Ranker FilmList RulesVote up your favorite African American films that were released in 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.
1
1,346159Boyz n the Hood
1991Actors: Ice Cube, Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long
Directed by: John Singleton
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1,574200Friday
1995Actors: Ice Cube, Meagan Good, Nia Long, Bernie Mac, Chris Tucker
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
3
1,349171Poetic Justice
1993Actors: Janet Jackson, Keanu Reeves, Tupac Shakur, Maya Angelou, Billy Zane
Directed by: John Singleton
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92798Actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Jada Pinkett Smith, Charles S. Dutton, Khandi Alexander, Bill Duke
Directed by: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
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1,028122Juice
1992Actors: Tupac Shakur, Samuel L. Jackson, Queen Latifah, Omar Epps, Donald Faison
Directed by: Ernest R. Dickerson
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995123Set It Off
1996Actors: Queen Latifah, Dr. Dre, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, Blair Underwood
Directed by: F. Gary Gray
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931115The Wood
1999Actors: Christina Milian, Sanaa Lathan, Taye Diggs, Omar Epps, Tamala Jones
Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa
8
709100House Party
1990Actors: Martin Lawrence, George Clinton, Paul O'Grady, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Clifton Powell
Directed by: Reginald Hudlin
9
65594The Best Man
1999Actors: Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall
Directed by: Malcolm D. Lee
10
66296Bad Boys
1995Actors: Will Smith, Téa Leoni, Martin Lawrence, Marg Helgenberger, Joe Pantoliano
Directed by: Michael Bay
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51559Actors: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Khandi Alexander, Chi McBride, Jenifer Lewis
Directed by: Brian Gibson
12
48453New Jack City
1991Actors: Chris Rock, Ice-T, Judd Nelson, Wesley Snipes, Flavor Flav
Directed by: Mario Van Peebles
13
54071Life
1999Actors: Eddie Murphy, Poppy Montgomery, Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, Sanaa Lathan
Directed by: Ted Demme
14
52469Malcolm X
1992Actors: Denzel Washington, Al Sharpton, Nelson Mandela, Angela Bassett, Christopher Plummer
Directed by: Spike Lee
15
50866Actors: Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Kelly Preston, Wesley Snipes, Kenya Moore
Directed by: Forest Whitaker
16
48564Love Jones
1997Actors: Nia Long, Isaiah Washington, Lisa Nicole Carson, Larenz Tate, Bill Bellamy
Directed by: Theodore Witcher
17
57699Soul Food
1997Actors: Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Vanessa L. Williams, Babyface, Malik Yoba
Directed by: George Tillman, Jr.
18
44160Boomerang
1992Actors: Halle Berry, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Grace Jones
Directed by: Reginald Hudlin
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38946Actors: Martin Lawrence, Tracy Morgan, Bobby Brown, Regina King, Della Reese
Directed by: Martin Lawrence
20
44865Above the Rim
1994Actors: Tupac Shakur, Bernie Mac, Marlon Wayans, Wood Harris, Henry Simmons
Directed by: Jeff Pollack
21
39756Jason's Lyric
1994Actors: Jada Pinkett Smith, Forest Whitaker, Eddie Griffin, Lisa Nicole Carson, Treach
Directed by: Doug McHenry
22
35849Higher Learning
1995Actors: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Connelly, Tyra Banks, Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes
Directed by: John Singleton
23
43479Crooklyn
1994Actors: RuPaul, Spike Lee, Alfre Woodard, Isaiah Washington, Delroy Lindo
Directed by: Spike Lee
24
33358Actors: Jada Pinkett Smith, Salli Richardson, Charles S. Dutton, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Robert Schimmel
Directed by: Keenen Ivory Wayans
25
30251Actors: Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes, Rosie Perez, Marques Johnson, Duane Martin
Directed by: Ron Shelton
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