When I was a teenage boy, nothing excited me more than what was known as a good ‘ol "catfight." You know, mud wrestling, women pulling each other by the hair... If I saw that, I was in adolescent heaven.

However, as an adult, I can’t think of anything that would turn my stomach faster. Yes, The Jerry Springer Show is my favorite talk show of all time. That said, thinking back, there were way too many episodes where women fought each other over some man. Nowadays, I think women should fight The Man! Not fight over a man.

My colleague, Sarah El-Mahmoud, wrote an excellent article about 20 great movies to watch for Women’s History Month, and some of those movies will end up on this list. However, my focus is purely on movies that highlight women supporting women, since we don’t have nearly enough of them. I have a daughter, and these are the kinds of relationships that I want her to establish. So, without further ado, 10 movies about women supporting one another.

Wicked (2024)

Based on the Broadway show of the same name (though, I much prefer the movie to the show), Wicked tells the story of Elphaba, who would later go on to be known as the Wicked Witch, and Glinda, who would later be called the Good Witch.

If you were to re-watch The Wizard of Oz, you might think that Glinda and Elphaba were enemies. However, Wicked is a re-imagining, in which Glinda and Elphaba went to school together and grew to be friends.

What I love about the story though is that they don’t start out as friends. In fact, they hate each other. Glinda only seems to care about being popular (I’m sorry, pop-Uuuu-lar), and Elphaba is more concerned with learning. However, through events that bring them together, they become the closest of friends.

I love how their friendship blossoms, as it creates a good message that even enemies can become partners.

The Marvels (2023)

Even though The Marvels didn’t kill it at the box office, it still perseveres as one of the better post-Endgame MCU films.

Acting as a sequel to both Captain Marvel and the MCU shows WandaVision and Ms. Marvel, The Marvels sees Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan banding together after their powers make them switch places every time they use them.

They need to figure out how to work together and defeat a Kree Leader who is out for revenge after Captain Marvel destabilized her home.

What I love about The Marvels is that Kamala’s hero worship of Captain Marvel disconfirms the idea that you should never meet your heroes. Yes, she learns that Danvers isn't perfect, but she also learns that she can contribute just as much as her hero whenever the time arises. Couple this with Monica Rambeau’s ability to keep them altogether, and you have a match made in grrl power heaven.

Frozen (2013)

Undoubtedly the biggest Disney animated movie in the past 20 years (though I prefer Tangled), Frozen is a film that is essentially about two sisters with wildly different ambitions.

Queen Elsa—at first, anyway—simply doesn't want to let her people down. That is, until she decides to just “let it go” and not worry about her little snow-controlling secret. Princess Anna, on the other hand, wants to get married to a man she just met.

Through a series of misadventures, Anna and Elsa grow closer than ever, and Anna comes to realize that she doesn't need a man (though, she ends up with a nice one) to feel fulfilled. She only needs the love of her sister.

Frozen is a great film about the importance of sisterhood, and I love that message for young girls and grown-up women alike.

Hidden Figures (2016)

The story of three brilliant women who work at NASA and change history, Hidden Figures doubles as both a movie about females working together, and also as one of the quintessential Black-led movies.

Based on the actual historical figures Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson, Hidden Figures is a period piece that showcases the kinds of racist nonsense that these women had to go through just to do their jobs.

Still and all, they made it work through tenacity and intelligence, and proved their worth many times over by getting the fly boys into space at a crucial time in American history.

The film is phenomenal, because it’s a testament to the idea that women who stick together are stronger than women who work apart. Even though they all worked in separate areas of NASA, they still always came together at the end of the day, which is most important.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

The feminist buddy crime drama of the ‘90s (honestly, one of the best movies of the ‘90s, period), Thelma & Louise is the story of two friends who truly will ride or die together.

Thelma is a housewife with an abusive husband, and Louise is dating a nice (though mostly absent) musician. But, after an incident that results in murder (The bastard had it coming), the two friends go on the lam.

Along the way, they both have good times and bad, but in the end, they ultimately go out on their own terms in one of the most famous endings in cinema history.

Thelma & Louise is a masterpiece, and a story that proves that a woman’s closest ally will always be another woman.

Set It Off (1996)

Since I’m on the topic of crime dramas, Set It Off is another story of women sticking it to the man; this time as bank robbers.

Four friends band together and rob banks because society has done them dirty. They hatch elaborate robberies, getting away with them when they can.

Of course, since this is a film from the ‘90s, it all catches up to them, as four Black women couldn’t possibly get away scot-free and all drive off happily into the sunset.

That said, even with all of their inner squabbling, Set It Off is still a wonderful film about women bucking the norms and taking what they want, together, arm-in-arm.

The Woman King (2022)

Basically Black Panther's Dora Milaje, the movie, The Woman King is about women warriors who actually existed in West Africa during the 17th-19th centuries.

The story of a female general who leads other women into combat, this movie is all about what it takes to fight oppressors, especially those who align with your enemies.

The women train, kill, and survive, all in the name of protecting the kingdom.

The story, which is based on the actual Agojie, is a testament that women can do anything that men can do, and often better. Especially when they work together.

A League Of Their Own (1992)

One of my favorite films as a kid, A League of Their Own is about an all-female baseball team during World War II.

All of the players come from different walks of life, but they come together whenever they can to play a good game of baseball (while doing a split, no less!).

The men in their lives play a part, but in the end, the team is what brings them all together as a unit.

A League of Their Own is a fan-favorite because it’s funny, and the cast is great, but the theme of female teamwork making the dream work is this film’s longest-lasting legacy.

Booksmart (2019)

I envy the young women in Booksmart, who are Ivy-league bound, but also viewed as boring.

What I envy is that they are both reluctant to come out of their shells, but will do so whenever they call a “Malala,” which is their code word for following each other, no matter what trouble they may get into.

It leads them to party after party, and also to trip on hallucinogenic strawberries, because YOLO, right?

Booksmart is a story about two friends who can both be brilliant, but also bawdy and “bad.” What woman doesn’t need a good friend to “Malala” with?

Barbie (2023)

Lastly, I want to talk about Barbie, which surprised a lot of people when it debuted.

The story of the famous doll having an existential crisis and entering into the real world, Barbie’s whole society is a matriarchy, and the men (Ken dolls) basically feel worthless without the women in their lives.

When Ken learns of the patriarchy, though, the women make the men see the errors of their ways, as the matriarchy is superior (as it should be).

This is a story about identity, and womanhood, but it’s also about the positives of a female society. Long live the matriarchy!

Those are just 10 movies about women supporting women. What’s your favorite?

There is nothing that makes one’s heart melt quite like a person declaring their desire to spend the rest of their lives with another. This does not just go for real life but also for fictional marriage proposal on both the big and screen alike. The following are some of the most unique and romantic examples we have ever seen.

Maggie Proposes To Ike (Runaway Bride)

In one of Julia Roberts’ best romantic comedy movies, 1999’s Runaway Bride, her character, Maggie Carpenter, spends the entirety of the movie struggling with her ability to commit and her tendency to leave her grooms at the altar. That is until she meets columnist Ike Graham (Richard Gere) and shows how far she has come from the moment she fell for him by popping the question herself.

Patrick Proposes To David (Schitt's Creek)

Schitt's Creek is one of the most heartwarming and simply best sitcoms of all time and a key reason is the romance between David Rose (co-creator Dan Levy) and Patrick Brewer (Noah Reid). Their relationship hits its adorable peak when Patrick takes David to his favorite spot to make the "easiest decision" of his life and presents him with a set of four engagement rings to match the four rings he usually wears on his right hand.

Jamie Proposes To Aurelia (Love Actually)

Easily one of the more uplifting storylines from 2003's Love Actually is that of cuckolded writer Jamie (Colin Firth), who falls for Portuguese housekeeper Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz) while spending the holiday at his French cottage. After they part ways, he learns her language (and almost gets all the words right) to ask her to marry him in front of a full crowd at the restaurant where she works.

Dexter Proposes To Rita (Dexter)

After his girlfriend, Rita Bennett (Julie Benz) becomes unexpectedly pregnant with their son, Dexter Morgan (Michael. C Hall) finds the courage (and the right words, which he borrows from another murderer) to make the ultimate commitment to her despite his commitment to slaughtering Miami's worst. Unfortunately, their marriage came to a tragic end in the fourth and, arguably, the best season of Dexter when, in one of TV's most shocking cliffhangers, he discovers his wife has been killed by The Trinity Killer.

Robbie Proposes To Julia (The Wedding Singer)

In just about Adam Sandler's best romantic-comedy movie, 1998's The Wedding Singer, Robbie (Sandler) ultimately stops Julia's (Drew Barrymore) impending nuptials to the wrong guy with an impromptu serenade on a plane with help from first-class passengers, including Billy Idol as himself, and the airline staff. He never says "Will you marry me?" but the next scene is their wedding so we can assume they were essentially engaged at this moment.

Schmidt Proposes To Cece (New Girl)

In the pilot episode of New Girl, Schmidt (Max Greenfield) was forced to donate a $5 bill to the Douchebag Jar after proclaiming he would marry Cece (Hannah Simone) the day he met her. He would then present that exact bill to her when he finally popped the question after several frustrating seasons of back-and-forth dating and flirting.

Ian Proposes To Toula (My Big Fat Greek Wedding)

The big question that leads to the eponymous main event from My Big Fat Greek Wedding is, actually, one of cinema's more simple marriage proposals, occurring spontaneously while Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos) and Ian Miller (John Corbett) are lying together in bed. Still, it is a memorable scene from the 2002 hit and a memorable moment for the romantic-comedy movie genre in general for how well it depicts the couple's mutual passion.

Jim Proposes To Pam (The Office)

The two-part Season 5 premiere of The Office marks a pivotal moment in Jim and Pam's relationship timeline, as Pam (Jenna Fischer) has been taking art classes in New York. When Jim (John Krasinski) requests to meet her halfway (but actually "not halfway," based on Pam's math) at a gas station in the pouring rain, he surprises her with the question she (and viewers) have been waiting for.

Andrew Proposes To Margaret (The Proposal)

In 2009's The Proposal, Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) initially blackmails her assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), into marrying her so the Canadian-born editor can avoid deportation. However, after she catches genuine feelings and cancels their fake wedding, he realizes his true feelings and makes a genuine proposal to her.

Chandler Proposes To Monica (Friends)

One of the most famous tearjerker moments from Chandler and Monica's relationship timeline on Friends almost begins in disaster after a surprise run-in with Monica's (Courtney Cox) ex, Richard (Tom Selleck), on the night Chandler (Matthew Perry) planned to propose. This convinces him to feign disinterest in marriage to savor the surprise, but that only seems to make things worse until he turns out to be the surprised one, showing up at their apartment to find Monica surrounded by candles. When she tearfully can not finish her own attempt to pop the question, Chandler finishes the act.

Harry Proposes To Sally (When Harry Met Sally)

Harry's (Billy Crystal) climactic confession to Sally (Meg Ryan) at the end of 1989's When Harry Met Sally during a New Year's Eve party is not exactly a marriage proposal per se. However, it is an admission that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her (and wants the rest of his life to start "as soon as possible") and in one of the most beautifully constructed speeches in cinematic history.

Jake Proposes To Amy (Brooklyn Nine-NIne)

Arguably the best episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine sees the precinct participating in their fifth annual Halloween heist, which Det. Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) believes she has won when she finds the championship belt in the evidence locker. However, her boyfriend, Det. Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg), advises her to take a better look at the inscription on the belt, which reads, "Amy Santiago, will you marry me?"

Landon Proposes To Jamie (A Walk to Remember)

A memorable Nicolas Sparks adaptation that predates The Notebook is 2002's A Walk to Remember, in which troubled teen Landon Carter (Shane West) unexpectedly falls for shy Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore). After discovering that she has leukemia, he decides to propose to her under the night sky as a comet passes by so that he can marry her before she succumbs to her illness.

Niles Proposes To Daphne (Frasier)

On Frasier, Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce) attempts to plan the perfect marriage proposal to Daphne (Jane Leeves), complete with a string quartet, kid actors dressed as angels, and a dinner prepared by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. However, when Daphne arrives at the apartment with the flu, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) must help his brother covertly escort the performers out. It is then that Niles decides it is still the perfect time to pop the question.

Johnny Proposes To June (Walk The Line)

Director James Mangold's 2005 music biopic, Walk the Line, sees Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) make two attempts to propose to June Carter (Reese Witherspoon). After his first go at it on a tour bus has unfavorable results, The Man in Black tries again by interrupting a public musical duet and tells her that he cannot finish the song until he gets an answer. She tells him, yes.

Ben Proposes To Leslie (Parks And Recreation)

In the fifth season of Parks and Recreation, the future seems uncertain for Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) because the latter might be forced to move to Florida for work. Instead, at the end of the episode, "Halloween Surprise," he unexpectedly shows up to propose to the politician, who interrupts him a couple of times to better remember how perfect everything in her life is at that moment.

Wade Proposes To Vanessa (Deadpool)

The way Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) pops the question to Vanessa Carlysle (Morena Baccarin) is perfectly on brand for 2016's hilarious superhero movie, Deadpool. The future Merc with a Mouth's engagement ring of choice (which is revealed to have been hidden between his butt cheeks) is a Ring Pop.

Blaine Proposes To Kurt (Glee)

For the moment when Blaine (Darren Criss) popped the question to Kurt (Chris Colfer) on Glee, the show depicted the moment the only way it could have. Kurt's friends from McKinley help perfect the proposal by participating in a rendition of The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love."

Nick Proposes To Rachel (Crazy Rich Asians)

Admittedly, the scene from Crazy Rich Asians in which Nick Young (Henry Golding) asks Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) to marry him is a bit cliché-ridden, especially since it takes on an airplane. However, considering the ups and downs the couple had faced in director Jon M. Chu's hit 2018 adaptation of Kevin Kwan's novel, they deserved an old-fashioned storybook climax.

Mike Proposes To Rachel (Suits)

Before her marriage to Prince Harry captured the world's hearts, Meghan Markle, as Rachel Zane, shared a captivating onscreen romance with fellow Suits cast member Patrick J. Adams as Michael Ross. The lawyer first lists off all the reasons why he loves the paralegal-turned-attorney before presenting her with his grandmother's ring at the moment he asks for her hand in marriage.

Jim Proposes To Katherine (Hidden Figures)

The astonishing true story depicted in 2016's Hidden Figures is complemented by an astonishing marriage proposal by military officer Jim Johnson (Mahershala Ali) to mathematician Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson). He begins by cooking her and her family a special dinner before surprising her with a ring and an admission that he called his mother the day after he met Katherine to tell her that she was the one he would marry.

Barney Proposes To Robin (How I Met Your Mother)

The two-part Season 8 mid-season finale of How I Met Your Mother reveals that nearly everything we have seen Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) do that season has been part of an elaborate ruse from his famed Playbook. However, the ultimate goal of the play is not to get his off-and-on lover Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders) into bed but to finally reignite their relationship and get her to make the ultimate commitment with him, which she tearfully accepts on the rooftop of the World Wide News building.

Edward Proposes To Sandra (Big Fish)

In director Tim Burton's 2003 fantasy Big Fish, Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor) experiences love at first sight with Sandra Templeton (Alison Lohman) and, despite her having a fiancée, proceeds to ask this woman he barely knows to marry him multiple times. She finally breaks off her current engagement after Edward picks thousands of daffodils, her favorite flowers, and gathers them in an unbelievable assortment outside her house.

Brian Proposes To Charlie (Shrinking)

In the acclaimed Apple TV+ series, Shrinking, Brian (Michael Urie) creates an elaborate plan to ask his longtime boyfriend, Charlie (Devin Kawaoka), to marry him, which includes singing a song with help on piano from Jimmy (Jason Segel), who ruins it by drunkenly regurgitating. A frustrated Brian then admits his intentions to Charlie, who, before Brian can even compose himself to officially ask the question, readily accepts.

Mr. Darcy Proposes To Elizabeth (Pride And Prejudice)

Director Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice features one of the most romantic movie quotes of all time. Despite his once rivalrous relationship with Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley), Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfayden) tells her, "You have bewitched me body and soul," during one of the multiple times he asks for her hand in marriage.

Ben Proposes To Miranda (Grey's Anatomy)

One of the most romantic moments from Grey's Anatomy begins in the middle of an operation when Ben Warren (Jason Winston George) expresses his disappointment that he and Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) were unable to work on the daily crossword. In the OR, Miranda pettily begins completing the puzzle herself and comes to discover that the answer to the clue, “My question to you,” is, "Will you marry me?" and that the entire crossword was crafted by Ben.

Ronny Proposes To Loretta (Moonstruck)

In 1987's Moonstruck, Loretta Castorini (Cher) becomes engaged to Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) but unexpectedly falls into an affair with his brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage). Everything works out, however, when Johnny calls off the engagement for his mother's sake and, seconds later, Ronny borrows the ring to ask for Loretta's hand in marriage.

