Black Is… Black Ain’t (1994)

(6.1) based on 10 votes
African-American documentary filmmaker Marlon Riggs was working on this final film as he died from AIDS-related complications in 1994; he addresses the camera from his hospital bed in several scenes. The film directly addresses sexism and homophobia within the black community, with snippets of misogynistic and anti-gay slurs from popular hip-hop songs juxtaposed with interviews with African-American intellectuals and political theorists, including Cornel West, bell hooks and Angela Davis.
Directors
Release Date
Jun 01, 1994
Runtime
01h 27m
Genre
Available in streaming on

African-American documentary filmmaker Marlon Riggs was working on this final film as he died from AIDS-related complications in 1994; he addresses the camera from his hospital bed in several scenes. The film directly addresses sexism and homophobia within the black community, with snippets of misogynistic and anti-gay slurs from popular hip-hop songs juxtaposed with interviews with African-American intellectuals and political theorists, including Cornel West, bell hooks and Angela Davis.

Movies like Black Is… Black Ain’t

If Beale Street Could Talk

After her fiance is falsely imprisoned, a pregnant African-American woman sets out to clear his name and prove his innocence.
Search similar movies
6.9
If+Beale+Street+Could+Talk
If Beale Street Could Talk

2018

Search similar movies
Interstellar

The adventures of a group of explorers who make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
Search similar movies
8.5
Interstellar
Interstellar

2014

Search similar movies
Inside Out

When 11-year-old Riley moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.
Search similar movies
7.9
Inside+Out
Inside Out

2015

Search similar movies
The Irishman

Pennsylvania, 1956. Frank Sheeran, a war veteran of Irish origin who works as a truck driver, accidentally meets mobster Russell Bufalino. Once Frank becomes his trusted man, Bufalino sends him to Chicago with the task of helping Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful union leader related to organized crime, with whom Frank will maintain a close friendship for nearly twenty years.
Search similar movies
7.6
The+Irishman
The Irishman

2019

Search similar movies
The Favourite

England, early 18th century. The close relationship between Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill is threatened by the arrival of Sarah's cousin, Abigail Hill, resulting in a bitter rivalry between the two cousins to be the Queen's favourite.
Search similar movies
7.5
The+Favourite
The Favourite

2018

Search similar movies
Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares to do battle with the First Order.
Search similar movies
6.8
Star+Wars%3A+The+Last+Jedi
Star Wars: The Last Jedi

2017

Search similar movies
Parasite

All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
Search similar movies
8.5
Parasite
The Shape of Water

An other-worldly story, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962, where a mute janitor working at a lab falls in love with an amphibious man being held captive there and devises a plan to help him escape.
Search similar movies
7.2
The+Shape+of+Water
The Shape of Water

2017

Search similar movies
Inception

Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.
Search similar movies
8.4
Inception
Bird Box

Five years after an ominous unseen presence drives most of society to suicide, a survivor and her two children make a desperate bid to reach safety.
Search similar movies
6.8
Bird+Box
Guardians of the Galaxy

Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
Search similar movies
7.9
Guardians+of+the+Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy

2014

Search similar movies
Blade Runner 2049

Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
Search similar movies
7.6
Blade+Runner+2049
Blade Runner 2049

2017

Search similar movies
Incredibles 2

Elastigirl springs into action to save the day, while Mr. Incredible faces his greatest challenge yet – taking care of the problems of his three children.
Search similar movies
7.5
Incredibles+2
Incredibles 2

2018

Search similar movies
Whiplash

Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.
Search similar movies
8.4
Whiplash
Get Out

Chris and his girlfriend Rose go upstate to visit her parents for the weekend. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.
Search similar movies
7.6
Get+Out
The Dark Knight

Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.
Search similar movies
8.5
The+Dark+Knight
The Dark Knight

