BackRoad Gee, Cristale, Teija Kabs, and Demmy Ladipo
The Underdoggs
Jaycen Jennings, a former NFL superstar, agrees to coach a youth football team to avoid serving time in prison.
Director: Charles Stone III
Writer: Danny Segal, Isaac Schamis
Cast: Snoop Dogg, Tika Sumpter, Andrew Schulz, Mike Epps, Kal Penn, Kandi Burruss, George Lopez
Bosco
In 2006, Quawntay “Bosco” Adams plans an ingenious escape from a federal maximum-security prison for the chance to be at his first child’s birth.
Director: Nicholas Manuel Pino
Writer: Nicholas Manuel Pino, Daniel Yelovich
Cast: Aubrey Joseph, Nikki Blonsky, D.C. Young Fly,John Lewis, Theo Rossi, Thomas Jane, Tyrese Gibson, Vivica A. Fox
For What Its Worth
It follows Naomi Samuels, a successful physician who finds herself publicly humiliated and suddenly unemployed. Naomi reluctantly returns to her hometown to reconnect with the foster care siblings she’s neglected for years. Hopeful to regain control of her life, Naomi and her siblings face a challenge that takes them all over the edge.
Director: Courtney Arlett
Writer: LaJill Hunt
Cast: Patrice Covington, Leslie Black, Kevin Savage, Jared Wofford
My Valentine Wedding
Soon after getting engaged, Krystal finds her life flipped upside down when planning what should be the wedding of her dreams.
Director:Christopher Nolen
Writer: Cassandra Mann
Cast: Shaquita Smith, Travis Cure, Barton Fitzpatrick