Glenn Proposes To Maggie (The Walking Dead)

Taking place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland overrun with reanimated corpses, The Walking Dead is not quite what one would call a romantic show but does give audiences a romance to root for between Glenn Rhee (Steven Yeun) and Maggie Green (Lauren Cohan). The former pizza deliverer would make his relationship with her official by presenting her with a ring he pulled off a walker's finger.

Andrew Proposes To Melanie (Sweet Home Alabama)

Andrew Hennings (Patrick Dempsey) is, ultimately, not the man we are supposed to root for Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) to end up with in 2002's Sweet Home Alabama. However, the way he pops the question by walking her into a room full of various engagement rings for her to choose from is a dream scenario.

Toby Proposes To Kate (This Is Us)

Toby Damon (Chris Sullivan) pays a good amount of money to make his unique way of proposing to Kate Pearson (Chrissy Metz) a reality on This is Us. He unzips multiple hoodies that each read a different section of the phrase, "Will you marry me?"

Jeremy Proposes to Kristen (Think Like A Man)

In Think Like a Man, commitmentphobe Jeremy Kern (Jerry Ferrara) is so overwhelmed with emotion when popping the question to Kristen (Gabrielle Union) that he accidentally says, "I want to be your wife, and I want to be your husband," before quickly correcting himself. It is easily one of the sweetest moments from the 2012 adaptation of Steve Harvey's self-help book.

Ross Proposes To Emily (Friends)

While Ross Gellar's (David Schwimmer) marriage to Emily (Helen Baxendale) proved to be ill-fated, his spur-of-the-moment decision to ask her to marry him right before she is supposed to leave for London is still one of the sweetest moments from Friends.

While not quite a household name just yet, Aldis Hodge is one of the most respected talents of his time, with scene-stealing roles in many great movies and TV shows alike, including in the title role of the new Amazon Prime original TV show, Cross. His road to leading man status has been a long one, having started his career when he was just a child. Let’s review trace the actor’s journey by reviewing some of his greatest hits, below.

Cross (2024-Present)

Starring: Aldis Hodge, Isaiah Mustafa

What it’s about: Widowed forensic psychologist Alex Cross uses his ability to get into the mind of a criminal to solve complicated cases.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge TV shows: As the star of the entertaining crime thriller, Cross, which is available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription, Aldis Hodge became the third actor (after Morgan Freeman and Tyler Perry) to portray the eponymous, iconic Black detective, who was created by author James Patterson.

How to watch Cross

• Stream Cross on Amazon

Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995)

Director: John McTiernan

Starring: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Irons

What it’s about: Lt. Det. John McClane and Harlem shopkeeper Zeus Carver are forced to play a game of “Simon Says” to appease a German bomber terrorizing New York.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: An Aldis Hodge appearance you may have missed was his credited acting debut in one of the best ‘90s action movies, Die Hard with a Vengeance, as Zeus’ young nephew, Raymond.

How to watch Die Hard with a Vengeance

• Stream Die Hard with a Vengeance on Hulu
• Rent or buy Die Hard with a Vengeance on Amazon
• Buy Die Hard with a Vengeance on Blu-ray on Amazon

Leverage (2008-2012)

Starring: Timothy Hutton, Gina Bellman, Christian Kane, Beth Riesgraf, Aldis Hodge

What it’s about: A team of skilled hackers and thieves offer their services to innocent people who have been wronged by the wealthy and corrupt.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Hodge’s first starring role on a series was as technologies specialist Alec Hardison on the fun TNT crime drama Leverage, which was briefly rebooted as the Freevee original, Leverage: Redemption.

How to watch Leverage

• Stream Leverage on Amazon Prime
• Buy Leverage on DVD on Amazon

Straight Outta Compton (2015)

Director: F. Gary Gray

Starring: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr., Aldis Hodge

What it’s about: The story of how gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A. came together, were torn apart, and changed the music industry forever.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: The actor stars as MC Ren in Straight Outta Compton, which is considered one of the best music biopics of its time for its stunning performances and wildly engaging dramatization of N.W.A.’s storied legacy.

How to watch Straight Outta Compton

• Stream Straight Outta Compton on Max
• Rent or buy Straight Outta Compton on Amazon
• Buy Straight Outta Compton on Blu-ray on Amazon

Hidden Figures (2016)

Director: Theodore Melfi

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe

What it’s about: Three mathematically gifted Black women are tasked with helping make sure young NASA recruit John Glenn has a safe trip into space in the 1960s.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Also one of Glen Powell’s best movies is Hidden FIgures – another acclaimed biopic featuring Hodge as civil rights activist Levi Jackson, who was married to Mary Jackson.

How to watch Hidden Figures

• Stream Hidden Figures on Peacock
• Rent or buy Hidden Figures on Amazon
• Buy Hidden Figures on Blu-ray on Amazon

Brian Banks (2018)

Director: Tom Shadyac

Starring: Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd

What it’s about: The true story of a Black aspiring NFL player who struggles to prove his innocence in a crime he did not commit and pursue his dream.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: An acclaimed sports biopic starring Hodge is Brian Banks, in which the actor gives one of his strongest and most inspiring performances in the title role.

How to watch Brian Banks

• Stream Brian Banks on Hulu
• Rent or buy Brian Banks on Amazon
• Buy Brian Banks on Blu-ray on Amazon

One Night In Miami... (2020)

Director: Regina King

Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr.

What it’s about: Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gather to discuss their roles in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Another film in which he delivers a stunning performance as a real-life football player (in this case Cleveland Browns fullback Jim Brown) is One Night in Miami… – a fictionalized account of one of the most important nights in civil rights history, based on writer Kemp Powers’ 2013 stage play.

How to watch One Night in Miami…

• Stream One Night in Miami… on Amazon Prime
• Buy One Night in Miami… on Blu-ray on Amazon

Underground (2016-2017)

Starring: Aldis Hodge, Jurnee Smollett

What it’s about: The harrowing struggles of the pre-Civil War United States, as seen through the eyes of a group of slaves seeking freedom through the Underground Railroad.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Created by Misha Green and Joe Pokaski, Underground is a powerful historical drama in which the star plays a resourceful and freedom-hungry blacksmith named Noah.

How to watch Underground

• Stream Underground on Hulu
• Stream Underground on Tubi
• Buy Underground on DVD on Amazon

Clemency (2019)

Director: Chinonye Chukwu

Starring: Alfre Woodard, Aldis Hodge, Danielle Brooks

What it’s about: A prison warden forms a bond with a young death row inmate that inspires her to reconsider her feelings about capital punishment.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Hodge starred as a man seeking freedom in another powerful drama called Clemency, which is also one of Danielle Brooks’ best movies.

How to watch Clemency

• Rent or buy Clemency on Amazon
• Buy Clemency on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Invisible Man (2020)

Director: Leigh Whannell

Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge

What it’s about: After escaping her marriage to an abusive tech millionaire, a woman begins to suspect that her husband has figured out a way to continue taunting her without being seen.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Leigh Whannell crafts one of the most intense, frighteningly plausible, and simply best horror movie remakes of all time with The Invisible Man, in which Hodge plays a cop and friend of Elisabeth Moss’ character who comes to her aid.

How to watch The Invisible Man

• Stream The Invisible Man on Freevee through Amazon
• Buy The Invisible Man on Blu-ray on Amazon

City On A Hill (2019-2022)

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge

What it’s about: A Black assistant district attorney forms an unlikely alliance with a corrupt FBI agent while collaborating on a revolutionary case in 1990s Boston.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Once again, Hodge gives a wonderful performance in a historically significant series – in this case Showtime’s critically acclaimed period crime drama, City on a Hill.

How to watch City on a Hill

• Buy City on a Hill on Amazon
• Buy City on a Hill on Blu-ray on Amazon

Black Adam (2022)

Director: Jaume Collett-Serra

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge

What it’s about: Thousands of years after he was imbued with godly powers, a powerful warrior is awakened from his tomb.

Why it is one of the best Aldis Hodge movies: Hodge stars as Carter “Hawkman” Hall, who is enlisted, along with the rest of the Justice Society of America, to help contain the title character of Black Adam – a DC villain who becomes the hero of the story in this Dwayne Johnson movie.

How to watch Black Adam

• Stream Black Adam on Max
• Rent or buy Black Adam on Amazon
• Buy Black Adam on Blu-ray on Amazon

Aldis Hodge is currently working on a thriller called The Dutchman and an upcoming horror TV show called The Forever House. Until those are released, enjoy his best movies and TV shows so far!

For about as long as movies have been around, Hollywood has been churning out patriotic American movies that make the country, and some of its most notable figures, look like larger than life icons. Over the years, some of the best sports movies, a handful of quintessential ‘80s movies, and so many others have left audiences feeling all warm and fuzzy with patriotic themes or moments (for better or worse). 

Here are 32 of the most patriotic American movies of all time.

Patton (1970)

One of the great American icons of the 20th century, General George S. Patton was instrumental in the Allies winning World War II. The legendary military mind’s life and legacy are put on full display in Patton, a 1970 biopic starring George C. Scott in an Academy Award-winning performance. And it doesn’t get more patriotic than starting a movie with a decorated general standing in front of the biggest American flag in cinematic history.

Rocky IV (1985)

There are some who believe Rocky IV is responsible for thawing, and eventually ending, the Cold War. The fourth installment in the beloved franchise, the movie not only features a boxer covered head to toe with American flags, but it also shows that Soviet technology and doping schemes are no match for a boxer from the U.S. of A and his old school approach.

Red Dawn (1984)

Restart the “Days Without A John Milius Reference” board because we have to talk about the famed director’s 1984 classic, Red Dawn. This movie, which follows a group of Colorado teenagers as they take on invading communist forces, is one of those movies where you just want to throw your fist into the sky and yell “America!” 

Top Gun (1986)

Is Top Gun a movie or a really expensive promotional tool for the U.S. Navy, because Tony Scott’s 1986 action flick has all the latest and greatest tech and weaponery on display. Sure, most of the movie is about Tom Cruise’s Maverick trying to top his rivals in a not-so-friendly competition, but that final act where he takes on some MiGs screams “don’t mess with America.” 

Born On The Fourth Of July (1989)

Okay, Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July does paint the U.S. military (and politicians and certain civilians) in a rather bad light, but this iconic Tom Cruise movie is extremely patriotic, just not in the traditional sense. Veteran Ron Kovic (Cruise) goes through a lot over the course of the movie and becomes an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War and takes great lengths to make sure the country doesn’t forget those who sacrificed all.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Forrest Gump, one of Tom Hanks’ best movies, has a little bit of everything in it. There’s a tragic love story, there’s an epic tale of rags-to-riches, and there’s also a saga of an unassuming boy from Greenbow, Alabama becoming an American icon. If the war scenes weren’t enough, the awesome ping pong escapades of Hanks’ beloved character should do it.

Independence Day (1996)

On the surface, Independence Day looks like nothing more than an alien invasion movie. However, upon starting the movie it doesn’t take long to realize that this 1996 box office juggernaut is an extremely patriotic movie. Like, is there anything better than BIll Pullman’s iconic “this is our Independence Day” speech before the final battle?

The Patriot (2000)

Is The Patriot a good movie? No. Is it a ridiculous movie? Yes. And is it an overly patriotic movie? Dude, Mel Gibson’s character kills the British villain with an American flag. It doesn’t get more patriotic than that.

Miracle (2004)

One of the most inspiring sports underdog stories ever captured on film, Miracle follows the U.S. Hockey team as they pull off the seemingly impossible task of defeating the Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics. America beating the Russkis in the height of the Cold War? Don’t get much more patriotic than that.

Air Force One (1997)

Featuring one of Harrison Ford’s best characters, Air Force One follows the U.S. President as he attempts to take back his plane from a group of heavily-armed terrorists led by Gary Oldman and his absurd accent. They don’t make movies, or presidents, like this these days.

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Before he turned against his country and became a more conscious hero, Steve Rogers became the Allies best hope in Captain America: The First Avenger. One of the best Marvel movies, this 2011 superhero flick follows Chris Evans’ titular hero as he goes from a tiny yet determined New Yorker wanting to fight in the war to one of the men responsible for bringing peace to the world. Sure, there’s some toxic patriotism in this, but we’ll let it slide.

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

Though it doesn’t focus on heroic military minds saving the day or teenagers rising up to defeat evil Commies, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a patriotic movie that shows the best of the American spirit. Centering on Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), a junior U.S. Senator upon his arrival to Capitol Hill, the movie explores the “rights” and “wrongs” of politics and standing up for your convictions.

1776 (1972)

A musical about the founding of America? Move over Hamilton, we’re talking about 1776, Peter H. Hunt’s historical drama that serves as a fictionalized account of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Where else are you going to see John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Hancock (not Herbie Hancock) singing and dancing like this?

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

There are war movies and then there is Saving Private Ryan. Steven Spielberg’s World War II drama is epic in both scope and scale with its story about a group of soldiers going to great lengths to protect a seemingly normal private and prevent his mother from losing all her boys in battle.

Sergeant York (1941)

Howard Hawks’ landmark World War I film, Sergeant York, features one of the best displays of heroism in the history of cinema. Gary Cooper portrays the titular pacifist as he goes against his beliefs to protect his fellow soldiers and the toll it takes on his mind and spirit. 

Apollo 13 (1995)

To prevent catastrophic failure from turning into a national tragedy, America’s greatest minds come together with some old-fashioned American ingenuity to bring a group of astronauts back home. Ron Howard’s Apollo 13, which nearly earned Tom Hanks his third-consecutive Oscar, isn’t overtly patriotic, but it does showcase the brilliance of the nation.

Bridge Of Spies (2015)

With Cold War tensions at a near-record high, a New York lawyer (played by Tom Hanks) plays a key role in a prison swap between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Much like other films set in the era, there are some heavy patriotic themes throughout Bridge of Spies.

Lincoln (2012)

Steven Spielberg pulled out all the stops for Lincoln, his 2012 historical drama about the 16th President of the United States’ (played by Daniel Day-Lewis) quest to end slavery once and for all, bring peace and save the Union during the American Civil War.

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

A movie about the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11th attacks? Yeah, there was no way Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty wasn’t going to be one of the most patriotic movies of the 2010s.

United 93 (2006)

One of the best movies of 2006, United 93 serves as a reenactment of the titular flight hijacked by terrorists on the morning of September 11, 2001, with a heavy focus on the passengers who fought for control of the plane to prevent it from reaching its target, presumably the U.S. Capitol.  

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Yankee Doodle Dandy tells the story of George M. Cohan (James Cagney), a retired entertainer who accepts the call of his nation in the early days of World War II to portray FDR, which eventually leads to him meeting the actual president and receiving the Congressional Gold Medal. 

All The President’s Men (1976)

Patriotism comes in all shapes and sizes, as shown in All the President’s Men. This 1976 retelling of Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward’s (Robert Redford) investigation into the Watergate Scandal is brilliant in just about every way.

Gettysburg (1993)

Released 130 years after the battle on which it was based, Ronald F. Maxwell’s Gettysburg spends several hours chronicling the heroics of several soldiers and generals during the height of the American Civil War. Though it does spend a lot of time on the traitors in the Confederate Army, its themes of love for country and a better tomorrow make it a worthy addition.

Hidden Figures (2016)

One of the most powerful black family movies of the past decade, Hidden Figures tells the story of the unlikely heroes who helped get man to the moon and help America win the Space Race. With incredibly moving messages of patriotism, representation, and making yourself heard, there’s a lot to love.

Armageddon (1998)

Though Armageddon is not very realistic and is a bit over the top, it’s one of those movies that makes you feel proud to be American. Yeah, it’s silly and has more inaccuracies than just about any other space movie ever made, but who saves the day in the end?

Argo (2012)

Ben Affleck’s Argo takes a great number of liberties with the source material and history of the Iran Hostage Crisis, but this Best Picture winner is a blast to watch. American ingenuity and Hollywood magic work hand-in-hand in this saga about the CIA saving a group of American hostages when no one else could get the job down. 

Flags Of Our Fathers (2006)

One of two World War II movies directed by Clint Eastwood in the mid-2000s, Flags of Our Fathers recounts the events that led to one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century: the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima. Though a box office dud, this is one of the most powerful, impactful, and patriotic movies to hit the big screen in the past 20 years.

The Longest Day (1962)

One of the most epic war movies ever produced, The Longest Day (directed by Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, and Bernhard Wicki) takes an in-depth look at practically every aspect of the D-Day landings in Normandy, including the planning and aftermath. With a massive cast that includes the likes of John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, and Sean Connery, this is a military drama you don’t want to miss.

Glory (1989)

Edward Zwick’s Academy Award-winning military drama, Glory, tells the story of the first all-African American regiment to fight in the American Civil War. Emotional as it is epic, this transfixing, inspiring, and patriotic war film checks all the boxes and will leave you feeling moved, no matter what. Plus, the cast, which includes the likes of Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick, and Cary Elwes, is top-notch through and through.