2008

Search similar movies
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Gellert Grindelwald has escaped imprisonment and has begun gathering followers to his cause—elevating wizards above all non-magical beings. The only one capable of putting a stop to him is the wizard he once called his closest friend, Albus Dumbledore. However, Dumbledore will need to seek help from the wizard who had thwarted Grindelwald once before, his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
Search similar movies
6.8
Fantastic+Beasts%3A+The+Crimes+of+Grindelwald
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

2018

Search similar movies
Venom

Investigative journalist Eddie Brock attempts a comeback following a scandal, but accidentally becomes the host of Venom, a violent, super powerful alien symbiote. Soon, he must rely on his newfound powers to protect the world from a shadowy organization looking for a symbiote of their own.
Search similar movies
6.8
Venom
A Star Is Born

Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer — until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.
Search similar movies
7.5
A+Star+Is+Born
A Star Is Born

2018

Search similar movies
Your Name.

High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other.
Search similar movies
8.5
Your+Name.
Your Name.

2016

Search similar movies
Insurgent

Beatrice Prior must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart.
Search similar movies
6.4
Insurgent
Cam

A young camgirl discovers that she’s inexplicably been replaced on her site with an exact replica of herself.
Search similar movies
5.8
Cam
Suicide Squad

From DC Comics comes the Suicide Squad, an antihero team of incarcerated supervillains who act as deniable assets for the United States government, undertaking high-risk black ops missions in exchange for commuted prison sentences.
Search similar movies
5.9
Suicide+Squad
Suicide Squad

2016

Search similar movies
Ocean's Eight

Debbie Ocean, a criminal mastermind, gathers a crew of female thieves to pull off the heist of the century at New York's annual Met Gala.
Search similar movies
7.0
Ocean%27s+Eight
Ocean's Eight

2018

Search similar movies
Captain Marvel

The story follows Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes when Earth is caught in the middle of a galactic war between two alien races. Set in the 1990s, Captain Marvel is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Search similar movies
6.8
Captain+Marvel
Captain Marvel

2019

Search similar movies
Portrait of a Lady on Fire

On an isolated island in Brittany at the end of the eighteenth century, a female painter is obliged to paint a wedding portrait of a young woman.
Search similar movies
8.1
Portrait+of+a+Lady+on+Fire
Portrait of a Lady on Fire

2019

Search similar movies
It

In a small town in Maine, seven children known as The Losers Club come face to face with life problems, bullies and a monster that takes the shape of a clown called Pennywise.
Search similar movies
7.2
It
Nocturnal Animals

Susan Morrow receives a book manuscript from her ex-husband – a man she left 20 years earlier – asking for her opinion of his writing. As she reads, she is drawn into the fictional life of Tony Hastings, a mathematics professor whose family vacation turns violent.
Search similar movies
7.4
Nocturnal+Animals
Nocturnal Animals

2016

Search similar movies
Mean Girls

Cady Heron is a hit with The Plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school, until she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron Samuels, the ex-boyfriend of alpha Plastic Regina George.
Search similar movies
7.2
Mean+Girls
Mean Girls

2004

Search similar movies
Hacksaw Ridge

WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Search similar movies
8.2
Hacksaw+Ridge
Hacksaw Ridge

2016

Search similar movies
Shazam!

A boy is given the ability to become an adult superhero in times of need with a single magic word.
Search similar movies
7.0
Shazam%21
Arrival

Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
Search similar movies
7.6
Arrival
Zootopia

Determined to prove herself, Officer Judy Hopps, the first bunny on Zootopia's police force, jumps at the chance to crack her first case - even if it means partnering with scam-artist fox Nick Wilde to solve the mystery.
Search similar movies
7.7
Zootopia
Beauty and the Beast

A live-action adaptation of Disney's version of the classic tale of a cursed prince and a beautiful young woman who helps him break the spell.
Search similar movies
7.0
Beauty+and+the+Beast
Beauty and the Beast

