The Best Black Movies Of The 1990s
This list of the best '90s Black movies contains many of the best films about the African American experience of any decade. Thanks to filmmakers like Spike Lee and John Singleton, 1990s Black movies tackled serious issues without sacrificing entertainment value. Not all '90s African American movies were hard-hitting dramas like Malcolm X, however; plenty of '90s Black movies are comedies like Friday or straight-up actioners like Bad Boys.
What are some of the top '90s Black films? Boyz n the Hood is an obvious example of an African American film from the decade. Starring such talented actors as Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, and Morris Chestnut, the film tells the story of young men growing up in urban South Central Los Angeles and it marked a major cultural moment for Black cinema.
Denzel Washington appears on this '90s Black movie list several times, more than once for playing real life figures in films like The Hurricane and, of course, Spike Lee's epic film biography of Malcolm X. Speaking of popular Spike Lee movies, Washington also starred in the director's He Got Game.
The order of this list of the classic Black 90s movies is set by your votes, so vote up your favorite Black movies that came out in the 90s to change the rankings.
- 11991
- Actors: Laurence Fishburne, Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut
- Directed by: John Singleton
Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is sent to live with his father, Furious Styles (Larry Fishburne), in tough South Central Los Angeles. Although his hard-nosed father instills proper values and respect in him, ...more - 21995
- Actors: Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Nia Long, Tommy "Tiny" Lister, John Witherspoon
- Directed by: F. Gary Gray
It's Friday and Craig Jones (Ice Cube) has just gotten fired for stealing cardboard boxes. To make matters worse, rent is due, he hates his overbearing girlfriend, Joi (Paula Jai Parker), and his ...more - 3
- Actors: Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vonte Sweet, Larenz Tate, MC Eight
- Directed by: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes
After growing up in the gang lifestyle of the Los Angeles projects, 18-year-old Caine Lawson (Tyrin Turner) wants a way out. Everyone around him, including his unpredictable friend O-Dog (Larenz ...moreAvailable On:
- 41993
- Actors: Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Regina King, Joe Torry, Maya Angelou
- Directed by: John Singleton
Still grieving after the murder of her boyfriend, hairdresser Justice (Janet Jackson) writes poetry to deal with the pain of her loss. Unable to get to Oakland to attend a convention because of her ...more - 51996
- Actors: Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Blair Underwood, John C. McGinley
- Directed by: F. Gary Gray
After being fired from her job as a bank teller, Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) begins working at a janitorial service with her friends Tisean (Kimberly Elise), a single mother; Cleo (Queen Latifah), a ...more - 61992
- Actors: Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Khalil Kain, Cindy Herron Braggs
- Directed by: Ernest R. Dickerson
Four Harlem friends -- Bishop (Tupac Shakur), Q (Omar Epps), Steel (Jermaine Hopkins) and Raheem (Khalil Kain) -- dabble in petty crime, but they decide to go big by knocking off a convenience store. ...more
