Movies About Black History On Netflix

From Frank Darabont, starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler
Rated R

The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 American drama film written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The film stars Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman as two imprisoned men, Andy Dufresne and Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding, who form a deep friendship over their 19-year stay at Shawshank State Penitentiary. The story follows Andy, a former banker wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. After arriving at Shawshank, he finds friendship with Red, a long-time inmate and smuggler. Red is eventually able to provide Andy with tools and materials to make a hidden rock hammer, which he uses to escape the prison. The film follows Andy after his escape, as he embarks on a journey of redemption and freedom. Along the way, he faces a variety of obstacles and risks his life in order to prove his innocence to the world. The film ultimately culminates in an emotional and uplifting climax, which serves as a testament to the power of friendship, determination and hope.

From Francis Ford Coppola, starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton
Rated R

The Godfather is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo. The film stars Marlon Brando and Al Pacino as the leaders of the Corleone family, a powerful New York Mafia family. After the family patriarch, Vito Corleone (Brando), dies, the succession of his son Michael (Pacino) as head of the family is met with opposition from the other members of the family. Michael takes measures to maintain control of the family, while trying to keep the business legitimate. Meanwhile, outside forces attempt to muscle in on the Corleones' criminal activities. The film features a number of memorable scenes, such as the death of Don Vito, Michael's speeches, and the baptism scene. The Godfather was a critical and commercial success, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture and becoming the highest-grossing film of 1972. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.

From Francis Ford Coppola, starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton
Rated R

The Godfather Part II is a 1974 American crime epic directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Robert Duvall, and John Cazale. It is a sequel to the 1972 crime classic The Godfather and chronicles the rise of Michael Corleone (Pacino) to the pinnacle of the criminal underworld and his struggle to protect his family. The film follows the story of Michael's ascension to power and his attempts to legitimize the Corleone crime family. The story also follows Michael's father Vito Corleone (De Niro) as he rises from an Italian immigrant to a powerful New York City mob boss. The film also features flashbacks to Vito's past and his involvement in organized crime in his native Sicily. The Godfather Part II is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made and was the first sequel to ever win the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film's themes of family, loyalty, and power remain timeless, and it continues to be an influential and provocative piece of cinema.

From Martin Scorsese, starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Rated R

Goodfellas is a classic gangster film directed by Martin Scorsese and released in 1990. It follows the story of Henry Hill and his life in the mob from 1955 to 1980. The film chronicles his rise through the ranks of the mafia, as he and his friends become involved in organized crime. Along the way, they encounter violence, greed, and betrayal, ultimately leading to a violent downfall. The film stars Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino, and Frank Vincent. It is considered one of the best films of the 1990s and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. The film also won a number of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Joe Pesci.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns
Rated R

"Saving Private Ryan" is a 1998 World War II movie directed by Steven Spielberg. The film follows a group of US Army Rangers led by Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) as they search for a missing paratrooper, Private James Ryan (Matt Damon). The mission is to find Private Ryan and bring him home, while at the same time fighting against the Nazi forces in Europe. Along the way the team faces dangers, moral dilemmas, and deep personal sacrifices. With intense battle scenes and a powerful soundtrack, "Saving Private Ryan" is an emotional and gripping story of courage, honor and duty.

From Robert Mulligan, starring Gregory Peck, John Megna, Frank Overton, Rosemary Murphy
Rated Approved

To Kill a Mockingbird is a 1962 American drama film directed by Robert Mulligan. It is based on Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The film stars Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era deep south who defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge. He and his children—Scout (Mary Badham) and Jem (Phillip Alford)—are affected by the events of the trial. The film explores themes of racial injustice, courage, and compassion. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest films of all time.

From Steve McQueen, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt
Rated R

12 Years a Slave (2013) is a historical drama film by director Steve McQueen that tells the true story of Solomon Northup, a free African American man from Saratoga, New York, who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War United States. Through Solomon's struggles for survival and freedom, the movie powerfully portrays the horrific realities of the slave experience in America. Despite the odds, Solomon eventually finds a way to free himself and return to his family. The film received critical acclaim, and won three Academy Awards including Best Picture.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen
Rated PG-13

Catch Me If You Can follows the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), a precocious and daring young con artist and impostor who successfully passed himself off as a pilot, a lawyer, and a doctor all before his 21st birthday. With the help of FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), Frank is eventually captured and put in prison. After his release, he goes to work for the FBI in an effort to help them catch other con artists. Along the way, Frank learns the importance of having a moral compass and the power of second chances.