The Right Stuff (1983)

A 1980s box office bomb that is actually great, The Right Stuff tells the story of the first 15 years of America’s space program. Following the lives of NASA astronauts John Glenn (Ed Harris), Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard), and Al Shepard (Scott Glenn), among others, Philip Kaufman’s epic biopic shows what can be achieved when a nation brings together its brightest minds and bravest pilots.

Thirteen Days (2000)

Released on Christmas Day 2000, Roger Donaldson’s Thirteen Days recounts the events of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, an event that nearly saw the Cold War between America and the Soviet Union get hot and bring an end to the world. Kevin Costner, Bruce Greenwood, and Steven Culp are all brilliant in their respective roles.

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Pearl Harbor is far from being one of Michael Bay’s best movies, but it’s probably the director’s most patriotic. Yeah, it’s long, has too many subplots, and the romance distracts from the story, but there’s no denying how great the actual Pearl Harbor sequence looks all these years later.

Whenever you need a patriotic movie, you can certainly turn to this list for inspiration!

The smartest people in the world are often featured in film, sometimes they are real, and sometimes fictional. They don't always have anything in common, either, other than being geniuses. One might be a math wizard, another a musician who hears music no one else could conceive of. Here is our list of people like that, the smartest people in movies.

The Theory Of Everything

It's impossible to have a list like this and not include The Theory Of Everything, a movie about the man, Stephen Hawking, who was considered the smartest man in the world for decades. Eddie Redmayne's award-winning performance as the physics genius is incredible and the movie makes some complicated science actually fun.  

The Big Short

Author Michael Lewis has an uncanny knack for making complicated subjects easily understandable to laypeople. The Big Short is based on one of his best books and breaks down what caused the financial meltdown in 2008/2009 in a way that everyone gets. Margot Robbie explaining it in a bathtub is a nice touch. It also features some really smart, neurodivergent characters based on the real people who saw the crash coming. 

Hidden Figures

Tragically, it took nearly 60 years to tell the story of Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe). These "hidden figures" were a major force within the US Space Program in its earliest days and their math skills put everyone else to shame. The shame they brought to the program for its racial and gender segregation was even more important. 

A Beautiful Mind

The smartest guys in the room are often neurodivergent or suffer from mental health issues. A Beautiful Mind is one of the best examples of how an incredibly brilliant person, in this case mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe) deals with schizophrenia while revolutionizing mathematics in this true story. 

Good Will Hunting

Will Hunting wasn't a real person, but he was smarter than everyone else around him. Good Will Hunting won Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Oscars for their wonderful script about a kid from South Boston who is shy about his incredible intelligence but has no patience for people who dismiss him because of his working-class roots. 

Don't Look Up

Adam McKay's apocalyptic satire Don't Look Up was a big streaming hit featuring two of the biggest stars around, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as two of the world's foremost astronomers desperately trying to tell the world about impending destruction from above. No one is listening. 

The Social Network

Some people may disagree on whether Mark Zuckerberg is a genius, especially after watching The Social Network. Sure he may have borrowed the idea for Facebook from the Winklevoss twins, but he still built the company that turned into the behemoth we know all too well today. 

Real Genius

it's one of Val Kilmer's earliest roles is still one of his very best. Real Genius is a true cult classic these days and for good reason. It's really, really funny. It's aged much better than the other movie about nerds from that era as well, Revenge of the Nerds. 

American Fiction

A truly brilliant writer on the big screen is as rare as hen's teeth, but Thelonious "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) in American Fiction clearly qualifies. He's the smartest guy in every room he's in, except maybe with his family, who are every bit as smart as he is. 

Sherlock Holmes

There is no detective, fictional or otherwise, as smart as Sherlock Holmes. In some ways, every TV and movie detective is based on the Holmes archetype. His insights and pure genius are what makes him so loveable yet annoying at the same time. There are plenty of great versions of him in pop culture as well, with Robert Downey Jr's version ranking among the best of them. 

Ex Machina

Like it or not, the tech bros are defining a lot of nerd culture. Oscar Isaac's character, Nathan Bateman, in Ex Machina, a movie that should have been nominated for Best Picture, but wasn't,  is pretty much the epitome of the modern tech bro, Love him or hate him, he's clearly supposed to be one of the smartest guys in any room he's in. 

The Imitation Game

Alan Turing is a tragic character in history, but there's no questioning just how brilliant he was or how influential his work has been. The Imitation Game finally brought his amazing, sad, and inspiring story to the masses and Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as the troubled genius entranced us all. 

Oppenheimer

Pound for pound, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer just might have the most brilliant people in one movie ever made. And all of them were real people. The scale of the Manhattan Project could only be told in a movie with the scale of Nolan's Best Picture winner. 

Stand And Deliver

Genius doesn't always hail from the hallowed halls of Ivy League universities or big-time board rooms. Sometimes they are just amazing high school teachers like Jaime Escalante, a math teacher in a disadvantaged high school in East LA. Escalante's story, brought to life on screen in Stand and Deliver, starring Edward James Olmos, is one of the most inspiring movies of the 1980s. 

Contact

Long before we had Neil deGrasse Tyson to explain to us mere mortals how the cosmos works, we had Carl Sagan. Contact, based on a novel by Sagan, tells the fictional story of Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) and her discovery of life outside our solar system. 

Limitless

Just like sports, sometimes genius comes from some performance enhancers. Well, at least, that's how it works in Limitless, starring Bradley Cooper as a regular who is transformed into the smartest guy in the world with a drug called NZT. Sure, it's a fictional story and nothing like that exists, but it makes for a really fun movie and some jealousy over what the drug can do. 

Proof

Sadly, genius and mental illness often go hand-in-hand, especially on film. Proof is as much about the latter as it is about the former. Gwyneth Paltrow stars alongside Jake Gyllenhaal as a brilliant mathematician living in the shadow of her even more brilliant late father who struggled with mental illness, something she fears could affect her as well. 

Idiocracy

The geniuses in Idiocracy aren't really geniuses at all. They are just the smartest people on earth in a future where the whole world has gotten really, really stupid. Mike Judge's brilliant, yet somewhat terrifying, vision of the future is something we desperately need to avoid at all costs! It's a brilliant movie about stupid people. 

Moneyball

Every baseball fan knows just how much Sabermetrics has taken over the sport, for better and for worse.  It really all started with Billy Bean, played by Brad Pitt, who leads a brilliant cast in Moneyball, the general manager for the Oakland A's whose story was told first in the book, then in the movie of the same name. There are a lot of really smart people in the movie, though how much better they made baseball in the end is debatable. 

Amadeus

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a towering figure in the history of music. His genius is undisputed and when he was brought to life on screen in Amadeus, the whole world got to see at least one version of the composer. Sure, there are a lot of artistic liberties taken by director Milos Foreman, but the movie isn't shy about showing just how brilliant Mozart was in this amazing biopic. 

The Martian

It turns out Matt Damon is pretty good at playing smart guys. In Ridley Scott's 2015 film The Martian, Damon plays a Mars explorer left for dead after an accident on the Red Planet. With no one around to help, he figures out how to feed himself, make contact with his colleagues, and finally escape certain death on the inhospitable planet. 

Rope

It is possible to be too smart for your own good, or at least think you're smarter than you really are. The characters in Alfred Hitchcock's Rope are one or the other, the viewer has to decide. Loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb murder of the 1920s, two smart college kids try to get away with the perfect murder. 

Pi

There is a fine line between genius and madness, and Darren Aronofsky's first film, Pi, explores that to great depths. It's not an easy movie to watch, both due to its subject matter and its filming techniques, but like the characters in the movie, it's a brilliant film. 

Searching For Bobby Fischer

Chess masters are often thought of as the smartest guys in the room because the complex game is so hard for most people to master. The level of skill on display in Searching For Bobby Fischer is a great example of just how competitive these geniuses can be when it comes to one of the hardest games in the world to conquer. 

Finding Forrester

In Finding Forrester, Jamal Wallace (Rob Brown) is mentored by a brilliant, but reclusive writer played by Sean Connery. The movie shares a lot in common with Good Will Hunting as Wallace is doubted by the elite at every turn, but comes out triumphant in the end. 

WarGames

It's pretty easy to point out the ridiculousness of a high school kid played by Matthew Broderick somehow taking over the nuclear response protocols of the United States during the Cold War, but that isn't really fair to do with WarGames. Broderick plays high school student David Lightman who unwittingly almost starts World War III after he plays a computer game. It turns out he's also the only one smart enough to figure out how to stop it. 

Little Man Tate

You never really know where genius will come from. Sometimes it comes from the most average of places, as portrayed in Little Man Tate. Fred Tate (Adam Hann-Byrd) is a childhood prodigy being raised by a normal working-class mother played by Jodie Foster. He's brilliant in school and seemingly a musical genius. All of this means, of course, that he is ostracized by the other kids in school and the movie highlights just how hard it can be for kids like Fred. 

Steve Jobs

Like a lot of tech billionaires, calling Steve Jobs a genius is sure to rankle some folks. That's okay, but no one can deny just how successful he was in building one of the largest computer companies in the world. In the movie Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder is played by Michael Fassbender and while it's definitely a loving look at the techie's life, it does show the downside as well. 

Powder

Powder is far from a perfect movie, to say nothing about its very controversial director, Victor Salva. Still, it absolutely deserves a spot on any list of the smartest guys in the room. The main character, Powder, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, is not only the smartest person, possibly on earth, but that intelligence comes with supernatural powers as well, truly unlocking the mind's full potential or something. Yeah, it's not perfect. 

Revenge Of The Nerds

We'll just get this out of the way off the top with this entry: Revenge of the Nerds is one of the most problematic movies of the 1980s. There are a lot of reasons why they aren't worth going into here, except to say they are not trivial. But, it's also a movie about a bunch of really smart nerds who take on the jocks in that classic battle as old as time immemorial.  

Iron Man

Yeah, yeah, how can a comic movie be on this list, you're probably asking yourself. Well, because at least in the MCU, Tony Stark is absolutely stone-cold genius. you can argue that he's not, the guy invented the Iron Man suit in a cave in the desert! Who else could do that? Frankly, it's good that the MCU isn't just about superpowers gifted by the gods or freak scientific accidents. Sometimes it just takes a really smart person to be a superhero. 

Arrival

Denis Villeneuve's underrated Arrival tackles a problem that will surely come into play if and when contact is ever made with extraterrestrials. How will we communicate? It'll take a genius to figure that out and in Arrival, that genius is linguist Louise Banks, played by Amy Adams. She's a different kind of genius than almost all the others on this list, but she qualifies just as much. 

Quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most charismatic and reliable leading men is Glen Powell – a star of one of the most exciting 2024 movies, Twisters, and Edgar Wright’s Running Man adaptation, which is one of the most highly anticipated upcoming sci-fi movies. Celebrate his success by taking a look at our picks for the best Glen Powell movies and TV shows, complete with a tip on how to watch each of them.

Twisters (2024)

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos

What it's about: Convinced to return to the storm-chasing business, Kate strikes up an unlikely alliance with viral "tornado wrangler" Tyler Owens.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: Glen Powell gives one of his most entertaining performances yet in Twisters — the surprisingly insightful sequel to one of the best movies of the 1990s, the beloved disaster thriller Twister.

How to watch Twisters

• Stream Twisters on Peacock
• Rent or buy Twisters on Amazon
• Buy Twisters on Blu-ray on Amazon

The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)

Director: Mike Newell

Starring: Lily James, Michel Huisman, Glen Powell

What it's about: A writer discovers a hidden secret about a formerly Nazi-occupied island while researching their community for a book.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: Based on the novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a romantic, feel-good, post-World War II drama featuring Glen Powell as Mark Reynolds – the American boyfriend of Lily James’ Juliet Ashton.

How to watch The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

• Stream The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on Netflix

Anyone But You (2023)

Director: Will Gluck

Starring: Glen Powell, Sydney Sweeney

What it's about: After a failed first attempt at romance, a man and a woman bump into each other en route to a destination wedding, where they attempt to feign a relationship.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: An even more popular rom-com starring Glen Powell is Anyone But You, which boasts such convincing chemistry between him and Sydney Sweeney that fans theorized they were having an affair, but wrongly so.

How to watch Anyone But You

• Stream Anyone But You on Netflix
• Rent or buy Anyone But You on Amazon
• Buy Anyone But You on Blu-ray on Amazon

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Starring: Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Glen Powell

What it's about: A rebellious, veteran Naval pilot becomes a mentor to a new generation of young, aspiring aviators.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: As Lt. Jack “Hangman” Seresin, Glen Powell almost steals the show from Tom Cruise in the Top Gun: Maverick cast in the Academy Award-winning, smash-hit sequel to one of the best movies of the 1980s.

How to watch Top Gun: Maverick

• Stream Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+
• Rent or buy Top Gun: Maverick on Amazon
• Buy Top Gun: Maverick on Blu-ray on Amazon

Family Guy: “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Cheater” (2024)

Starring: Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Patrick Warburton, Glen Powell

What it's about: While Peter stands in as a pumpkin for Joe’s pumpkin growing contest, Stewie’s attempt to reanimate Rupert comes with catastrophic consequences.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell TV shows: Glen Powell lends his voice to this Family Guy Halloween special (exclusive with a Hulu subscription) as Patrick McCloskey, who mocks Joe for his repeated Second Place-winning pumpkins.

How to watch Family Guy: “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Cheater”

• Stream Family Guy: “Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Cheater” on Hulu

Devotion (2022)

Director: J.D. Dillard

Starring: Jonathan Majors, Glen Powell

What it's about: The Navy’s first Black pilot, Jesse Brown, and his friend and comrade, Tom Hudner, play a pivotal role in one of the Korean War’s most important and violent aviary battles.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: Hangman was only one of two pilots Powell played in 2022 — the other being real-life Naval officer Thomas Hudner in the inspiring and thrilling biopic, Devotion.

How to watch Devotion

• Stream Devotion on Peacock
• Rent or buy Devotion on Amazon
• Buy Devotion on Blu-ray on Amazon

Hidden Figures (2016)

Director: Theodore Melfi

Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe

What it's about: Three mathematically gifted Black women are enlisted by NASA to help get the numbers right before sending a new astronaut into the stars.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: Before playing back-to-back pilots in 2022, Powell starred in the Oscar-nominated, inspirational movie Hidden Figures as real-life pilot-turned-astronaut John Glenn, whose life is, essentially, in the hands of its three main leads.

How to watch Hidden Figures

• Rent or buy Hidden Figures on Amazon
• Buy Hidden Figures on Blu-ray on Amazon

Apollo 10-1/2: A Space Age Childhood (2022)

Director: Richard Linklater

Starring: Milo Coy, Zachary Levi, Glen Powell

What it's about: In the summer of 1969, a fourth-grader is recruited into a top secret mission to the Moon after NASA builds a vessel too small for a grown-up to pilot.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: Years after Hidden Figures, Glen Powell played a grounded NASA employee in Netflix’s otherwise not very grounded, rotoscoped dramedy, Apollo 10-1/2: A Space Age Childhood, which is also one of the actor’s many collaborations with Richard Linklater.

How to watch Apollo 10/12: A Space Age Childhood

• Stream Apollo 10-1/2: A Space Age Childhood on Netflix

Hit Man (2024)

Director: Richard Linklater

Starring: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona

What it's about: A college professor who helps the New Orleans police pull sting operations by posing as a killer-for-hire sets off a complicated chain of events when he lets a client walk free.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: Glen Powell’s most recent, Netflix-original collaboration with Linklater (as both his star and co-writer) is Hit Man — another fictionalized and quite funny revision of true events that sees the actor a versatile, hilarious, and 2025 Golden Globe-nominated performance.

How to watch Hit Man

• Stream Hit Man on Netflix

Everybody Wants Some!! (2015)

Director: Richard Linklater

Starring: Blake Jenner, Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell

What it's about: A young baseball player gets a crash course in the college experience while passing the time with his new teammates during early practice in 1980 Texas.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: One of Powell’s earlier collaborations with Linklater is the underrated college movie, Everybody Wants Some!!, in which he plays Walt “Finn” Finnegan — a fast-talking upperclassman who takes his new teammates under his wing.

How to watch Everybody Wants Some!!

• Stream Everybody Wants Some!! on MGM+
• Rent or buy Everybody Wants Some!! on Amazon
• Buy Everybody Wants Some!! on Blu-ray on Amazon

Scream Queens (2015-2016)

Starring: Emma Roberts, Keke Palmer, Billie Lourd, Abigail Breslin

What it's about: A group of sorority sisters and others from their college fall prey to a masked killer, leading them to suspect everyone they know as a potential culprit.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: Around the same time he starred in a great college movie, Glen Powell appeared on one of the best college TV shows of its time, co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s Scream Queens — also one of the best horror TV shows on Hulu — as fraternity president Chad Radwell.

