Listen, I don’t think I fully understood how WHITE washed entertainment was until I started really writing about Black movies (last year) and had to literally look at the cast lists! And folks wonder why the Oscars so white? Um … hello … bout 90% of the movies released ARE WHITE WHITE! Like white picket fence white! (Not to mention all the folks voting?) Come on now! This is why I began writing about Black movies and why I’m creating this list to start off my 2021 content.
However, if you’re anything like me … you’re always looking for new movies that cater to us Black folks, or at least the movies that got a few Black folks in it? (Cause lets face it, most of these movies aren’t catering to us, and if we only watched the ones that did we wouldn’t watch much.) It’s a struggle, trust me I know, and 2021 seems to fall short in the “Black movies” department, but nonetheless here we are, and here’s all of the movies releasing in 2021 you’re gonna wanna see if you’re Black.
P.s – Last year I just threw up a movie post by release date, but this year I think I’m gonna categorize these films by actors and directors so you KNOW who you’re supporting (kinda sorta) when you watch these movies.
I guess a better way to put this is … with this list you’ll know which friendly Black face to look out for in the crowd when you’re picking movies to watch this year! So here are …
40 Movies Releasing In 2021 To Keep On Your Radar If You’re Black
Note: Due to Covid, release dates are subject to change this year, as well as where these movies will be releasing. I’ll try to post as many updates as my two hands can throughout the year, but please know that this is just meant to be a list to keep these movies on your radar and that information can and may change.
Locked Down
Watch if you’re a fan of: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mindy Kaling, Dulé Hill, Jazmyn Simon
In Locked Down, just as they decide to separate, Linda (Anne Hathaway) and Paxton (Chiwetel Ejiofor) find life has other plans when they are stuck at home in a mandatory lockdown. Co-habitation is proving to be a challenge, but fueled by poetry and copious amounts of wine, it will bring them closer together in the most surprising way.
Release Date: Jan 14, 2021
Watch it on: HBO Max
One Night In Miami
Watch if you’re a fan of: Regina King, Leslie Odom Jr., Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge
On the night of Feb. 25, 1964, in Miami, Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) joins Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Malcom X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and they discuss the responsibility of being successful black men during the civil rights movement.
While One Night In Miami doesn’t star Regina King, this is her directorial debut, and it’s great to see someone who we loved on screen, behind the scenes.
Release Date: Jan 15, 2021
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
Outside the Wire
Watch if you’re a fan of: Anthony Mackie, Damson Idris
OUTSIDE THE WIRE, Damson Idris as Harp, Anthony Mackie as Leo, in OUTSIDE THE WIRE. Cr. Jonathan Prime/NETFLIX © 2020
In the future, a drone pilot sent into a war zone finds himself paired up with a secret android officer on a mission to stop a nuclear attack.
Release Date: Jan 15, 2021
Watch it on: Netflix
Nine Days
Watch if you’re a fan of: Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz,
A man interviews 5 unborn souls to determine which one can be given life on Earth.
Release Date: Jan 22, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Salt-N-Pepa
Watch if you’re a fan of: Salt n Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa details the journey of Queensborough Community College students Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton as they enter the world of rap and hip hop, after recording a song for their friend Hurby Azor. The movie follows the group as they become the first female rap act to go platinum and experience ground-breaking success with multiple awards.
Release Date: Jan 23, 2021
Watch it on: Lifetime
The Little Things
Watch if you’re a fan of: Denzel Washington, Michael Hyatt
Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon joins forces with Sgt. Jim Baxter to search for a serial killer who’s terrorizing Los Angeles.
As they track the culprit, Baxter is unaware that the investigation is dredging up echoes of Deke’s past, uncovering disturbing secrets that could threaten more than his case.
Release Date: Jan 29, 2021
Watch it on: HBO Max
Wendy Williams: The Movie
Watch if you’re a fan of: Wendy Williams, Ciera Payton, Morocco Omari
Talk show host Wendy Williams executive produces the biopic on her life, revealing the highs and lows she has experienced throughout the years.
The authorized project provides a revealing look at Wendy’s journey, from her scrappy upstart days in urban radio to the success of her own syndicated talk show. Ciera Payton takes on the lead role while Morocco Omari stars as Wendy’s ex-husband Kevin Hunter.
Release Date: Jan 30, 2021
Watch it on: Lifetiime
Cinderella
Watch if you’re a fan of: Billy Porter, Missy Elliott
Cinderella is an upcoming American musical romantic comedy film based on the fairy tale of the same name.
Release Date: Feb 5, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Malcolm & Marie
Watch if you’re a fan of: John David Washington, Zendaya
A filmmaker and his girlfriend discuss their past relationships while returning home from a movie premiere.