2017

Search similar movies
Her

In the not so distant future, Theodore, a lonely writer, purchases a newly developed operating system designed to meet the user's every need. To Theodore's surprise, a romantic relationship develops between him and his operating system. This unconventional love story blends science fiction and romance in a sweet tale that explores the nature of love and the ways that technology isolates and connects us all.
Search similar movies
7.9
Her
Captain America: Civil War

Following the events of Age of Ultron, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man or Captain America, which causes an epic battle between former allies.
Search similar movies
7.4
Captain+America%3A+Civil+War
Captain America: Civil War

2016

Search similar movies
Bad Boys for Life

Marcus and Mike are forced to confront new threats, career changes, and midlife crises as they join the newly created elite team AMMO of the Miami police department to take down the ruthless Armando Armas, the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel.
Search similar movies
7.1
Bad+Boys+for+Life
Bad Boys for Life

2020

Search similar movies
Coco

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.
Search similar movies
8.2
Coco
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill's true parentage.
Search similar movies
7.6
Guardians+of+the+Galaxy+Vol.+2
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

2017

Search similar movies
Justice League

Fuelled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince assemble a team of metahumans consisting of Barry Allen, Arthur Curry and Victor Stone to face the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and the Parademons who are on the hunt for three Mother Boxes on Earth.
Search similar movies
6.1
Justice+League
Justice League

2017

Search similar movies
The Legend of Glynn Turman

Actor Glynn Turman makes his Broadway debut at 12 years old in the original production of “A Raisin in the Sun” opposite Sidney Poitier and becomes a silver screen legend for six decades.
Search similar movies
The+Legend+of+Glynn+Turman
The Legend of Glynn Turman

2022

Search similar movies
South to Black Power

In his provocative 2021 book, The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto, New York Times opinion columnist Charles M. Blow calls for a “reverse Great Migration” of African Americans from the North back to the South to upend today’s political power structures while reclaiming the land and culture they left behind. South to Black Power does more than illustrate Blow’s enlightening ideas; we journey through Blow’s personal story, from his childhood in Louisiana to his role as father to young adult children in New York City, showing us the hard-won truths behind his vision for the future.
Search similar movies
6.0
South+to+Black+Power
South to Black Power

2023

Search similar movies
Affirmations

A look at what it's like to be gay and black in America.
Search similar movies
5.6
Affirmations
Affirmations

1990

Search similar movies
Michelle Obama: Life After the White House

Former First Lady Michelle Obama's story has just begun. The Obamas have remained quite busy with their new life of activism which includes their issue-oriented production company, Higher Ground, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2020. Mrs. Obama's autobiography, Becoming, has become the best-selling memoir of all time and even won a Grammy following the publication of her book. Get lost in the incredible journey of this modern-day First Lady's story in the making...
Search similar movies
Michelle+Obama%3A+Life+After+the+White+House
Michelle Obama: Life After the White House

2020

Search similar movies
George Clinton: Tales of Dr Funkenstein

Don Letts's hilarious and colourful profile of the godfather of funk, whose 50-year career has defined the genre. From his 1950s days running a doo-wop group out of the back of his barber store, through the madness of the monster Parliament/Funkadelic machine of the 70s to his late 90s hip-hop collaborations with Dre and Snoop, George Clinton has inspired generations of imitators. Contributors include Outkast's Andre 3000 and Macy Gray.
Search similar movies
7.5
George+Clinton%3A+Tales+of+Dr+Funkenstein
George Clinton: Tales of Dr Funkenstein

2006

Search similar movies
Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color

Alma W. Thomas lived a life of firsts: the first Fine Arts graduate of Howard University (1924), the first Black woman to mount a retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art (1972), and the first Black woman to have her paintings exhibited in the White House (2009). Yet she did not receive national attention until she was 80.
Search similar movies
10.0
Miss+Alma+Thomas%3A+A+Life+in+Color
Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color