How to watch Scream Queens

• Stream Scream Queens on Hulu
• Buy Scream Queens on Amazon

Set It Up (2018)

Director: Claire Scanlon

Starring: Glen Powell, Zoey Deutch, Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu, Pete Davidson

What it's about: Two overworked office assistants team up to play matchmaker for their respective uptight bosses.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: Glen Powell reunited with fellow Everybody Wants Some!! star Zoey Deutch as the romantic leads of Set It Up — a charming Netflix original rom-com that is also one of the best Pete Davidson movies.

How to watch Set It Up

• Stream Set It Up on Netflix

Sex Ed (2014)

Director: Isaac Feder

Starring: Haley Joel Osment, Lorenza Izzo, Glen Powell

What it's about: A middle school teacher provides unauthorized sexual education to his students while struggling to navigate romance in his personal life.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: Glen Powell stars in the sweet and edgy rom-com, Sex Ed, as JT – the sexually experienced, supportive roommate of Haley Joel Osment’s central character.

How to watch Sex Ed

• Stream Sex Ed on Peacock

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (2020-2022)

Starring: Darius Bowman, Jenna Ortega, Glen Powell

What it's about: The adventures of a group of young campers on an island overrun with genetically engineered dinosaurs.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: Glen Powell would lend his voice to Netflix’s animated Jurassic Park movies spin-off, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, in the recurring role of goofy, laidback counselor, Dave.

How to watch Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous

• Stream Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous on Netflix

Spy Kids 3: Game Over (2003)

Director: Robert Rodriguez

Starring: Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara

What it's about: An 11-year-old secret-agent-turned-private-investigator must enter the bizarre reality of an unusually popular video game to rescue his sister.

Why it is one of the best Glen Powell movies: See just how far Glen Powell has come by checking out his acting debut in Spy Kids 3: Game Over as “Long-fingered Boy,” in which the then-teenager shows great promise toward becoming the energetic performer we know him as today.

How to watch Spy Kids 3: Game Over

• Stream Spy Kids 3: Game Over on Max
• Rent or buy Spy Kids 3: Game Over on Amazon
• Buy Spy Kids 3: Game Over on Blu-ray on Amazon

There are sure to be more great Glen Powell movies and TV shows to check out, so keep an eye on our upcoming 2025 movies schedule.

Glen Powell is one of the hottest stars in Hollywood right now, but before his breakout success in Top Gun: Maverick that wasn’t exactly the case. In a new interview conducted by fellow Texan Matthew McConaughey, Powell admits that not that long ago he was broke, though he never let the money dictate what roles he decided to take. 

While Glen Powell is probably commanding some pretty impressive salaries as his star has been on the rise, it’s taken some work for him to get there. Talking with McConaughey for Interview Magazine, Powell talks about the difficulty that came with choosing the roles he wanted to do, rather than the ones that would have made him more money, because he wanted to do things “right” even when he really could have used the money.

He talks specifically about his small role as John Glenn in the drama Hidden Figures. He was paid well enough for the part, despite Powell feeling he "ruined" the movie, but as it was the only work he did that year, he was still only scraping by. Still, he did it because he wanted to be part of the movie, and he wanted to send the right message. Powell explained…

Glen Powell clearly had an idea of the sort of actor he wanted to be in Hollywood, and for him that dictated not only the jobs that he took but also the jobs that he turned down. But at the end of the day, everybody needs money. Powell himself admits that taking that path as hard because he was broke, but it was important to him that he make the right movies, even if it wasn’t easy. Powell continued…

Maybe taking those other jobs wouldn’t have changed the trajectory of his career, but what is clear is that the choices he made did get him here. His appearance in Top Gun: Maverick made him a bonafide movie star. He’s got one of the best movies on Netflix right now in Hit Man. He’ll appear this summer in the long-awaited sequel to Twister. He’s able to choose the roles he wants, he turned out a part in the new Jurassic World movie, which likely would have been a pretty impressive payday, but being broke probably isn’t going to be a problem for him for a very long time.

Taraji P. Henson has given outstanding performances across film and TV over the past two plus decades. Henson has enthralled viewers by showing her vast acting range in projects ranging from prestige films like The Best of Enemies to the Think Like a Man franchise and classic movies like Baby Boy. 

Having amassed a long filmography and acclaim, Henson should at least have one or two Academy Awards. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for the Cookie Lyon actress with one Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Her recent claims about poor treatment and pay inequity on The Color Purple set amplified Hollywood's underappreciation of her talent. That doesn’t mean the Oscar nominee hasn’t delivered more Oscar-worthy performances, so, here are just some of Taraji P. Henson’s movies worthy of an Academy Award.

Hustle & Flow (2005)

After years of working in Hollywood, Taraji P. Henson finally caught the attention of Hollywood and critics as the lovable and shy pregnant sex worker, Shug, in the 2005 drama Hustle & Flow.

Whereas other actresses might’ve gone the stereotypical route, Henson made Shug a nuanced character full of complexity, illustrated in the iconic studio scene. She allowed the character to evolve from hooker to hook singer while developing into a romantic interest. The evolution gave the actress room to keep her performance grounded while capturing the emotions of a young woman living in a gritty Memphis.

Henson gave her best in the scenes with her co-star, Terrance Howard. Watching Djay and Shug’s relationship evolve was the best part of the movie. However, the acclaim didn’t pan out to a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination, but Howard did score a Best Actor nom.   

You can watch the acclaimed music drama by streaming it on Max.

Talk To Me (2007)

Henson took on the biopic genre by popping up in the 2007 film Talk to Me. She played Petey Greene's (Don Cheadle) lively girlfriend, Vernell Watson, in the legendary radio disc jockey’s life story.

While Vernell was a supporting role, Henson made the character a formidable counterpart to Petey’s outlandish persona (with better reasoning and morals). While serving as the voice of reason, the Empire alum stole several scenes with her infectious jokes. On the other side, she evolved as Petey’s rising fame caused relationship conflict.

However, Henson’s best scenes came from working with Cheadle’s over-the-top Greene or Chiwetel Ejiofor’s straight man, Dewey Hughes. In some cases, she outperformed her two male co-stars. Despite nods from the NAACP and Satellite Awards, the AMPAS completely ignored the Hollywood A-lister with no Supporting Actress Oscar nom.  

Stream the Petey Green biopic through platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Hulu.

From The Rough (2013)

The actress found her niche playing real-life personalities. She led the 2013 sports biopic, From the Rough, playing Tennessee State University golf coach Catana Starks.

Henson took inspiration from her real-life counterpart, and expertly portrayed Starks’ struggle to form a golf team. The Oscar nominee took audiences on an emotional rollercoaster as she channeled the TSU coach’s time and dedication against insurmountable obstacles.

Portraying Starks’ story allowed Henson to play off her mostly male co-stars. She recreated the coach’s personal and professional conflicts, especially with Henry Simmons. The biopic’s tepid release caused the Academy to miss nominating the movie star for a Best Actress Oscar.  

Watch the sports biopic by getting an Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Hidden Figures (2016)

After From the Rough, Taraji P. Henson dipped her toe back in the biopic waters with the Oscar-nominated film, Hidden Figures. She became influential NASA mathematician Katherine Goble Johnson.

Like her earlier biopic role, Henson mimicked her late real-life counterpart through her speech, personality, and mannerisms. The Hollywood A-lister highlighted Johnson’s journey from a gifted young woman to an accomplished NASA analyst, wife, and mother. The movie captured the influential figure’s personal and professional struggles, as seen in the much-cited bathroom scene.

Of course, Henson’s best moment came from the display of friendship between her, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe. Even Mahershala Ali and Kevin Costner shared some incredible moments with the TV and film star. Despite being the film’s emotional center, Henson did not garner a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar nom. Even so, the film and Spencer did rake up a few nominations.

Check out the acclaimed Oscar nominee by streaming it through a Disney+ subscription.

The Color Purple (2023)

Henson tapped into her musical roots by joining the all-star cast of the stage-to-screen adaptation of The Color Purple. She took over the role of troubled jazz singer Shug Avery, originated by Oscar nominee Margaret Avery in the original 1985 film.

The Hollywood star managed to marry the original drama of 1985 original and the Tony-winning Broadway musical. She showed off her acting and singing talents to become the iconic character. Despite the foundation laid out in the first film, the Emmy-nominated actress took Shug in a new direction by exploring her love connection with both Celie and Mister.

Shug’s romantic dynamics with Celie (Fantasia Barrino) and Mister (Colman Domingo) provided Henson with some of the musical film’s best scenes. These scenes helped the story to progress. Garnering acclaim and early Oscar buzz as Shug didn’t lead to Henson nabbing a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination despite her co-star Danielle Brooks receiving a nomination in the category. You can now watch the acclaimed musical film through a Max subscription.

The above performances prove that Taraji P. Henson has offered enough Oscar-worthy roles for the Academy to recognize. Never stepping on the Academy Award stage is unjust; however, being overlooked never kept the Hollywood staple from working consistently. The Acrimony star has multiple shows and movies arriving in 2024 and beyond, including Time Alone and the miniseries, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist. Maybe the former project will finally see her accept her well-deserved Oscar. Check with CinemaBlend for more Taraji P. Henson news as the year progresses.

Black cinema is made up of a plethora of motion pictures that span various genres. Dramas, comedies, fantasy flicks and science fiction fare make up the beautiful tapestry of African American storytelling on the big screen. Some may not realize it, but there are plenty of excellent movies that an entire brood can enjoy together. On that note, we’re going to take some time and discuss 15 of the best Black family films. 

A Raisin In The Sun (1961)

Based on the play of the same name by Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun centers on the Chicago-based Younger family. The story chronicles the tight-knit brood’s daily tribulations and their aim to wisely utilize an insurance-related windfall they receive after the death of their patriarch. 

Hansberry uses the Younger family to touch on social topics like classism, racism and assimilation. This acclaimed movie is a well-written and well-directed piece of work. It also features winning performances from stars like Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil, and it serves as a stunning showcase for the late Sidney Poitier. It’s not only one of Poitier’s best films but a masterful cinematic experience in general.

The Wiz (1978)

Another engaging play-to-film adaptation to check out is 1978’s The Wiz, one of the many credits of legendary director Sidney Lumet. Based on the 1974 Broadway production, this updated take on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz takes the character of Dorothy Gale (Diana Ross) and places her in a magical and unpredictable world. 

There are impeccable performances at play here from the likes of Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross and Michael Jackson. What makes this feature particularly unique, though, is the way in which it blends fantastical and urban iconography together. This is an eclectic musical you need to see at least once.

The Meteor Man (1993)

In the ‘90s, it was incredibly rare to see a Black superhero on the big screen, and the Robert Townsend-written and directed film, The Meteor Man, was a novelty when it hit theaters. Townsend plays the role of a teacher who gains superpowers after coming into contact with a cosmic rock. From there, he forges a heroic alter ego and seeks to fight crime, specifically taking on the gang terrorizing his Washington, D.C. community. 

This is a fun flick with a great cast and is filled with adventure, humor, heart and camp. You’ll come for the heroics, and you’ll leave with a better understanding of the importance of community.

Cool Runnings (1993)

There are a plethora of great sports movies out there, and I’d argue that Cool Runnings has carved out a solid legacy for itself. It’s inspired by a true story and focuses on the first Jamaican national bobsled team and their efforts to compete at the 1988 Winter Olympics. 

This story checks a lot of boxes when it comes to the typical tropes found in athletics-based films. However, it’s a sweet tale of resilience that’s hard not to love, and the comedic elements mostly work well, too. Also integral to the proceedings is the cast, including Leon, Malik Yoba and the prolific John Candy, who made an impact on his co-stars.

Crooklyn (1994)

Among Spike Lee’s most socially relevant movies is Crooklyn, which was inspired by the filmmaker’s childhood in New York. Set in the early ‘70s, the movie focuses on the daily exploits of a Bedford-Stuyvesant-based family. This acclaimed entry in Lee’s filmography paints a vivid and nuanced portrait of Black life, specifically the experiences of those in the inner city. With a warm story, great performances by Alfre Woodard and Delroy Lino and an awesome soundtrack, this is an excellent story that’s truly timeless.

Dr. Dolittle (1998)

Though Eddie Murphy isn’t the only actor to have played the role of Dr. John Dolittle, he’s likely the first star that comes to mind when fans think of the character. Dr. Dolittle sees the A-lister play the role of a surgeon and family man, who rediscovers his innate ability to talk to animals. A staple of Murphy’s filmography, the fun flick offers solid laughs and plenty of heart. And, quite frankly, it’s refreshing to see a Black family at the center of a somewhat fantastical story.

Akeelah And The Bee (2006)

Akeelah and the Bee marked the first starring movie role for a young Keke Palmer and, if you’ve seen it, then you’ll understand why her career has thrived since then. The drama centers around 11-year-old spelling savant Akeelah Anderson, who eventually finds herself competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Palmer is nothing short of fantastic, as are co-stars Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett, who Palmer helped land the role of her on-screen mom. This is a sweet and inspiring story of determination and, while one can argue that it’s conventional in some ways, that makes it no less satisfying.

The Great Debaters (2007)

Another film that focuses on young Black excellence is The Great Debaters. Directed by and starring Denzel Washington, the film is about the Wiley College debate team from Texas, who sought to compete with their white peers in the 1930s. Washington puts a considerable amount of care into this production and it really shines through. His keen direction and winning performances from Jurnee Smollett and Denzel Whitaker keep this from simply being a by-the-book period piece.

The Princess And The Frog (2009)

For years, Disney fans waited for a Black princess, and they finally received one in 2009 when Tiana was introduced. The Princess and the Frog is a fairytale romp that puts a fresh spin on a classic story. This lauded film is beautifully brought to life with traditional animation reminiscent of the features from the Disney Renaissance. It also exudes the charm and warmth that’s present within the flicks of that era. To put it simply, this is a lovely film, and Anika Noni Rose’s ambitious Tiana proves to be a princess worth admiring.

Hidden Figures (2016)

Anyone looking for an enjoyable historical drama that anyone can enjoy should check out Hidden Figures. Those who tune in will be treated to the true stories of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. The trio were African American mathematicians who were crucial to the U.S.’ early space flights in the 1960s. 

Not only is the movie entertaining but insightful, as well. It also features strong performances from Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monáe and Octavia Spencer. This is a particularly great film for Black History Month, but that shouldn’t be the only time you screen it.

Black Panther (2018)

The massive Marvel Cinematic Universe became a bit richer when Black Panther hit theaters in 2018. Ryan Coogler directs and co-writes this exciting movie, which follows superhero and newly named king of Wakanda, T’Challa, as he seeks to protect his nation from outside forces. 

Coogler injects this MCU entry with a distinctive sense of style, which is marked by lovely cinematography, excellent music and a loving focus on African iconography. One also can’t overlook the incredible performances from the cast, and it also marks one of the best performances of the late Chadwick Boseman.

See You Yesterday (2019)

A great Black-led science fiction movie worth checking out is Netflix’s See You Yesterday. This time travel tale, which names Spike Lee as a producer, centers around a young science prodigy who uses the time machine she’s created to prevent her brother’s death. The film flew under the radar when it was released, but it’s definitely worth your time. In addition to offering up some solid sci-fi trappings, it also conveys some keen social commentary. As you’d expect there are also shades of Back to the Future – and Michael J. Fox even has a role in it.

The Water Man (2020)

David Oyelowo isn’t just an accomplished actor, as he’s also proven himself to be a skilled director through his work on The Water Man. A coming-of-age drama, it sees a young boy embark on a quest to find a mythical being in an attempt to heal his ailing mother. This is one of the more imaginative motion pictures you might see. Oyelowo, who also stars as the protagonist’s father, ultimately crafts what feels like a modern-day fairytale, though it always feels grounded. 

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a yuletide story that’s sure to leave you with plenty of holiday cheer. It’s about a curious little girl who – while staying with her estranged toy maker grandfather – tries to keep his latest invention out of his former apprentice’s clutches. 

Originally conceived as a stage production, this film features some ambitious musical numbers and stunning production design to boot. This is an instant classic, and it’s likely that after you watch it once you’ll want to make a showing an annual tradition.

The Color Purple (2023)

It goes without saying that a musical isn’t easy to craft, but Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple proves to be an impressive piece of work. Like Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated take on Alice Walker’s novel, the film focuses on the tribulations of Celie Harris. 

However, Bazawule doesn’t dwell on the trauma but puts emphasis on how Celie uses her vivid imagination to process her circumstances. The result is an excellent film, which features show-stopping performances from Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino.

As you can see, there are plenty of great options when it comes to Black family films. And, of course, this list doesn’t even cover all of them. So, do yourself a favor by grabbing your relatives (as well as some popcorn) and sitting down to check these movies, and more, out.

It's often said that biopics are nothing more than "Oscar bait" for the actors involved, but the great ones are so much better than that, and baiting Oscar for one doesn't always work, anyway. So whether you watch them for the history or the performances, here is a list of some of our favorite biopics. 