Release Date: Feb 5, 2021
Watch it on: Netflix
Judas and the Black Messiah
Watch if you’re a fan of: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Algee Smith, Lil Rel Howery, Terayle Hill
Offered a plea deal by the FBI, William O’Neal infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton.
Release Date: Feb 12, 2021
Watch it on: HBO Max
Killing Beef
Watch if you’re a fan of: documentary filmss
The beef is a conflict often between young men and/or their crews. “Killing” beef can mean a pattern of deadly violence – or it can mean a peaceful resolution of a conflict. Black-on-black crime rooted in conflict continues to take the lives of too many young black men across the country.
Release Date: Feb 16, 2021
Watch it on: currently unknown
Nobody
Watch if you’re a fan of: Araya Mengesha, RZA
A bystander who intervenes to help a woman being harassed by a group of men becomes the target of a vengeful drug lord.
Release Date: Feb 26, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Coming 2 America
Watch if you’re a fan of: Eddie Murphy, James Earl Jones, Leslie Jones, Kiki Layne, Rotimi, Michael Blackson, Davido, Headley, Arsenio Hall, John Amos, Wesley Snipes, Garcelle Beauvais, Tracy Morgan, Teyana Taylor,Rick Ross
Coming 2 America is an upcoming American comedy film directed by Craig Brewer, from a screenplay by Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein, and David Sheffield, and a story by Blaustein, Sheffield, and Justin Kanew, based on characters created by Eddie Murphy.
Release Date: Mar 5, 2021
Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video
Boogie
Watch if you’re a fan of: Dave East, Pop Smoke, Taylour Paige, Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
(l-r.) Actor Pop Smoke, director Eddie Huang and actor Taylor Takahashi on the set of their film BOOGIE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Nicole Rivelli / Focus Features
Alfred “Boogie” Chin is a basketball phenom who dreams of playing in the NBA.
As his parents pressure him to earn a scholarship to college, Boogie must also navigate a new girlfriend, high school, on-court rivals and the burden of expectation.
Release Date: Mar 5, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
The King’s Man
Watch if you’re a fan of: Djimon Hounsou
One man must race against time to stop history’s worst tyrants and criminal masterminds as they get together to plot a war that could wipe out millions of people and destroy humanity.
Release Date: Mar 12, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
The Many Saints of Newark
Watch if you’re a fan of: Leslie Odom Jr.
A look at the formative years of New Jersey gangster, Tony Soprano. Tensions rise between African Americans and Italian Americans in Newark, N.J., in 1967.
Release Date: Mar 12, 2021
Watch it on: HBO Max
Morbius
Watch if you’re a fan of: Tyrese Gibson
Biochemist Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but when his experiment goes wrong, he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism.
Release Date: Mar 19, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Watch if you’re a fan of: Tiffany Haddish
An obsessive fan forces actor Nicolas Cage to re-create his most famous characters and scenes during a birthday party.
Release Date: Mar 19, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
No Time To Die
Watch if you’re a fan of: Lashana Lynch, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright
Recruited to rescue a kidnapped scientist, globe-trotting spy James Bond finds himself hot on the trail of a mysterious villain, who’s armed with a dangerous new technology.
Release Date: Apr 2, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Bios
Watch if you’re a fan of: Samira Wiley, Laura Harrier
BIOS is an upcoming American science fiction drama film starring Tom Hanks, written by Craig Luck and Ivor Powell, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik.
Release Date: Apr 16, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Mortal Kombat
Watch if you’re a fan of: Mehcad Brooks
Mortal Kombat is a mysterious, intergalactic tournament of ancient martial arts. Shaolin Monk Liu Kang, from Earth, gets invited as a competitor.
Release Date: Apr 16, 2021
Watch it on: HBO Max
A Quiet Place Part II
Watch if you’re a fan of: Okieriete Onaodowan, Djimon Hounsou, Brian Tyree Henry
The Abbott family must now face the terrors of the outside world as they fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking.
Release Date: Apr 23, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Spiral
Watch if you’re a fan of: Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson
A sadistic mastermind unleashes a twisted form of justice in SPIRAL, the terrifying new chapter from the book of SAW.
Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran (Samuel L. Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the center of the killer’s morbid game.
Release Date: May 21, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Godzilla vs. Kong
Watch if you’re a fan of: Brian Tyree Henry, Danai Gurira, Hakeem Kae-Kazim
Godzilla and King Kong square off in an epic battle for the ages, while humanity looks to wipe out both of the creatures and take back the planet once and for all.
Release Date: May 21, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
F9: Fast and Furious 9
Watch if you’re a fan of: Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Nathalie Emmanuel, Bow Wow
Dominic Toretto and his crew join forces to battle the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered his forsaken brother.