From Norman Jewison, starring Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon
Rated G

Fiddler on the Roof is a 1971 musical film directed by Norman Jewison, based on the stage musical of the same name. Set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, the film tells the story of Tevye (Chaim Topol), a Jewish peasant who is trying to maintain his Jewish religious and cultural traditions as outside influences encroach upon the family's lives. Tevye is faced with difficult decisions as he struggles to preserve his family's traditions in the face of a changing society and the rising anti-Semitism of the Russian government. With the guidance of his wise and loving wife, Golde (Norma Crane), as well as his three eldest daughters, Tevye is forced to make difficult choices between his obligations to his faith and his love for his family. The film features beloved songs such as "Tradition", "If I Were a Rich Man", and "Sunrise, Sunset".

From Brian De Palma, starring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, Charles Martin Smith
Rated R

The Untouchables is a 1987 crime drama directed by Brian De Palma and starring Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, and Andy Garcia. The film takes place in 1930s Chicago and follows Eliot Ness, a special agent for the Treasury Department, as he attempts to bring down notorious gangster Al Capone. With the help of a team of law enforcement officers, Ness attempts to use unorthodox methods to expose Capone's illegal activities and put him behind bars. The film is full of intense action sequences, thrilling twists and turns, and an unforgettable performance by Sean Connery as Ness's mentor, Jimmy Malone. Despite the hindrances placed by Capone's henchmen and the city's corrupt politicians, Ness and his team persevere and eventually succeed in putting the gangster away.

From Quentin Tarantino, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins
Rated R

The Hateful Eight is a 2015 American western mystery film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. The film follows the gradually revealed backstory of eight strangers who come together at a stagecoach stopover in Wyoming during a blizzard. The story revolves around a bounty hunter (Kurt Russell), his prisoner (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and a group of other travelers who are stranded at a stagecoach stop, Minnie's Haberdashery, along with a hangman (Walton Goggins), a cowboy (Samuel L. Jackson), a Confederate General (Bruce Dern), a Mexican (Demian Bichir), a former Union soldier (Tim Roth), and a cow-puncher (Michael Madsen). As the story progresses, secrets are slowly revealed about each of the characters, leading to a violent and tense climax.

From Mark Herman, starring Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, Rupert Friend, Zac Mattoon O'Brien
Rated PG-13

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a 2008 drama film directed by Mark Herman. The film is set during the Holocaust and tells the story of two eight-year-old boys: Bruno, the son of a Nazi commandant, and Shmuel, a Jewish inmate in a concentration camp. Through the barbed wire fence, Bruno and Shmuel develop a friendship, while Bruno's father is responsible for the atrocities in the camp. As the friendship between the boys develops, the reality of the Holocaust becomes more and more real to Bruno, who is forced to confront his own beliefs. Ultimately, the film is a tragic story of innocence lost and of the consequences of extreme prejudice and hatred.

From James Marsh, starring Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Tom Prior, Sophie Perry
Rated PG-13

The Theory of Everything is a 2014 biographical drama film directed by James Marsh and adapted from the memoir of the same name by Jane Hawking. The film stars Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist and cosmologist, and tells the story of his life and academic career, relationship with his first wife Jane Wilde, and his battle with motor neuron disease. The film follows Hawking's early life, focusing on his college years at Cambridge University, where he meets and falls in love with fellow student Jane. After his diagnosis of ALS, a rare form of motor neuron disease, Hawking is told he has only two years to live. Despite this, Hawking perseveres and eventually goes on to become one of the most esteemed physicists of his time. The film details Hawking's successes in his career, as well as his marriage to Jane, the struggles of their relationship, and the eventual breakup of their marriage due to the demands of his career. It also explores Hawking's continued battle with his illness, his groundbreaking work in the field of physics, and his newfound relationship with his nurse, Elaine Mason.