Golda

2023's Golda didn't get the best reviews when it was released, except for Helen Mirren's spectacular performance as the titular Golda Mier. Mirren is unrecognizable in the role, both due to the incredible work by the makeup department, and her acting. It also gives a good history lesson, which isn't always the case with biopics. 

Chaplin

Robert Downey, Jr. had an infamously rough decade in the 1990s, but it started with a bang, as he starred as the legendary Charlie Chaplin in Chaplin. Downey nailed the role, even learning how to play tennis left-handed for the part. It was the first real glimpse at Downey's range as an actor and it earned him a well-deserved Oscar nomination. 

What's Love Got To Do With It

The life of the late, great Tina Turner is one of heartbreak and triumph. The film based on it, What's Love Got To Do With It, succeeds in showing both sides. Angela Bassett's performance as Turner leaves audiences stunned as she just crushes every aspect of the role, from the hard-to-watch personal moments with Turner's ex-husband Ike, to those moments on stage where she was second to none. 

Amadeus

Amadeus, starring F. Murray Abraham as Antonio Salieri and Tom Hulce as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is just a wonderful movie. Director Milos Foreman and the actors, playing rival composers in 18th century Austria were clearly having a good time filming this movie, but where it needs to be serious, it is. It's no surprise it won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Abraham. 

Gandhi

Winning eight Oscars is a good sign of a great movie, and Gandhi is an epic one. Ben Kingsley might be a controversial choice to play India's most important historical figure, but he just crushes the role, winning an Oscar for his portrayal of the celebrated pacifist. The film also won Best Picture and Best Director for Sir Richard Attenborough. 

I, Tonya

Anyone in Gen X knows the story of I, Tonya by heart. The names Tonya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan, Jeff Gillooly, and Shawn Eckardt are part of the cultural zeitgeist. Knowing the story doesn't make the movie less enjoyable, though. In fact, just the opposite. Learning Harding's story from the beginning brings new understanding and compassion for the figure skater at the center of the movie. Margot Robbie is fantastic as well, earning an Oscar nomination in the process. 

Malcolm X

Denzel Washington is powerful as Malcolm X in Spike Lee's Malcolm X. The film was a major cultural moment when it was released in 1992. Critics praised both Washington's performance and Lee's direction, and the film has gone a long way to present Malcolm X's full character and not just the firebrand he's most known as. 

Frida

Salma Hayak made a lot of believers out of audiences with her spot-on portrayal of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. It's fair to say Hayak wasn't given the respect she deserved as an actress before the film, but she would never be doubted after it. In fact, the whole cast is great. 

Milk

At the heart of Milk are the two amazing performances by Sean Penn (Harvey Milk) and Josh Brolin (as Milk's killer Dan White). If ever there was a person worthy of a biopic, it was Harvey Milk, the politician and gay activist who was murdered while serving in the local San Francisco government. His story was almost untold in society and this movie changed that. 

Priscilla

Sophia Coppola's 2023 biopic, Priscilla, about Priscilla Presley, is a rarity, in that it's about the woman behind the man. Her marriage to Elvis was always in the news, but rarely was it from any perspective other than his. Finally, fans were able to see it from Priscilla's side, and it makes the marriage all the more fascinating. 

Lawrence Of Arabia

Lawrence Of Arabia may play fast and loose with the facts regarding T.E. Lawrence's life, but there's no way to make a list like this without including one of the greatest movies of all time. Volumes have been written about the movie, so we'll just say, if you've never watched it, you should. All three hours and 38 minutes of it. You won't regret it. 

Raging Bull

What can one say about Robert De Niro's performance in Raging Bull? It's one of the greatest roles of all time. Of course, he won the Academy Award, and of course, it'll be remembered forever, but that doesn't even scratch the surface of how good it really is. He lost weight, he gained weight, and he did everything he could to make Jake LaMotta the role of a lifetime. 

Hidden Figures

Audiences get three for the price of one with 2016's Hidden Figures. The movie tells the little-known story of Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) and the work they did for NASA.

Capote

Put simply, Philip Seymour Hoffman is brilliant in Capote. He captures the mannerisms and voice of the author perfectly and really, one could just watch B-roll of Hoffman in character and be mesmerized. The role earned him a well-deserved Oscar and the rest of the cast and the story itself are just as good. 

Rocketman

It's always a little hard to watch biopics of people who are still living and have lots and lots of actual film footage of themselves. Rocketman is one such case. Taron Egerton's award-winning performance as the legendary Elton John is still worth a watch, plus, the movie is just a ton of fun, even if it doesn't get all the facts correct. 

Elvis

Leave it to Baz Luhrmann to re-invent how to make a biopic. Elvis is like no other biography before it. Part musical, part music video, and part biography, the movie is, luckily, grounded in Austin Butler's fantastic performance as Elvis Presley. Even if Luhrmann's style isn't your bag, it's worth a watch for Butler alone. 

Erin Brockavich

Erin Brockovich is proof positive the subject of a biopic doesn't need to be famous. Julia Roberts is a powerhouse as the titular character in maybe the best performance of her career. 

Selena

Believe it or not, there was a time when Jennifer Lopez wasn't one of the biggest stars on the planet. In fact, it was 1997's Selena that really launched her career into superstardom. She's magnificent in the movie about the Tejano star who was tragically murdered at the height of her fame. Lopez is perfect in the role, playing a singer who dazzled her legions of fans, just like JLo herself does. 

Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody, about Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) and Queen, isn't a perfect movie. It gets a lot of the facts wrong, and outside of Mercury, we don't learn much about the rest of the band. Still, Malek's performance is amazing, and it makes sense why they chose to end the movie with the legendary LiveAid performance, even if it meant changing some of the facts. 

Coal Miner's Daughter

1980's Coal Miner's Daughter has a stacked cast. Tommy Lee Jones, Levon Helm, and Beverly D'Angelo all put in great work here, but they are all outshined by Sissy Spacek in the lead role, playing country music legend Loretta Lynn. Based on Lynn's autobiography, it tells the story of how she rose from desperate poverty in rural Kentucky to the biggest stages in the world, and it's a wonderful, bittersweet, triumphant ride. 

Ray

Jamie Foxx is transcendent as Ray Charles in Ray. Foxx won all the awards. Literally all of them, becoming just the second actor to win the Golden Globe, the BAFTA, the Oscar, The SAG Award, and the Critics Choice Award for his performance. In a word, it's brilliant. It's rare for a performance of a person audiences are so familiar with, as they were with Charles, to work so well, but that's how good Foxx is. 

The Iron Lady

It's not hard to believe that Meryl Streep would put in one of her best performances playing a historical figure as she does with Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. For fans of political history, this movie is a much watch on either side of the Atlantic. Streep plays the former Prime Minister exactly how you'd want, with power and grace and even if you disagree with her politics, you can't deny her story is amazing. 

The Aviator

No one in Hollywood history has been better suited to play the mercurial Howard Hughes than Leonardo DiCaprio is, and he proves it in The Aviator. From young movie producer to a hot shot pilot to a mentally ill old man, DiCaprio hits all the right notes as Hughes through his life. 

Elizabeth

The biggest criticism of Elizabeth is that the historical facts are a jumbled-up mess and that's fair. The timeline is all over the place, for starters, but sometimes good storytelling requires a... re-imagining of events, as it were. Elizabeth is great storytelling, with Cate Blanchett playing the titular queen so well, we can look the other way a little bit here.  

Notorious

The best aspect of Notorious is not that it's about the Notorious B.I.G., but that it's more about Christopher Wallace, the man who would become Biggie. It's been rightfully praised for focusing more on the man behind the persona, than the persona itself. Jamal Woolard is great, as is the supporting cast, including Angela Bassett as Wallace's mother, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur. 

Gorillas In The Mist

Gorillas in the Mist is as triumphant and tragic as its subject's life. Dian Fossey, played by Sigourney Weaver, who won the Best Actress Oscar for the role, did more to save the gorillas in Rwanda than any other single person, and for that, she was likely murdered. Her murder remains an unsolved mystery, but there is no mystery as to why Gorillas in the Mist is worthy of this list.  

Judy

Like so many other films on this list, Judy is anchored by a career-defining performance by Renee Zellweger as the iconic Judy Garland. The film's structure is brilliant as well, allowing audiences into the tragic last year of Garland's life while celebrating all the great moments of her career when she was younger. 

The Doors

Val Kilmer completely transforms himself into Jim Morrison in The Doors. Watching the movie, audiences get lost in the performance, completely unable to separate the performer from his part. The rest of the cast, led by Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley, and Kevin Dillon are also amazing, plus Crispin Glover's turn as Andy Warhol leaves one giddy. 

Walk The Line

Walk The Line is ostensively about Johnny Cash, but it's just as much about June Carter Cash as it is about her husband. Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix were both nominated for their roles, but only Witherspoon won, because as good as Phoenix is – and he's fantastic – Witherspoon is stone-cold brilliant. 

Jackie

Natalie Portman racked up the award nominations for her portrayal of Jackie Kennedy in Jackie and with good reason. Her performance features the highs and lows of Kennedy's life as first lady, and is wonderful. It would be so easy for this one to fall into a trap of knowing too much about the subject going in, and though we all do, the movie still works brilliantly. 

Patton

Even 80 or so years after World War II ended, General George S. Patton is still a controversial figure. Actor George C. Scott weaves a wonderful performance as the famous general in Patton, just as anyone would want. You understand why he was great, but you see all the flaws that made him so polarizing. It's a hard line to walk, but Scott does it well. 

Lincoln

When you watch a performance like Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln, it's easy to understand why the actor decided to retire. He so encompasses the role, it has to be completely exhausting, just as Abraham Lincoln was exhausted toward the end of the Civil War, as the movie shows. The film can be slow at times, but the history is spot on and the acting is amazing. 

Biopics are reliably great opportunities for actors to win awards, but that's not the only reason we love them, and these movies prove that they are more than just the performances. 

Every movie could be considered an inspiration to somebody — perhaps in the sense that it influenced them to pursue a career in filmmaking or contained stylistic or thematic elements that they aspire to include their own stories. However, how many films can you say actually inspired you to make a change in your own life, make a difference in the world, or even just helped you see yourself or other people in a whole new light? The following are some inspirational movies that we believe could give just the boost of motivation you need to follow your dreams.

Rudy (1993)

A die-hard Notre Dame football fan (Sean Astin) sets out to achieve his life-long dream by earning himself a position on the team, despite his small stature.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: What makes Rudy one of the best sports movies of all time is that even people who have no interest in football can relate and react strongly to the true underdog story of Daniel E. “Rudy” Ruettiger, whose life inspired director David Anspaugh’s classic. 

Stream Rudy on Tubi.
Rent or buy Rudy on Amazon.

Glory (1989)

During the United States Civil War, the Black volunteers of a Union military troop struggle with prejudice at the hands of their battlefield enemies and their white comrades alike.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: One of best war movies of its (or any time) is Glory for the way it depicts one of the most divisive eras in American history through the eyes of soldiers given the chance to prove their worth in a country that treated them as inferiors and came out as heroes.

Rent or buy Glory on Amazon.

The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006)

A newly single father (Academy Award winner Will Smith) to a six-year-old boy (Jaden Smith) struggles to overcome poverty and homelessness and find a better career than selling bone density scanners in 1980s San Francisco.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: Easily one of the best Will Smith movies is (the intentionally misspelled) The Pursuit of Happyness, which is based on a memoir of the same name by Chris Gardner, who would go on to become a successful entrepreneur and motivational speaker — showing the importance of not giving up even in your darkest moments.

Stream The Pursuit Of Happyness on Peacock.
Rent or buy The Pursuit Of Happyness on Amazon.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

A young man (former Skins cast member Dev Patel) participating on India’s version of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? finds that each of his increasingly difficult trivia questions reminds him of a key moment from his childhood in Mumbai.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: From director Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire — one of the best movies of the 2000s — is a film that cannot quite be defined by one genre but, at its core, is the story of a person who goes above and beyond for the love of his life (Frieda Pinto) — a kind of passion that everyone should aspire for.

Stream Slumdog Millionaire on Hulu.
Rent or buy Slumdog Millionaire on Amazon.

Hidden Figures (2016)

In its early years, NASA turns to three mathematically inclined Black women (played by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe) for help to ensure that astronaut John Glenn (Glenn Powell) has a safe trip into the stars.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: A great movie to watch during Women’s History Month or to watch during Black History Month (or anytime) as well, is Hidden Figures, which depicts the previously untold story of how mathematicians Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Gobels Johnson overcame both racial and gender discrimination and played an essential role in the development of the United States Space Program.

Stream Hidden Figures on Disney+.
Rent or buy Hidden Figures on Amazon.

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

After suffering a devastating financial loss, a banker and family man (Jimmy Stewart) is given the chance on Christmas Eve to see what the world would be like if he never existed, courtesy of his guardian angel (Henry Travers).

Why it is a great inspirational movie: Director Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life is justifiably recognized as one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made, but (in addition to its holiday setting not being particularly necessary), it is great to watch any time of the year for its valuable lessons in self-discovery and self-worth.

Stream It's A Wonderful Life on Amazon Prime.

Life Of Pi (2012)

An older Indian man (the late Irrfan Khan) recalls to a young writer (Rafe Spall) the unbelievable story of how, when he was a teen (played by Suraj Sharma), he formed a trusting bond with a Bengal Tiger in order to survive while adrift at sea.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: Directed to Academy Award-winning acclaim by Ang Lee and based on the novel by Yann Martel, the story of Life of Pi may seem to border on the impossible, but would give anyone who has seen it a reason to at least try to overcome whatever seemingly insurmountable circumstances come their way.

Rent or buy Life of Pi on Amazon.

Erin Brockovich (2000)

While working as a paralegal, a divorced single mother of three (Julia Roberts in her Oscar-winning role) uncovers a local water pollution scandal and almost single-handedly takes on the California corporation behind it.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: The world could use a lot more motivation to be an advocate for environmental activism and one potent source of inspiration would be director Steven Soderbergh’s Erin Brockovich, which is based on the life of one of the most famous environmental activists and, not to mention, a highly influential feminist icon.

Rent or buy Erin Brockovich on Amazon.

To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)

A widowed father and attorney (Gregory Peck) defends a Black man (Brock Peters) wrongfully accused of assaulting his female employer in 1930s Alabama.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: When the American Film Institute ranked cinema’s greatest heroes and villains, the choice for the Number One hero was Peck’s role as Atticus Finch in Robert Mulligan’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, citing his staunch aversion to prejudice and crucial lessons in considering the perspective of others.

Rent or buy To Kill A Mockingbird on Amazon.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

A highly intelligent, but emotionally stunted, young Boston native (Matt Damon) forms a life-changing bond with a therapist (Academy Award winner Robin Williams) tasked with helping him reach his full potential.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: Confronting and overcoming harsh and uncomfortable truths about ourselves or our pasts in order to better understand our own self-worth is an essential theme of director Gus Van Sant’s Good WIll Hunting, which was also written by stars Damon and Ben Affleck, who earned Oscars for their screenplay.

Stream Good Will Hunting on Max.
Rent or buy Good Will Hunting on Amazon.

Forrest Gump (1994)

A man of below-average intelligence (Tom Hanks in his second Oscar-winning role) witnesses segregation, the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal, and just about every other significant moment in history during the mid-20th Century.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: From director Robert Zemeckis and based on the novel by Winston Groom, Best Picture Oscar winner Forrest Gump is a thoroughly amusing and endearing tale that celebrates how kindness and heart are more important than intelligence.

Stream Forrest Gump on Amazon Prime.
Stream Forrest Gump on Paramount+.

Legally Blonde (2001)

After being dumped by her boyfriend, a college student with a passion for fashion (Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon) sets out to reinvent herself by getting accepted into Harvard Law School.

Why it is a great inspirational movie: Elle Woods’ goal at the beginning of Robert Luketic’s Legally Blonde is mainly to prove to her ex-boyfriend that there is more to her than her looks, but by the end, when she gives one of cinema’s most inspirational speeches, she ends up proving her worth to someone more important: herself. 

Stream Legally Blonde on Max.
Rent or buy Legally Blonde on Amazon.

Just by looking back at these classic movies, we feel more inspired already!

Music and the movies are two worlds that cross over often, and to great effect. Sometimes the greatest overlap between those segments of entertainment comes from performances through figures we primarily know for carrying a tune over a scene. But believe it or not, these 32 movies featuring professional musicians are noteworthy for providing talent that can do both. 

Janelle Monáe - Hidden Figures

Playing Mary Jackson, an African-American mathematician crucial to the early days of NASA’s space race, Janelle Monáe showed off her dramatic chops in the historical drama Hidden Figures. One of the earliest cinematic roles in her career, Monáe would go on to become a more prolific actor and singer, adding films like Glass Onion: a Knives Out mystery to her resume along the way. 

David Bowie - The Prestige

As he continues to build amazing ensemble casts to carry out his cinematic visions, director Christopher Nolan has a knack for choosing talent. Which leads to that time Nolan begged David Bowie to be in The Prestige, as the helmer felt that the actor/singer would be a perfect Nicola Tesla. That instinct was as well played as the film it served to bolster.