Release Date: May 28, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Watch if you’re a fan of: Ernie Hudson, Bokeem Woodbine, Celeste O’Connor
When a single mother and her two children move to a new town, they soon discover that they have a connection to the original Ghostbusters and a family secret legacy.
Release Date: Jul 8, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Top Gun: Maverick
Watch if you’re a fan of: Jay Ellis
Pete “Maverick” Mitchell keeps pushing the envelope after years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators.
He must soon confront the past while training a new squad of graduates for a dangerous mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice.
Release Date: Jul 2, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar
Watch if you’re a fan of: Damon Wayans Jr.
Two best friends, Barb and Star, leave their small Midwestern town for the first time to go on vacation in Vista Del Mar, Florida, where they soon find themselves tangled up in adventure, love, and a villain’s evil plot to kill everyone in town.
Release Date: Jul 16, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Watch if you’re a fan of: LeBron James, Sonequa Martin-Green, Don Cheadle, Steve Harvey
NBA superstar LeBron James teams up with Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes for this long-awaited sequel.
Release Date: July 16, 2021
Watch it on: HBO Max
The Suicide Squad
Watch if you’re a fan of: Idris Elba, Storm Reid, Viola Davis, Zoe Saldana, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
The further adventures of Harley Quinn, Rick Flag and their team of assembled supervillains.
Release Date: Aug 6, 2021
Watch it on: HBO Max
Respect
Watch if you’re a fan of: Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Marlon Wayans, Tituss Burgess, Forest Whitaker, Audra McDonald, Queen Latifah
Aretha Franklin sings in her father’s church choir as a child and grows up to become an international musical superstar and legend.
Release Date: Aug 13, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Deep Water
Watch if you’re a fan of: Lil Rel Howery, Devyn Tyler
A well-to-do husband who allows his wife to have affairs in order to avoid a divorce becomes a prime suspect in the disappearance of her lovers.
Release Date: TBA
Watch it: in theaters
The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard
Watch if you’re a fan of: Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman
Michael Bryce and Darius Kincaid join forces with an Interpol agent to prevent a cyberattack in Europe.
Release Date: Aug 20, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Candyman
Watch if you’re a fan of: Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Vanessa Estelle Williams, Colman Domingo, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris
In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, Anthony and his partner move into a loft in the now gentrified Cabrini. A chance encounter with an old-timer exposes Anthony to the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to use these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, he unknowingly opens a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence.
Release Date: Aug 27, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Death on the Nile
Watch if you’re a fan of: Letitia Wright, Sophie Okonedo
Detective Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of a young heiress aboard a cruise ship on the Nile River.
Release Date: Sept 17, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Dune
Watch if you’re a fan of: Zendaya, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Babs Olusanmokun
Paul Atreides leads nomadic tribes in a battle to control the desert planet Arrakis.
Release Date: Oct 1, 2021
Watch it on: HBO Max
Eternals
Watch if you’re a fan of: Brian Tyree Henry
The saga of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings who lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilizations.
Release Date: Nov 5, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
King Richard
Watch if you’re a fan of: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Vaughn Hebron, Craig Tate
King Richard is an upcoming American biographical drama film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green and written by Zach Baylin that follows Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams.
Release Date: Nov 19, 2021
Watch it on: HBO Max
Matrix 4
Watch if you’re a fan of: Jada Pinkett Smith, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Toby Onwumere
The Matrix 4 is an upcoming American science fiction action film and the fourth installment in The Matrix franchise. The film is produced, co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski, who co-directed and co-wrote three of the previous films with her sister Lilly.
Release Date: Dec 22, 2021
Watch it: in theaters
Those Who Wish Me Dead
Watch if you’re a fan of: Tyler Perry, Tory Kittles
A teenage murder witness is lost in the wilderness with two assassins hunting him, a survival expert trying to protect him, and a forest fire threatening them all.
Release Date: TBA
Watch it on: HBO Max
And that’s that!
I’m super excited to watch and cover these films this year, so I hope things don’t change too much. But as we’ve already seen this year, 2021 is going to be another super unpredictable year, so I’m just gonna watch all the Black movies I can and not complain?
Because honestly … we’re all lucky and privileged to even still be able to watch them. So no complaining this year! (Okay, I can’t promise that, but I’ll try to keep the complaining to a minimum.)
P.s – Last year was my first year really paying attention to movies and tv shows with a “critic” lens, so here’s every movie from 2020 that I watched as well as every tv show I watched in 2020.
Oh and if you’re looking for a list of movies to watch with your family in 2021, here’s a list on our sister site Popcorn and Tater Tots.
Awww thank you!!! It's so good!!