The Best Films By Black Directors, According to Slate Poll

Slate has decided to poll over 50 black curators, critics, filmmakers etc. on the Best Black-Directed films of all-time. Participants included Ava DuVernay, Charles Burnett, Carl Franklin, Julie Dash and Gina Prince-Bythewood.

It’s interesting to note that, despite a lengthy and rich history, starting with Oscar Micheaux’s 1920 silent “Within Our Gates,” African-American cinema was mostly known as a fringe genre until blaxploitation showed up in the ‘70s and made it a marketable commodity. And yet, it took close to 3 decades for one of the greatest films ever directed by an African-American filmmaker to see the light of day — that would be Charles Burnett’s 1978 stunner “The Killer of Sheep.”

Ever since #OscarsSoWhite happened, maybe the most influential movement in American movies since the ‘70s maverick phase, young and promising black filmmakers have emerged from all parts of the U.S. with unique styles all their own (Boots Riley, Ryan Coogler, Barry Jenkins, Jordan Peele).

In trying to assemble their list of the 75 best movies by black filmmakers, Slate decided to leave them unranked. I don’t think films like “Girls Trip,” “Nanny,” “The Woman King,” “Belle,” and “Waiting to Exhale” are canon-worthy.

They’ve decided to only include a handful of Spike Lee movies, probably to spread the wealth a little. Of course, Lee could have easily invaded 20% of this list with his impressive filmography. He only has seven on the Slate list.

The list-worthy ones are “Do the Right Thing,” “Jungle Fever,” “Malcolm X,” “Summer of Sam,” “Bamboozled,” “The 25th Hour,” “Inside Man” and “Blackkklansman.” For some reason, only 3 of these show up here. That’s not even including his excellent docs (“When the Levee Breaks” and “4 Little Girls.”)

I know the social media hounds have been saying for years now that I’m filled with “white privilege”, even though I’m not even white, but am I allowed to name the black-directed films I consider to be the cream of the crop in film history?

Here it goes anyways (in order of year released): “Black Girl,” “Touki Bouki,” “Killer of Sheep,” “Do the Right Thing,” “To Sleep With Anger,” “Daughters of the Dust,” “Boyz n the Hood,” “Malcolm X,” “One False Move,” “The 25th Hour,” “Hunger,” “Pariah,” “12 Years A Slave,” “Timbuktu,” “Selma,” “OJ Made in America,” “Moonlight,” “Get Out,” “Lovers Rock”