2021

Search similar movies
Mr. Dynamite - The Rise of James Brown

James Brown changed the face of American music forever. Abandoned by his parents at an early age, James Brown was a self-made man who became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, not just through his music, but also as a social activist. Charting his journey from rhythm and blues to funk, MR. DYNAMITE: THE RISE OF JAMES BROWN features rare and previously unseen footage, photographs and interviews, chronicling the musical ascension of “the hardest working man in show business,” from his first hit, “Please, Please, Please,” in 1956, to his iconic performances at the Apollo Theater, the T.A.M.I. Show, the Paris Olympia and more.
Search similar movies
6.9
Mr.+Dynamite+-+The+Rise+of+James+Brown
Mr. Dynamite - The Rise of James Brown

2014

Search similar movies
The Blackboard

A documentary exploring the issue of racial identity among African-Americans through the lens of skateboarding.
Search similar movies
The+Blackboard
The Blackboard

2016

Search similar movies
Kid Rock

Full of nostalgia and charm, Kid Rock is an exposé of a young black man, Tadros Eyob’s journey into rock climbing in British Columbia.
Search similar movies
Kid+Rock
Além de Preto, Viado

This film addresses issues related to black gay men, inside and outside the LGBTQ+ movement. Hypersexualization of black bodies, loneliness, racism and homophobia are examples of the topics covered. Thus, we seek to discuss, at different times, the experiences of these subjects and their characteristics.
Search similar movies
6.0
Al%C3%A9m+de+Preto%2C+Viado
Além de Preto, Viado

2017

Search similar movies
Still Black: A Portrait of Black Transmen

Frequently marginalized within a community that already struggles against marginalization -- that is, the gay, lesbian and bisexual community -- African American transgender males make their voices heard in this film from Kortney Ryan Ziegler. Six articulate black transmen -- who are also artists, students, husbands, fathers, lawyers and teachers -- speak candidly about race, gender, body image and status.
Search similar movies
1.0
Still+Black%3A+A+Portrait+of+Black+Transmen
Still Black: A Portrait of Black Transmen

2008

Search similar movies
Poly-Love

A documentary that approaches polyamory from the intimate point of view of an Afro-American family who decided to live an authentic life without denying the option of diversity in their love and family.
Search similar movies
1.0
Poly-Love
Little White Lie

Lacey Schwartz grew up in a typical upper-middle-class Jewish household in Woodstock, NY, with loving parents and a strong sense of her Jewish identity - despite the open questions from those around her about how a white girl could have such dark skin. She believes her family's explanation that her looks were inherited from her dark-skinned Sicilian grandfather. But when her parents abruptly split, her gut starts to tell her something different. At age of 18, she finally confronts her mother and learns the truth: her biological father was not the man who raised her, but a black man named Rodney with whom her mother had had an affair.
Search similar movies
6.5
Little+White+Lie
Little White Lie

2014

Search similar movies
Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime

Combining footage unseen since WWI with original scores from the era, this film tells the story of Noble Sissle's incredible journey that spans "The Harlem Hellfighters" of World War I, Broadway Theatre, the Civil Rights movement, and decades of Black cultural development.
Search similar movies
Noble+Sissle%27s+Syncopated+Ragtime
Noble Sissle's Syncopated Ragtime

2018

Search similar movies
The Harlem Hellfighters' Great War

Nicknamed the "Harlem Hellfighters", these African-Americans wanted to become ordinary citizens like everyone else. They saw fighting heroically in the trenches as their chance to achieve this. In 1918, the 15th New York National Guard Regiment became the most highly decorated unit of the First World War.
Search similar movies
The+Harlem+Hellfighters%27+Great+War
The Harlem Hellfighters' Great War

2017

Search similar movies
The Beauty President

In 1992, at the height of the AIDS pandemic, activist Terence Alan Smith made a historic bid for president of the United States as his drag queen persona Joan Jett Blakk. Today, Smith reflects back on his seminal civil rights campaign and its place in American history.
Search similar movies
6.0
The+Beauty+President
The Beauty President