Lady Gaga - A Star Is Born

Lady Gaga is such a natural entertainer that when she was announced as a lead in Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born remake, it didn’t feel like that much of a surprise. With previous films and shows to her acting credit, this role could be considered her cinematic breakout, as it landed her many raves, awards and nominations during the 2018-2019 awards cycle.

Frank Sinatra - The Manchurian Candidate

By the time Frank Sinatra made The Manchurian Candidate, his career had seen him make musicals, comedies, and intense dramas alike. The 1962 neo-noir thriller became one of his best received films, as Sinatra’s Captain Bennett Marco and his quest to prevent a clandestine assassination attempt distinguished itself as a contemporary hit, as well as an all-time classic. 

Queen Latifah - Set It Off

A landmark ‘90s drama that’s still fondly remembered to this day, Set It Off told a story of four women looking to live better lives through thievery. Queen Latifah’s Cleo Sims made up a part of that team, offering a complex performance that was both tragic and empowering. 

Gene Simmons - Runaway

Kiss frontman Gene Simmons knew what it was like to surprise the world when he and his bandmates took off their makeup for a period between the ‘80s and ‘90s. That was as good a time as any for Simmons to break into acting, as the villainous Dr. Charles Luther in Michael Crichton’s Runaway. 

Whitney Houston - The Bodyguard

If The Bodyguard had been made when it was first written, we might have seen Ryan O’Neal and Diana Ross playing the leads. But, as anyone in Hollywood could tell you, delays can sometimes gum up the works. Which is how, by time the ‘90s rolled around, Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston landed the iconic leads in this romantic-drama; with Houston making her historic cinematic debut.

Tim McGraw - The Blind Side

A year after Tim McGraw starred in Four Christmases, the country singer experienced two life changing moments. Not only did McGraw’s weight loss journey start to take off, but his acting career saw him co-starring with Sandra Bullock in the sports drama The Blind Side.

Beyoncé - Dreamgirls

2006 was a banner year for Beyoncé’s film acting resume, thanks to Deena Jones, part of the central trio in the musical drama Dreamgirls. The Renaissance woman helped boost director Bill Condon’s musical to awards glory, alongside co-stars Anika Noni Rose and Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson. 

Lenny Kravitz - The Hunger Games

Lenny Kravitz jumped into the acting game in a pretty big way, after playing himself in several film appearances. Perhaps his most iconic role yet is that of portrayal of Cinna, stylist to Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in The Hunger Games. Inspiring everyone’s favorite tribute into subtle acts of rebellion, Kravitz’s warmth helps solidify the guidance that helped turn Katniss into a hero for the ages. 

Cher - Moonstruck

“Snap out of it!” With four words, Cher became a romantic-comedy legend, as she tried to deal with Nicolas Cage’s amorous advances in Moonstruck. Not only did that impress audiences overall, it landed her the award for Best Actress at 1988’s Academy Awards as well.

Flea - The Big Lebowski

If you thought “Nihilist #2” in The Coen Bros’ legendary comedy The Big Lebowski looked or sounded familiar, you have a good ear. Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Flea is the actor credited for that role, providing some comedic menace in Jeff Bridges’ neo-noir classic about blackmail, death, and bowling. 

Dolly Parton - 9 To 5

With a balance of commanding wisdom and unlimited sweetness, Dolly Parton is a country star that will always be an icon. However, watching 9 to 5 just might shock you, as the dark comedy shows her teaming with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda to teach Dabney Coleman how to treat a woman in the workplace. Let’s just say that lesson goes beyond a catchy theme song.

Dean Martin - The Sons Of Katie Elder

Rat Pack icon of cool Dean Martin is mostly known for either his comedies alongside musical pals Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., or his long running partnership with Jerry Lewis. But outside of either of those canons is Martin’s parts in westerns like The Sons of Katie Elder, which saw the crooner playing brother to genre legend John Wayne. So you can see how this was a pretty big deal back in 1965. 

Madonna - A League of Their Own

A League of Their Own's Mae Mordabito is quite possibly Madonna's most memorable part. As center fielder for the Rockland Peaches, she plays the entire cast with comedic precision with her free spirited character. 

Eminem - 8 Mile

Playing a fictionalized version of your own experiences isn’t a guaranteed success. And yet, Eminem took 8 Mile’s aspiring rapper Jimmy “B-Rabbit” Smith and made believers of fans and critics with his acting abilities. It was enough of a success that, decades after he has yet to take on another major film role, people are still curious if Marshall Mathers will ever lose himself in a movie again. 

Mandy Moore - A Walk To Remember

Pro-tip: if you’re a pop star that wants to become an actor, a Nicholas Sparks movie just might be the surest way to test those waters. Mandy Moore can attest to that fact, as her role in 2002’s A Walk To Remember was probably a good warm up for her future success as part of NBC’s drama series This Is Us. If you’re a fan of that meteoric network hit, and you haven’t watched this movie, you owe yourself a moment to correct that. 

Isaac Hayes - Escape From New York

A certain generation of Isaac Hayes fans will know him best as a soulful singer, while others would recall his velvety pipes from the romantically obscene Chef from South Park. And right in between those groups are the die hard fans of the best action movies ever who would remember Hayes as the menacing Duke in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York. 

Brandy - Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella

Everyone has their favorite Cinderella, and for Disney growing up in the ‘90s, Brandy is a prime candidate for those honors. Which is totally valid, as the singer’s leading portrayal in Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is a magical glass slipper that ties the entire cast of notables together. To imagine this movie without her is, quite frankly, impossible.

Sammy Davis Jr. - The Cannonball Run

The entire Rat Pack of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. were all actors, as well as singers, at the height of their powers. One of Davis’ best gigs, besides the original Ocean’s 11, came out of The Cannonball Run, which reunited him with fellow pally Martin for two films of vehicular madness. 

Janet Jackson - Poetic Justice

Writer/director John Singleton’s Poetic Justice could very easily be counted as an acting win for either Tupac Shakur or Janet Jackson. However, Ms. Jackson wins out no question, as her dynamic performance as Justice anchors both the dramatic, and the romantic halves of this picture. Not to mention, this project marking Janet’s debut as a feature film actor is still a powerful statement felt by her fans.

Andre Benjamin - Four Brothers

While Four Brothers isn’t an exact, on-brand remake of the western The Sons of Katie Elder, it’s pretty close. The similarities between the two Paramount movies are even eerier when you think about how Dean Martin’s acting career was enriched by the 1965 western, and Andre “3000” Benjamin saw the same sort of fortune come from his part in the 2005 action-drama.

Diana Ross - Lady Sings The Blues

Upon its release in 1972, Lady Sings The Blues sparked critical debate over how good of a biopic it really was. What wasn’t up for question was the excellence of Diana Ross’ performance as Billie Holiday; a feat that not only won her raves from critics, but also scored her a Best Actress nomination at 1973’s Academy Awards.

Usher - Light It Up

Not long after Usher made his movie debut in Robert Rodriguez's The Faculty, he graduated to being a lead player in the ensemble for writer/director Craig Bolotin's Light It Up. Going back to high school with Rosario Dawson and Sara Gilbert as classmates, Usher took part in a teenage rebellion with a cause more serious than any alien invasion.

Alicia Keys - Smokin’ Aces

The words “professional assassin” aren’t exactly what come to mind when talking about singer/songwriter Alicia Keys. That perception is part of how 2006’s Smokin’ Aces was such an explosive surprise upon its initial theatrical release. Keys and Taraji P. Henson’s double act as hired killers with a job to do helped keep this ensemble action dramedy spinning with chemistry to spare.

John Legend - La La Land

Is John Legend’s La La Land character a villain? It depends on who you ask, with his part in splitting up Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling’s on-screen romance acting as a defining factor. Unsurprisingly, the piano man’s charm and musical prowess added some extra star power to Damian Chazelle’s colorful musical.

Mariah Carey - Precious

People like Mariah Carey and Charlize Theron “deglamming” for performances in powerful dramas only helped amplify their performances. In Theron’s case, that led to her first Academy Award nomination in Monster. Meanwhile for Carey, director Lee Daniels’ heartbreaker provided her with a credit that wowed the critics to an impressive degree.

Alice Cooper - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Decades before Across the Universe turned the Beatles songbook into a jukebox musical, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band used that premise to a campier extent. This is, after all, the movie where you can see Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees “fighting” villains like Aerosmith and Steve Martin. And a part of that collection of baddies is an equally creepy and intriguing Alice Cooper, playing the role of cult leader Father Sun. 

Björk - Dancer In The Dark

Writer/director Lars Von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark was only singer Bjòrk’s second motion picture. You’d never know it, as this beautiful but tragic mashup of drama and music saw the Icelandic singer-songwriter land a heartbreaking blow with her character Selma. Trust us, you need the right headspace, and a lot of tissues, to take on this experience.

Common - Run All Night

While Common eventually got to hunt down Keanu Reeves’ titular assassin in John Wick: Chapter 2, he practiced his killer skills with another action vet: Liam Neeson. Run All Night pitted the rapping/acting talent against Mr. Neeson, and the war waged between the two men is something truly impressive to behold. 

Britney Spears - Crossroads

Not a girl, not yet a woman, and because of Britney Spears’ intense “method acting” in Crossroads, there was one more thing she wasn’t at the time: an actor. Though she’d eventually play a couple other roles here and there, preparing to star in this teenage drama road trip was enough to make Spears question how much she really wanted to act. 

Prince - Purple Rain

The world knows the many sides of Prince through his mythic career as a guitar god and musical boundary pusher. Purple Rain made that image all the stronger, as the man is basically playing himself, with some dramatic and comedic embellishment. The result is a movie that was a white hot success, and a powerful calling card in Prince's future endeavors on both sides of this fence.

While it’s not for everyone, actor/musician crossovers are always interesting to keep an eye out for. Both commanding successes and curious one-off scenarios are equally intriguing, as one never knows where the next success story will come from. Aspiring singers and actors alike take note: these cases we’ve just discussed are good studies to keep in mind when plotting your own course to stardom! 

While playing the cocky Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick served as his breakout role, Glen Powell has appeared in other notable films, including the Oscar-nominated movie Hidden Figures. Powell played the respected astronaut John Glenn in the NASA-centric biopic, and he received some praise for playing the notable astronaut. But the Top Gun breakout star didn’t think things were going to pan out upon seeing the 2016 film at first, as the Maverick star explained why he thought he ruined the acclaimed film.

Powell professed his self-doubt about his part in the 2016 film while speaking with Kate Hudson for Variety’s Actors on Actors. He opened up about feeling like he ruined a few projects before the Oscar-nominated film. But an early cut of Hidden Figures led to the Devotion star to question whether he nailed the role of John Glenn or not.  

I'd imagine seeing a rough cut would make any actor question whether they made a significant contribution to a project or not. Portraying a real-life person likely placed an added sense of pressure on the rising star. Luckily, things turned out well after the effects were finalized as the cast, including Powell, received acclaim for their work. The cast was rewarded with the best cast award from both the SAG Awards and the National Board of Review after the project’s release.

Powell felt differently upon seeing the summer blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Compared to seeing Hidden Figure’s early cut, he, the cast, and the crew got to see the final cut of Maverick before it hit theaters. The 33-year-old actor recalled seeing the high-flying film and thinking “I think we did it.” Of course, the rising Hollywood star was right about the final product. The long-awaited sequel was the hit of the summer, and ended up becoming Hollywood icon Tom Cruise’s top-grossing film with over $1.4 billion in worldwide gross.  Not only was the film a box office success but it was critically acclaimed too, with reviews giving universal praise to the story, cast, and cinematography. The blockbuster film also just received two Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama.

Glen Powell has several post-Top Gun projects lined up, including comedy Foreign Relations with Nick Jonas and an untitled series with Regé-Jean Page. Both projects are being produced through Amazon. After months in theaters, Top Gun: Maverick will finally be available for streaming on December 22 with a Paramount+ subscription. In the meantime, you can watch Glen Powell’s performance as John Glenn in Hidden Figures with a Disney+ subscription.

Disney+ is still a relatively new streaming service compared to the likes of Netflix and Hulu, but that doesn’t mean it doesn't have some awesome movies that you can stream right now. 

From superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to intergalactic battles in the Star Wars movies, there is so much to stream with so many Disney+ prices and plans to choose from. It’s up to you to decide what the best movies are to watch. Here is what is available to stream right now. 

Hocus Pocus (And Hocus Pocus 2) (1993, 2022)

In Hocus Pocus, A trio of comedic witches (played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) are resurrected by a teenager on Halloween night in Salem, Massachusetts. Now, it’s up to the kids to somehow banish the witches for eternity before they steal the souls of the children around them to stay young forever. 

And in Hocus Pocus 2, the sisters are raised again, with a new generation of high schoolers, and are given a supposed fake black flame candle, but turns out, it’s very real. And now, the Sanderson sisters want even more power. The sequel, which stars the original trio, including Bette Midler, is full of witchery and fun, so be sure to check it out.

Stream Hocus Pocus on Disney+.
Stream Hocus Pocus 2 on Disney+. 

Flubber (1997)

If you’re looking for a Robin Williams classic, look no further than Flubber. This iconic comedy starring the famous comedian tells the story of a professor who discovered “flubber,” but in discovering this, he ends up missing his wedding. Now, in order to win his fiance back, he tries to use this new invention, but it ends up taking a turn. As someone who grew up watching Robin Williams movies all the time, this was always one of my guilty pleasures - and I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as I do. 

Stream Flubber on Disney+.

Cinderella (2015)

Out of all of those live-action Disney remakes, Cinderella is by far one of my favorites. Based on the movie of the same name (which was based on the fairytale), Cinderella starring Lily James tells the story of a young, kind woman who is given one chance to go away to a ball for one night, only for her to meet a handsome prince. What more can you want? It’s a classic love story – featuring a great performance from Cate Blanchett. 

Stream Cinderella on Disney+. 

Hamilton (2020)

Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda’s beloved musical come to life in Hamilton, a recording of the Broadway production. This story of Alexander Hamilton spans years, from his early days in the American Revolution to his marriage to Eliza Schuyler, and later, to his time as the Secretary of the Treasury  of the United States - all set to some awesome contemporary music. 

Stream Hamilton on Disney+.

The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) (2024)

Welcome to the Eras Tour, otherwise known as the concert I’m sure you’ve heard so much about during both 2023 and 2024. Taylor Swift released the concert film of her legendary Eras Tour, simply titled The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) to Disney+. Showcasing her concert at SoFi Stadium, this movie will make you get up on your feet, sing and dance along, and probably make you want to listen to every single Taylor Swift album. 

Stream The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) on Disney+.

The Art Of Racing In The Rain (2019)

Based on the novel of the same name and starring This Is Us cast member, Milo Ventimiglia, and actress Amanda Seyfried, this story follows a race car driver, Denny, and the unbreakable bond that he shares with his dog, Enzo, a golden retriever that learns lessons not only from racing, but from his owner as well. 

Stream The Art of Racing in the Rain on Disney+. 

Flamin’ Hot (2023)

Directed by Eva Longoria, Flamin’ Hot is a biographical dramedy that tells the story of the alleged creator of the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto, one of the most popular snacks of all time, and his rise to success. The movie is a fun time, and features some great music – one song was even nominated for Best Original Song at the 2024 Academy Awards, “The Fire Inside.”

Stream Flamin’ Hot on Disney+. 

West Side Story (2021)

In this remake of the classic 1961 musical, based on the Broadway musical of the same name, two people from opposing cultures fall in love and have to find a way to be together despite their rival gangs fighting each other for territory in the 1950s. Nominated for several Academy Awards - and won in the case of Ariana DeBose as Anita - this remake  is one to remember and should be the example of how to properly redo a classic movie.

Stream West Side Story on Disney+. 

10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

Directed by Gil Junger, this classic teen rom-com is one you can’t miss. 10 Things I Hate About You, starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, is based on the Shakespeare comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, and follows a bad boy who dates an antisocial girl in order to help out his friend date the antisocial girl’s sister. 

Stream 10 Things I Hate About You on Disney+. 

The Parent Trap (1998)

The Parent Trap follows two twins (played by Lindsay Lohan) separated due to divorce who suddenly find and meet each other at summer camp. They team up, switch places and head back to their parents' homes, with the intent of somehow trapping them together so that they can fall back in love and all be a happy family again. 

Stream The Parent Trap on Disney+.

Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u, And Other Great Documentaries

Did you know that Disney+ has several documentaries on a variety of interesting subjects? Maybe you want to learn the process behind one of Taylor Swift’s latest albums, Folklore, in Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions. Maybe you want to feel all the feelings while watching Olivia Rodrigo’s documentary, Olivia Rodrigo: driving home 2 u. Whatever you want, the  world is your oyster. 

Stream the documentaries and more on Disney+. 

