With Nickel Boys scoring an Academy Award nomination for Best Feature and Adapted Screenplay—and Shirley earning praise as one of 2024’s best films—Black History Month is the perfect time to catch up on movies featuring stellar African-American performances. Whether you prefer comedies and animated films or movies adapted from books, plays or inspirational biographies, here are films worth considering for movie night with your kids, from little ones to teenagers.

The Color Purple (1985)

Directed by Steven Spielberg, this classic is based on the Alice Walker novel of the same name. In one of her defining roles, Whoopi Goldberg portrays Celie, a teen girl with two children who suffers bigotry and abuse from her father and husband after being forced into marriage. Remade in 2023 starring Fantasia Barrino, the original was nominated for 11 Oscars.

The Hate U Give (2018)

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter lives in two worlds: the poor neighborhood she lives in and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. When Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her best friend Khalil by a police officer, the balance between these worlds is shattered. A powerful coming-of-age story and an inspiration for advocates against racial violence.

Hair Love (2019)

An Oscar-winning animated short film good for ages three and up—and with an audiobook narrated by Blue Ivy—Hair Love tells the story of an African-American father and his daughter, Zuri. Perfect for any father who has encountered the most daunting task of fatherhood: doing his daughter’s hair for the first time.

The Princess And The Frog (2009)

The first Disney movie to feature an African-American princess, this movie follows Tiana as she tries to open a restaurant in New Orleans. When she meets Prince Naveen, who has been turned into a frog by evil Dr. Facilier, the two journey through the bayous to get help from a voodoo priestess.  

Coming To America (1988)

Great for early teens, the hilarious Eddie Murphy stars as Akeem, an extremely pampered African prince who moves to New York City in search of a wife who will love him in spite of his title—and who has an intelligence and strong will he can respect. Arsenio Hall co-stars as Semmi, his sidekick on his journey to America; James Earl Jones plays Akeem’s father.

Passing (2021)

Based on the novel by Nella Larsen, a mixed-race daughter of Danish and Afro-Caribbean immigrants, this 2021 black-and-white film takes place in 1920s New York City. It follows Irene Redfield, a Black woman whose life is upended when she meets a childhood friend who is passing as white.

Malcolm X (1992)

Spike Lee’s 1992 biopic features Denzel Washington in the lead role, and is based on the Alex Haley novel written before and after the legendary civil rights leader’s death in 1965. The movie highlights key periods of his life, such as how he was imprisoned, converted to Islam, and turned into the activist he became famous for.

Spider Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)

This animated film follows Miles Morales, a Brooklyn teenager who gets bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway and transforms into Spider-Man. As the first Black Spider-Man to be featured in a major film, Spider-Verse was hailed by critics as one of that year’s best films; it was followed by 2023’s Across the Spider-Verse. Beyond the Spider-Verse, the third film in the trilogy, was confirmed in December 2024 (release date TBD).

Coach Carter (2005)

This inspirational film is based on the true story of basketball coach Ken Carter, who returns to his old high school armed with tough rules and a disciplinarian’s attitude to oversee its basketball team. The team’s grades start to suffer after they become champions, and Carter—played by Samuel L. Jackson—cancels their championship season until they can prove they can be successful in class and on the court.

“42” (2013) 

This biopic tells the story of Jackie Robinson, the first black player in Major League Baseball. Jackie is played by the late Chadwick Boseman, well-known for his role in “Black Panther.”