2021

Search similar movies
Paris Is Burning

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women — including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.
Search similar movies
8.0
Paris+Is+Burning
Paris Is Burning

1991

Search similar movies
Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin

Documentary on Bayard Rustin, best-remembered as the organizer of the 1963 March on Washington.
Search similar movies
5.6
Brother+Outsider%3A+The+Life+of+Bayard+Rustin
Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin

2003

Search similar movies
Come Back, Africa

Come Back, Africa chronicles the life of Zachariah, a black South African living under the rule of the harsh apartheid government in 1959.
Search similar movies
6.8
Come+Back%2C+Africa
Come Back, Africa

1959

Search similar movies
Daughters

Four young girls prepare for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their incarcerated fathers, as part of a unique fatherhood program in a Washington, D.C., jail.
Search similar movies
8.1
Daughters
Indestructible

He is a sensitive boy who represses his true personality. After experiencing traumatic experiences, our protagonist begins to open to the world on a journey that made him the person who is. This is not the complete story, but shows a trajectory of overcoming and change.
Search similar movies
Indestructible
Indestructible

2022

Search similar movies
Buffalo Soldiers, Victorio and Manifest Destiny

A look into the 19th century American-Indian Wars, Manifest Destiny, and the conflicts between Apache tribes and the African-American Buffalo soldier regiments.
Search similar movies
Buffalo+Soldiers%2C+Victorio+and+Manifest+Destiny
Buffalo Soldiers, Victorio and Manifest Destiny

2017

Search similar movies
Lumières Noires

Plot unavailable
Search similar movies
10.0
Lumi%C3%A8res+Noires
Lumières Noires

2007

Search similar movies
Game Face

Game Face shows the quest to self-realization of LGBT athletes and the acceptance in society. The film follows athletes during their coming out process, and sheds light on the obstacles LGBT sports players deal with throughout their career.
Search similar movies
5.5
Game+Face
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back

Maurice Hines, a charming, gay African-American entertainer navigates the complications of show business while grieving the loss of his more famous, often estranged younger brother, tap dance legend Gregory Hines.
Search similar movies
5.0
Maurice+Hines%3A+Bring+Them+Back
Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back

2019

Search similar movies
Man Made

From adoption and homelessness to navigating relationships and overcoming self-harm, the four transmen in MAN MADE all have something else in common: they are all bodybuilders. Through the lens of FTMFitCon, the world’s only FTM bodybuilding competition, we delve into the lives of Dominic, Rese, Mason, and Kennie as they define what it means to be a man while contextualizing that definition through the social, racial, and economic realities of their lives. For the men of MAN MADE, it’s not about winning—it’s about stepping on stage and being seen for everything they are.
Search similar movies
Man+Made
Tongues Untied

Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap.
Search similar movies
6.7
Tongues+Untied
Tongues Untied

1990

Search similar movies
80 Blocks from Tiffany's

This 1979 documentary depicts the daily life of gangs in the South Bronx. It deals primarily with two African American and Puerto Rican gangs known as the "Savage Skulls" and the "Savage Nomads".
Search similar movies
6.6
80+Blocks+from+Tiffany%27s
80 Blocks from Tiffany's

1980

Search similar movies
Kiki

25 years after Paris is Burning, we dive back into the fierce world of voguing battles in the Kiki scene of New York City, where competition between Houses demands leadership, painstaking practice, and performances on point. A film collaboration between Kiki gatekeeper, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and Swedish filmmaker Sara Jordenö, we’re granted exclusive access into this high stakes world, where tough competitions act as a gateway into the daily lives of LGBTQ youth of color in NYC. The new generation of ballroom youth use the motto, “Not About us Without Us”. Twiggy and Sara’s insider-outsider approach to their stories breathes fresh life into the representation of a marginalized community who demand visibility and real political power.
Search similar movies
5.8
Kiki