Enchanted (2007)

Enchanted follows a young woman who is suddenly magically placed into the real world, away from her animated one. Now, she must find a way to get back to her home and to the love of her life - but this human world is far more than she bargained for, and she might find another prince in the city of New York. The movie even received a Disney+ sequel in 2022.

Stream Enchanted on Disney+. 

Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

In Mr. Holland’s Opus, a composer who is frustrated with his work finds fulfillment in his life as a high school music teacher, taking the job to just pay rent at first, but finding that teaching the love of music to children is better than anything in the world. 

Stream Mr. Holland’s Opus on Disney+. 

Bridge To Terabithia (2007)

This fantasy drama will make you sob and smile at the same time. Bridge to Terabithia follows the story of two children getting closer to their teenage years who bond over a fantasy world they create in the woods near them, where they go to escape their lives, away from bullies, messed-up family, and more. 

Stream Bridge to Terabithia on Disney+.

A Goofy Movie (1995)

Get ready to stand out! A Goofy Movie is a classic Disney film that follows the story of Goofy and his son, Max, going out on a crazy adventure across the United States in an effort to bond – which only brings on more hijinks. As a late ‘90s/early ‘00s kid, this is the movie that brings me back. 

Stream A Goofy Movie on Disney+. 

Chip ‘N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)

While there are plenty of great kids shows on the streaming platform, I’m going to highlight a new one that came out in 2022. Chip ‘N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers follows the titular chipmunks, Chip and Dale, on an adventure unlike any other - going on a quest to discover what happened to their missign co-star, Monterey Jack. With a talented Chip ‘N’ Dale voice cast, featuring big-time names like Andy Samberg, John Mulaney, Kiki Layne and more, this is one you and your kids will enjoy. 

Stream Chip ‘N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers on Disney+.  

Father Of The Bride (1991)

If you’re looking for a classic romantic comedy, check out Father of the Bride. Starring Steve Martin, this film tells the story of a man who is experiencing the age-old terrifying quest that every father of a daughter goes through – their marriage, and all of the hijinks that follow. Truly, a hilarious ride, and it even has a 2022 remake now on Max. However, just check out the original.

Stream Father of the Bride on Disney+. 

Avatar (2009) And Avatar: The Way Of Water (2022)

There’s no time like the present to check out the original Avatar. The classic sci-fi film follows humans as they travel to a distant planet in order to mine the resources to save Earth. There, they meet the mysterious Na’vi, the natives of Pandora. 

And, if you happen to enjoy the first Avatar, the sequel is available to watch on Disney+, too, following the story of Jake Sully and his family as they travel to a different tribe of Na’vi to avoid humans hunting them down. 

Stream Avatar on Disney+.
Stream Avatar: The Way of Water on Disney+.

Remember The Titans (2000)

In this fantastic sports film, Remember the Titans tells the story of a high school football team after an African-American is hired as their coach. Now, for the first time in the school’s history, they have a fully racially integrated team. But even with this bold step, there are still several people that feel integration shouldn’t happen - even on the football team itself. 

Stream Remember the Titans on Disney+. 

Freaky Friday

Starring Lindsey Lohan and the fabulous Jamie Lee Curtis, Freaky Friday tells the story of a mother and daughter with communication issues, but when a crazy night causes them to switch bodies, they must live out their days as if nothing has happened, while trying to figure out how to switch back. 

Stream Freaky Friday on Disney+. 

The Greatest Showman (2017)

If you want to check out a great modern musical, watch The Greatest Showman. Starring Hugh Jackman, the musical tells the story of P.T. Barnum, the legendary ringmaster of Barnum’s American Museum - later creating Barnum & Bailey Circus. Zac Efron and Zendaya also star. 

Stream The Greatest Showman on Disney+. 

Free Guy (2021)

You really can’t get better than Ryan Reynolds, and Free Guy is the best example of that. In this video game film, Reynolds stars as Guy, an NPC in a video game that ends up becoming the main character in more ways than one, teaming up with an unlikely ally in order to take down the game’s overlord – otherwise known as the developer. It’s a fun ride, no matter what. I need to see a sequel.

Stream Free Guy on Disney+.

Hidden Figures (2016) 

In this inspiring biographical film, Hidden Figures tells the story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, and Mary Jackson, three brilliant African-American women who worked for NASA, and were the brains behind many of the operations there, like sending astronaut John Glenn into orbit. 

Stream Hidden Figures on Disney+. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008 – Present)

Fly into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a near endless collection of amazing Marvel movies. Begin at the start with Robert Downey Jr.’s, Iron Man, or enjoy one of its latest entries and soar into space with The Marvels.  Or head into the wonderful Avenger’s Endgame to watch the cast kick butt and take names. You won’t be disappointed no matter what you pick. 

Stream The Marvel Cinematic Universe on Disney+.

Pixar Films (1995 – Present)

Do you feel like crying? Because Pixar will happily make you do it. Check out some of Pixar’s amazing animated films, from revisiting the classic Toy Story from 1995, to some of its newest entries like the Disney+ original, Turning Red. Or maybe you want to check out Elemental, Pixar’s latest 2023 release, which is now streaming on the platform.

Stream the Pixar films on Disney+. 

Disney’s Animated Films 

Disney is known for its wonderfully animated and joyous films, and there are plenty to watch on Disney+. From the very beginning of Disney film history with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to some of its newest hits such as the Frozen series or Encanto. Watch as you dive into the fantasy worlds of places like Tangled, or perhaps fly up into the air with the superhero film, Big Hero 6. No matter the genre, Disney will satisfy your needs. 

Stream all of Disney’s Animated Films on Disney+. 

Star Wars Saga 

Do you have what it takes to be a Jedi? Ask yourself that while you watch the Star Wars saga. Iconic films such as Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope are available to stream, as well as recent releases in the Star Wars universe, as well, such as Star Wars: Episode 7 - The Force Awakens. Be sure to also check out the Star Wars Disney+ originals, like The Mandalorian or the prequel series, Andor, once you’re watching all those lightsaber battles. 

Stream the Star Wars saga on Disney+. 

Pirates Of The Caribbean Movies (2003 – 2017)

Sail away on the seas and drink some rum with The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Johnny Depp stars in the film series, telling the story of Jack Sparrow, and his misadventures on the sea, and the crazy characters that he runs into. Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley star in several of the films, as well. 

Stream the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise on Disney+. 

With so many amazing movies to watch, you’ll have endless hours of entertainment ahead of you. Now if you don’t mind me, I’m going to re-watch every MCU film for the umpteenth time.  

Buddy comedies and the best buddy cop films are some of the most fun movies to watch. They’re sometimes over-the-top, silly, and a celebration of friendship. Some of the best movies about female friendship also use some of the characteristics of buddy comedies. They also showcase the bonds of sisterhood and the struggles that modern women face throughout history. Many of the best movies about female friendship are currently streaming.

These films can be the best medicine when you need a laugh or cry, either alone or with your tribe. Let’s look at a few of the best movies about female friendship that are available on various streaming platforms.

Thelma & Louise (1991)

Thelma & Louise stars Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon as women who go on a vacation to escape their mundane lives only to end up as wanted criminals. Thelma & Louise may be the epitome of female friendship movies. It highlights these women’s devotion, love, and trust of one another, while also being very funny and heartbreaking at times. It’s one of Ridley Scott’s best movies and takes female empowerment films to another level. 

Thelma & Louise also has one of the most memorable movie endings of all-time and inspired future female-led crime dramedies.

Stream Thelma & Louise on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Thelma & Louise digitally on Amazon. 

Now And Then (1995)

Now and Then is a coming-of-age movie that flashes back and forth between the '90s and '70s to tell the story of four childhood friends and their current adult life. The stars of Now And Then include Melanie Griffith,  Rosie O'Donnell, Rita Wilson, Demi Moore, Thora Birch, and Christina Ricci. 

Now and Then is a movie that thrives on nostalgia. Nostalgic for the women within the movie and the women (and men) who watched this movie while growing up. It’s a sweet film that reminds us all of the innocence of youth and those childhood bonds that shape us.

Rent/buy Now and Then digitally on Amazon. 

Steel Magnolias (1989)

Steel Magnolias features an ensemble cast that includes Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, and Julia Roberts. It’s about the ties that women in a small-town share. They may drive each other crazy at times, but they are always there for each other when needed.

It’s a funny and tragic story that works best when watching these different women grow and learn from one another. Steel Magnolias highlights the power of friendship, especially in times of need. Lifetime also made a Steel Magnolias remake in 2012 that featured an-all Black cast, led by Queen Latifah. 

Stream Steel Magnolias on Starz.
Rent/buy Steel Magnolias digitally on Amazon.

 Romy And Michele's High School Reunion (1997)

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is a hilarious movie about two 20-somethings who feel like underachievers. They decide to make up fake careers to make their lives seem glamorous to their former high school classmates. It stars Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow as the title characters. Janeane Garofalo and Alan Cumming also have key roles.

Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is the sort of film that paved the way for movies such as Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar. Female friendship movies that aren’t afraid to be silly. This abandonment of seriousness makes them ridiculous and extremely enjoyable to watch.

Stream Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion on Tubi. 
Rent/buy Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion digitally on Amazon.

Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants (2005)

Based on the best selling book series of the same name, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants follows four lifelong teen best friends who are about to spend their very first summer apart. They find a pair of jeans that magically fits all of them, despite being different body types. They decide to share these pants all summer by mailing them to each other along with a note updating the others on what’s been happening. The movie stars America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively, and Alexis Bledel.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants book series was one of my favorites growing up, and the movie does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the books, especially with these characters’ friendships and growing pains. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants sequel was released in 2008. There is also always hope for more Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies.

Stream Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants digitally on Amazon. 

Hidden Figures (2016)

Hidden Figures is based on the true-life story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson -- Black women who helped shape NASA during the Space Race. Hidden Figures is all about their groundbreaking journey and contribution to science and history.  It’s also about their bonds.

It helps them overcome work and personal barriers. These women work together but are also key figures in each other’s lives beyond clocking in and out. Hidden Figures stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae. 

Stream Hidden Figures on Disney Plus.
Rent/buy Hidden Figures digitally on Amazon. 

The First Wives Club (1996)

The First Wives Club follows three former college best friends who reunite decades later after a tragedy. After discovering that they’ve all been left by their husbands for younger women, they band together to get revenge. The First Wives Club stars Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton.

The movie is an underrated comedy that stars three of the best comedic actresses ever. It also features other well-known funny ladies, such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Maggie Smith, and Stockard Channing. The First Wives Club shows that revenge is best served with your gal pals along for the ride.

Stream The First Wives Club on Paramount+.
Rent/buy The First Wives Club digitally on Amazon. 

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Bend it Like Beckham follows Jess (Parminder Nagra) as she secretly joins an-all girl football (soccer for the Americans) team. She befriends teammate Jules (Keira Knightley) and catches the eye of her coach Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers).

Bend it Like Beckham is one of the best romantic comedies, but it is also a film about friendship. Jules and Jess’s friendship is the heart of the movie. They help and challenge each other and, eventually, overcome their disagreement over both crushing on their coach.

Stream Bend it Like Beckham on HBO Max. 
Rent/buy Bend it Like Beckham digitally on Amazon. 

Girls Trip (2017)

Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, and Jada Pinkett Smith star in Girls Trip. In this movie, they play former college best friends who come together to celebrate a friend and attend a music festival. The reunion brings up some old wounds but also reminds them of their strong bond.

Girls Trip is a fun comedy that puts the high in hijinks. The film was a major hit. It performed well at the box office and received high praise from critics and audiences. It helped make Haddish a household name. It was such a success that there are plans for a sequel. 

Rent/buy Girls Trip digitally on Amazon. 

Plan B (2021)

Plan B is a Hulu original film that focuses on the adventures of Sunny (Kuhoo Verma) and Lupe (Victoria Moroles). After Sunny loses her virginity at a party, she starts to panic about possibly being pregnant. The two girls then travel to the nearest Planned Parenthood for a Plan B pill.

Similar to Booksmart, Plan B puts Lupe and Sunny in one ridiculous situation after another. It’s a hilarious film that’s also heartwarming at times because of the friendship between Lupe and Sunny. It’s also not afraid to discuss sex and how that journey can be a wild ride from start to the morning after.

Stream Plan B on Hulu. 

Beaches (1988)

Beaches is a Garry Marshall movie that stars Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey. C.C (Bette Midler) and Hilary (Barbara Hershey) meet as children on the beach. They form an instant bond and promise to keep in touch. They keep this promise and become lifelong friends.

Beaches is about how best friends can become platonic soulmates. C.C and Hilary’s friendship is what gives them hope and strength through their many trials and tribulations. In 2017, Lifetime made a remake of Beaches starring Idina Menzel and Nia Long.

Rent/buy Beaches digitally on Amazon.

Nine To Five (1980)

Nine to Five is a comedy that stars Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, and Jane Fonda. They play three women who are tired of their no-good boss Frank (Dabney Coleman). They first fantasize about making him pay for his misdeeds, but then actually make it happen.

This movie offers a comedic look at gender inequality in the workforce. It shows that these women are far more capable than the men in their office, especially their boss. Together they’re unstoppable. 

Rent/buy Nine to Five digitally on Amazon. 

Waiting To Exhale (1995)

Waiting to Exhale tells the story of four women as they search for love. Forest Whitaker made his directorial debut with this film, and it highlights some of the struggles that women face because of men. They’re able to overcome these obstacles because of their bonds with each other. Waiting to Exhale stars Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine.

Though the romantic drama takes up most of the screen-time, the few scenes with the women together really emphasize the importance of these bonds.

Stream Waiting to Exhale on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Waiting to Exhale digitally on Amazon. 

Pitch Perfect (2012)

Pitch Perfect is a trilogy that follows the world of competitive a cappella music. The first film follows college freshman Becca (Anna Kendrick) as she joins the recently disgraced a cappella group The Barden Bellas.

The bond of The Bellas is really what helped sell this movie, so it’ll be interesting to see how the spin-off without them works. Hopefully, it keeps some of the girl power and female bonds that make the franchise such a must-watch film series.

Rent/buy Pitch Perfect digitally on Amazon. 

There are a lot of great female friendship movies, and this list only contains some of the best movies about female friendship that are streaming. A few other great female friendship movies are Mean Girls, The Joy Luck Club, Ghostbusters (2016), Miss You Already, Bridesmaids, and Booksmart. These films are all available to rent or buy on Amazon. 

March is Women’s History Month, a global celebration of our achievements from all social, cultural, economic and political backgrounds. It’s a great time for all genders to come together to raise awareness and advocate for women’s equality and gender parity. Whether it's through films about unsung ladies of the past in Hidden Figures, or A League of Their Own, fictional tales of the female experience like 2023’s record-breaking hit Barbie or biopics for Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Frida Kahlo, let’s pause and reflect this March by watching an excellent movie!

For some brief history on the month itself, it’s been around since 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28, which authorized March 7, 1982 as the beginning of "Women's History Week," proclaiming that American women of every race, creed and ethnic background had helped found and build the United States. The recognition came around 60 years after the women's suffrage movement gained momentum in the early 20th century. We’ve come far since then yet they exist across the world still fighting for these rights even today. The Hollywood industry is still dominated by male voices and executives, so let’s support female-led stories by streaming these great films, many of which are by women directors, too:

The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (1928)

If we’re going to celebrate Women’s History Month, we might as well talk about how the topic coincides with cinema over the years. Early in the medium, the French actress Renée Jeanne Falconetti portrayed Joan of Arc in a landmark movie of the silent film era that is still very much celebrated and taught in classes nearly a century later. It depicts the trial, conviction and execution of one of the most inspiring female figures.

While very old, it’s a timeless one that doesn’t need words to depict the emotions Joan feels as she defies gender norms and speaks up, despite knowing she’ll be burned at the stake for her “crimes.”

Stream The Passion Of Joan Of Arc on Max.
Stream The Passion Of Joan Of Arc (for free) on Tubi. Rent/Buy The Passion Of Joan Of Arc on Amazon.

Hamnet (2025)

Jumping way ahead from the oldest to the latest movie on this list is eight-time Oscar nominee, Hamnet, based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell. The historical drama depicts the family life of William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway as they deal with the loss of their eleven-year-old son, Hamnet, and how the famed play Hamlet ultimately comes out of the experience. Helmed by Chloé Zhao, Hamnet showcases the often overlooked wife of the great playwright and the deep feelings of grief she must have gone through as a mother, beautifully told with Jessie Buckley’s award-winning performance.

Rent/Buy Hamnet on Amazon.
Watch Hamnet streaming on Peacock (starting March 6).

What’s Love Got To Do With It (1993)

Back in the ‘90s, Angela Bassett gave an all-time great performance as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got To Do With It, based on the singer’s autobiography I, Tina. The movie showcases how the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll came to be. From her humble beginnings in rural Tennessee after being abandoned by her mother to becoming famous after meeting bandleader Ike Turner (played by Laurence Fishburne). She has an empowering story about how she triumphs over an abusive relationship with Ike and reached great heights as an artist.