From Neil Burger, starring Edward Norton, Jessica Biel, Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell
Rated PG-13

The Illusionist is a 2006 American romantic mystery film written and directed by Neil Burger and starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, and Jessica Biel. Set in Vienna in 1900, the film tells the story of Eisenheim, a magician who uses his illusions to avenge the death of his beloved. Eisenheim meets a beautiful aristocrat, Sophie von Teschen, and the two fall in love. When Sophie's intended fiancé, Crown Prince Leopold, discovers their relationship, he orders Eisenheim's arrest. To protect Sophie, Eisenheim stages an illusion that reveals Leopold's unscrupulous plans. Eisenheim's performances are so impressive that the chief inspector, Uhl, is hired to investigate. Uhl discovers Eisenheim's past and confronts him. Uhl's investigation leads him to discover the truth behind Eisenheim's illusions and the death of his beloved. In a stunning finale, Eisenheim's illusions are revealed as powerful expressions of love, justice, and revenge. In the end, justice is served and Eisenheim and Sophie are reunited.

From Ron Davis, starring Harry DeLeyer, Harriet DeLeyer, Andre DeLeyer, Marty DeLeyer
Rated Not Rated

"Harry & Snowman" is a 2015 documentary film directed by Ron Davis, which tells the story of Dutch immigrant and former plow horse Harry deLeyer and his beloved Snowman, the show jumper he rescued from a Pennsylvania auction in 1956. Through archival footage and interviews, the film chronicles their journey together, showing how Harry transformed Snowman from an ignored, mistreated plow horse to a champion show jumper who won the triple crown of show jumping—the American Horse Shows Association Horse of the Year, the National Horse Show, and the National Horse Show Grand Prix—in 1958. Along the way, Harry becomes a beloved horse trainer and adopts the values of honesty and hard work, which made his and Snowman’s story one of determination and friendship.

From Directors: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise, starring Natalie Wood, George Chakiris, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn
Rated Approved

West Side Story is a classic musical directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise in 1961. Based on the Broadway musical of the same name, the film follows the rivalry between two teenage gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, set in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the mid 1950s. The Jets are a white working-class gang and the Sharks are a Puerto Rican immigrant gang. Conflict arises when Tony, a former Jet and the Sharks' leader Bernardo's sister Maria fall in love. The musical is filled with thrilling musical numbers, dynamic choreography, and powerful performances. In the end, Tony and Maria's love shapes the destiny of two rival gangs in a tragic finale. West Side Story is a timeless classic that has been adapted for film, stage and television.

From Stephen Daldry, starring Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Stephen Dillane
Rated PG-13

The Hours is a 2002 drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and based on the novel of the same name by Michael Cunningham. The film follows three women of different generations whose lives are interconnected by Virginia Woolf's novel Mrs. Dalloway. In 1923, Woolf begins writing the novel in her London home and struggles with feelings of depression and isolation. In 1951, Laura Brown, a housewife in California, is pregnant and unsatisfied with her life. She finds solace by reading Mrs. Dalloway and begins to question her choices of the past. In 2001, New Yorker Clarissa Vaughan is planning a party for her longtime friend and former lover, Richard, who is dying of AIDS. As the three women's stories unfold, their lives are revealed to be connected in unexpected ways. The Hours explores the effects of time, creativity, and relationships on the human spirit.

From Richard Attenborough, starring Sean Connery, Ryan O'Neal, Michael Caine, Laurence Olivier
Rated PG

From Dee Rees, starring Jason Mitchell, Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige
Rated R

From Bennett Miller, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clifton Collins Jr., Catherine Keener, Allie Mickelson
Rated R

From Simon Curtis, starring Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Brühl, Katie Holmes
Rated PG-13

From Sean Ellis, starring Jamie Dornan, Cillian Murphy, Brian Caspe, Karel Hermánek Jr.
Rated R

From Angelina Jolie, starring Jack O'Connell, Miyavi, Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund
Rated PG-13

From Randal Kleiser, starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Jeff Conaway
Rated PG

From Edward Zwick, starring Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos
Rated R