Stream What’s Love Got To Do With It on Peacock.
Stream What’s Love Got To Do With It (for free) on Tubi.

Persepolis (2007)

Persepolis is a unique biopic because it’s told through black and white animation, and is based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel of the same name. It’s a coming-of-age story about Satrapi as she grows up during the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The movie’s storyline highlights gender oppression during political revolution through a rare firsthand account. Satrapi also co-wrote and co-directed the film herself.

Rent/Buy Persepolis on Amazon.

The Farewell (2019)

Chinese-American Lulu Wang made a deeply personal film with The Farewell about the nuances of the immigrant experience between women. The movie is about a young woman named Billi (Awkwafina) who finds out her grandmother, or Nai Nai as she calls her, only has a few months left to live, but it’s being kept secret from her. Through the close bond Billi and her Nai Nai have, The Farewell beautifully explores generational conversations through a Chinese-American perspective and pays tribute to the importance of family matriarchs.

Rent/Buy The Farewell on Amazon.

The Fire Inside (2024)

Rachel Morrison’s The Fire Inside highlights pro boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, who became the first American woman to win Olympic gold in boxing and is the only boxer ever to hold all four major world titles in three different weight divisions. Written by Moonlight’s Barry Jenkins, The Fire Inside tracks Claressa’s early career – including her time at the 2012 Summer Olympics. It tells an important chronicle of an athlete from the perspective of a Black woman from a working class town, speaking to the larger battles women in predominantly male endeavors must face.

Stream The Fire Inside on MGM+.

Rent/Buy The Fire Inside on Amazon.

Cabaret (1972)

Women’s History Month is a wonderful time to check out Liza Minnelli’s iconic role in Cabaret. She plays Lucy Bowles, an openly sexualized woman who performs at the Kit Kat Klub in Berlin in 1931. Through the musical’s plotline, Sally is a woman empowered by her expression of her sexuality and ambition. It also notably explores abortion prior to Roe vs. Wade passed in the U.S. a year after its release.

Rent/Buy Cabaret on Amazon.

The Woman King (2022)

The Woman King is about the real history of a West African kingdom in the 19th century where women were the appointed fighters. Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic follows an all-female unit of warriors called the Agojie, who defended the kingdom of Dahomey through the eyes of a new trainee of the Agojie, Nawi (played by newcomer Thuso Mbebu), after she refuses to marry. She is taken under the wing of the tight-knit group of warriors, played by Viola Davis (who did most of the stunts in the movie), Lashana Lynch, and Sheila Atim. It’s action-packed, empowering that exposes us to the might of the all-female battalion, which did exist from the 1600s to 1904.

Stream The Woman King on Hulu.
Rent/Buy The Woman King on Amazon.

A League Of Their Own (1992)

In 1992, a movie written by, directed and fronted by a group of women was hard to come by, but A League of Their Own was clearly ahead of the game. Penny Marshall’s classic tells the fictionalized account of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during World War II, with a seriously incredible cast. Tom Hanks plays Jimmy Dugan, who manages players portrayed by Geena Davis, Madonna and Rosie O’Donnell. It’s a rare spin on the sports genre usually claimed by male-dominated teams that confronts sexism in sports and in daily life. It’s a piece of history, a good present-day talking point and full of entertaining ensemble performances. Oh, and… “there’s no crying in baseball!”

Stream A League Of Their Own on Peacock.
Rent/Buy A League Of Their Own on Amazon.

Lee (2024)

Another WWII-era film, but much, much less cited than A League Of Their Own is Lee. The Kate Winslet movie follows Lee Miller, a fashion model turned World War II photographer, who even posed in Hitler’s bathtub for a powerful photograph while immortalizing not only the war, but specifically from a female perspective that the other photographers were not getting with their own eyes. When CinemaBlend spoke to Winslet just ahead of its 2024 release (which the actress tried to get made for almost a decade, by the way) she shared how playing the photojournalist touched her life.

Stream Lee on Hulu.
Rent/Buy Lee on Amazon.

Hidden Figures (2016)

For years, we’ve associated NASA and space travel with the male astronauts, but Hidden Figures taught many of us something new about the Space Race: the three Black lady mathematicians who contributed greatly to NASA’s achievements.Theodore Melfi’s 2016 film told the true story of Katherine Goble Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson with the talents of Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe. Hidden Figures is the perfect example of bringing unacknowledged women in history to light, along with their struggles at the time when they were discriminated against due to racism and sexism.

Stream Hidden Figures on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Hidden Figures on Amazon.

9 To 5 (1980)

The Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin-led classic recently turned 45 years old, and yet it remains a relevant movie for workplace discussion. The 1980 comedy that also stars Dolly Parton (and featured her hitmaking song) sees three female employees who band together to stick it to their egotistical boss. While it’s a fictional story, 9 to 5 does show Hollywood’s beginnings when it comes to really tackling feminist issues. Even now, it allows us to reflect on what we’ve since improved as a society regarding this topic, along with what elements of it that are still achingly applicable to the present day.

Rent/Buy 9 To 5 on Amazon.

On The Basis Of Sex (2018)

Mimi Leder’s Ruth Bader Ginsberg biopic On The Basis of Sex, starring Felicity Jones, is also a great pick for Women’s History Month. Since we lost the Supreme Court justice in September 2020 – watching this is a great way to honor a woman who fought for women’s rights in the U.S. government, arguably more than any other figure in history. On The Basis of Sex tracks Ginsberg’s journey, from her time at Harvard Law School to her appointment as the second woman to be a Supreme Court Justice.

Stream On The Basis Of Sex on Netflix.
Rent/Buy On The Basis Of Sex on Amazon.

Set It Off (1996)

Set It Off is an important film to the storytelling of Black women in Hollywood history starring Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Kimberly Elise – and was a big hit at the time of its release. It’s about four friends who decide to rob a bank for the betterment of their lives (and their families). Each of them have different reasons for doing the heist that put a lot of attention on avoiding stereotypes and developing the characterization of its leading women.

Stream Set It Off (for free with ads) on PlutoTV.
Rent/Buy Set It Off on Amazon.

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret (2023)

Judy Blume is one of the most beloved female authors in the world, and has used many of her books to get into controversial topics like masturbation, teen sex, birth control and menstruation. In 2023, her best known work, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, was adapted to film, and it’s such a sweet watch! The movie directed by Kelly Fremon Craig taps into the often awkward and existential experience of girlhood as it follows its lead character as an 11-year-old living in 1970 who is dealing with moving to a new town, getting her period and bigger questions regarding her parents and family.

Stream Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret on Netflix.

Rent/Buy Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret on Amazon.

Frida (2002)

In the world of art, perhaps the most celebrated female artist is Mexican surrealist, Frida Kahlo. The icon was featured in 2002’s Frida, Julie Taymor’s memorable biopic starring Salma Hayek as Kahlo, covering the artist’s life, her memorable work, including her love life, which famously included a tumultuous relationship with muralist Diego Rivera and a wide array of lovers, both male and female.

Frida is female-forward and an outlier in Hollywood today, as it was directed by a woman and has a Latina woman at the forefront, who is also bisexual. The role earned Hayek a Best Actress Oscar nomination after its release. It remains an inspired homage to the artist and a poignant portrait of her struggles, how she overcame them, and the odds against her.

Stream Frida on Paramount+.
Rent/Buy Frida on Amazon.

Barbie (2023)

On the lighter side, it’s also a good time to go on a journey to the bright pink world of Barbie Land where “every night is girls night.” Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster, which became the highest-grossing releases to be directed by a woman when it was a feminomenon in the summer of 2023. Through the comedy and Best Picture Oscar nominee, not only does the beloved, historical and often controversial doll get the live-action treatment, it also serves as a jumping-off point to discuss gender dynamics and the patriarchy. Margot Robbie gives an incredible and rather hilarious performance as Stereotypical Barbie while she makes a journey (with Ryan Gosling’s sublime Ken) to the Real World to find the human who has made her suddenly “think about dying” and get flat feet.

Stream Barbie on Max.
Rent/Buy Barbie on Amazon.

She Said (2022)

On October 5, 2017, it was reported by the New York Times that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein had been accused of sexual abuse, sexual assault, and rape with incident accounts across 30 years. The investigative story led to over 80 women additionally coming forward to accuse him, leading to him being sentenced to prison for 16 years. She Said explains how it happened as the two reporters who broke the story, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, go after it. She Said a gripping look at what it takes to be an investigative journalist and delves into the reasons why Weinstein’s misconduct did not have consequences for decades. Maria Schrader’s direction is also very respectful to victims of sexual assault and rape.

Stream She Said on Peacock.
Rent/Buy She Said on Amazon.

Confirmation (2016)

2016’s Confirmation has Kerry Washington portraying Anita Hill during her historic 1991 testimony against Clarence Thomas. The historical moment brought about a larger conversation about sexual harassment following the law professor deciding to speak out about her history with the Supreme Court nominee which turned into a media frenzy at the time. Confirmation dramatizes a huge moment in U.S. history that led to more women running for elected positions following it and examines the double standard often found between men and women in the public sphere.

Stream Confirmation on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Confirmation on Amazon.

Whale Rider (2002)

New Zealand filmmaker Niki Caro wrote and directed 2002’s Whale Rider, a family drama based on a 1987 novel of the same name about 12-year-old Maori dreams of being the chief of her tribe. Pai is a direct descendant of the Whale Rider, as the daughter of her village’s leader, but because she is a girl, she cannot inherit the position. It discusses gender in an understated, but powerful, way and was shot on location in New Zealand’s Whangara. Keisha Castle-Hughes’ role as Pai earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination at the age of 13. She was the youngest nominee in the category before Beasts of the Southern Wild’s Quvenzhané Wallis surpassed her ten years later.

Stream Whale Rider (For Free) on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Whale Rider on Amazon.

Selena (1997)

One of the most influential women in music was the Queen of Tejano music, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. In 1997’s Selena, the biopic explored the artist's beginnings as a singer to her time as a sensation who’s still beloved today. This movie not only tells the empowering yet heartbreaking life of the “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” singer, who made strides few women had before it has an incredible breakout performance from Jennifer Lopez prior to her own massive fame.

Rent/Buy Selena on Amazon.

Colette (2018)

An under-the-radar pick for your Women's History Month viewing is 2018’s Colette. Wash Westmoreland’s drama of France’s 19th century novelist Colette through an incredible performance from Keira Knightley. Colette’s relationship with Willy (played by Dominic West), a “literary entrepreneur” leads to him exploiting her writing as his own to make money on her work that provides a unique and relatable voice to a female audience. Colette is another instance of film giving us a glimpse of a quite untold story of a woman ahead of her time.

Stream/Rent/Buy Colette on Amazon.

Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

When Desperately Seeking Susan came out in 1985, it was a huge deal for a movie to be written, directed, produced and led by women. (And, is honestly still rather hard to find). It’s about a New Jersey housewife Roberta (Rosanna Arquette) who becomes obsessed with a woman (Madonna) through personal ads. When Roberta gets mistaken for her hero, she goes on a fun adventure in New York City that’s very much unlike her stay-at-home life. At the time, it was a great commentary on women's roles in society, and promoted nonconformity.

Stream Desperately Seeking Susan on (for free) Tubi.
Rent/Buy Desperately Seeking Susan on Amazon.

Queen Of Katwe (2016)

Back in 2016, Disney made an inspiring biopic, Queen of Katwe. Directed by Mira Nair, Phiona Mutesi, a young Ugandan girl, learns to play chess and becomes a Woman Candidate Master after competing in the World Chess Olympiads. It was adapted from an ESPN magazine article and book by Tim Crothers. Black Panther’s Lupita Nyong’o stars in the Queen of Katwe as Phiona’s mother and David Oyelowo, plays her chess teacher, Robert Katende. Queen of Katwe shows the poverty of Katwe, but how a supportive family and team can inspire great accomplishments despite the odds against one.

Stream Queen of Katwe on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Queen of Katwe on Amazon.

The Joy Luck Club (1993)

1993’s The Joy Luck Club is about a group of Chinese-American immigrant women living in San Francisco, who regularly meet to play mahjong and tell stories. Each of them have adult daughters navigating their own experiences growing up in America with Chinese immigrant parents. While The Joy Luck Club is not based on a specific famous woman in history, it’s an endearing narrative on mothers, daughters and the generational divides that can pull them apart, but ultimately the bond between them is timeless and powerful.

Rent/Buy The Joy Luck Club on Amazon.

Happy Women's History Month and happy streaming!

Sometimes an event, a group, or person comes along with a tale so fascinating and engaging (for one reason or another) that it captivates the world. More times than not when that happens, those stories are turned into riveting movies detailing people's strengths (and weaknesses), merits, and other aspects, creating amazing cinematic experiences in the process. 

Below is a collection of more than a dozen of the best movies based on true stories and how you can watch them streaming on services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and several other popular platforms. These titles range from the best sports movies to great political dramas and everything in between.

Moneyball (Netflix)

Outmatched by the big market teams when it comes to being able to attract and pay high-profile players, Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), and his assistant Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), come up with a revolutionary system that looks at players not because of their names or previous accomplishments, but instead by their potential (and situational hitting). Based on the true story of the 2002 Oakland A’s, a team that won 20 consecutive games and punched a ticket to the postseason, Bennett Miller’s Moneyball shows what can happen when you leave conventional wisdom on the bench.

Stream Moneyball on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Moneyball on Amazon.

The Social Network (Amazon Prime)

What starts out as a response to getting dumped while attending Harvard University turns into the world’s largest (and most controversial) social media platform in this retelling of the founding of Facebook by Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg). David Fincher’s thrilling 2010 biographical drama, The Social Network, explores the formative years of Facebook, a time when the social media company and its founder’s biggest problems were those that dealt with issues over friendship and money, and not being accused of being detrimental to democracy, and society as a whole.

Stream The Social Network on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy The Social Network on Amazon.

Schindler's List (Showtime)

Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) goes from a shrewd factory owner living in Nazi Germany who hires Jewish workers to keep down his costs, to someone who risks everything to save the lives of his employees and their families during the horrors of the Holocaust. Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List is based on the dramatic story of a Nazi who decided to go against the grain no matter the cost, and ended up saving approximately 1,200 lives from slaughter.

Stream Schindler’s List on Showtime.
Rent/Buy Schindler’s List on Amazon.

Apollo 13 (Amazon Prime)

One year after Apollo 11 made Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins household names, three astronauts, led by Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) try to escape the shadow of giants and make their own mark on history. The astronauts in Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 do achieve that goal, but for all the wrong reasons, after their spacecraft experiences a catastrophic failure halfway to the moon.

Stream Apollo 13 on Showtime.
Rent/Buy Apollo 13 on Amazon.

Into The Wild (Netflix)

Upon graduating college, Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) doesn’t start a family, a career, or anything like that, but instead embarks upon a solitary journey to discover freedom and himself in the great wilderness and lesser-travelled roads of the American landscape. Sean Penn’s biographical drama, Into the Wild, explores the real-life story of the self-described Alexander Supertramp and how he became one of the cult heroes of the late 20th Century.

Stream Into the Wild on Netflix.
Rent/Buy Into the Wild on Amazon.

Raging Bull (Showtime)

Boxing legend Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) rises through the ranks of the prizefighting world while his life at home becomes more complicated, temperamental, and violent. Martin Scorsese’s 1980 Academy Award winner Raging Bull remains one of the most beautifully shot and scripted boxing movies, even if its characters and violent outbursts are hard to stomach.

Stream Raging Bull on Showtime.
Rent/Buy Raging Bull on Amazon.

Hidden Figures (Disney+)

Three brilliant, yet unrecognized, African-American NASA mathematicians set out to prove they shouldn’t be pushed to the wayside because of their race or gender when they help send John Glenn into orbit and forever change modern history. Theodore Melfi’s 2017 motivational drama, Hidden Figures, is one of those movies with a story so good it would be easy to dismiss it as something dreamt up in Hollywood.

Stream Hidden Figures on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Hidden Figures on Amazon.

Almost Famous (Amazon Prime)

High school reporter William Miller (Patrick Fugit) goes out on the road with up-and-coming band Stillwater to write a piece for Rolling Stone magazine, only to discover a great deal about life, love, and rock and roll. Cameron Crowe’s 2000 drama, Almost Famous, which is loosely based on his own experiences as a young journalist, does have elements that haven’t aged well over the years, but it remains one of the premier coming-of-age stories of this century.

Stream Almost Famous on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy Almost Famous on Amazon.

Dunkirk (HBO Max)

Stranded on a French beach after a battle has gone awry, Allied soldiers are rescued by British civilians attempting to cross the English Channel before the quickly approaching German forces reach them. Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic, Dunkirk, recounts the call to action and heroism exhibited by everyday people when it was needed most during one of the most daring rescue operations in modern military history.

Stream Dunkirk on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Dunkirk on Amazon.

A Beautiful Mind (Starz)

Accomplished mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe) begins to lose touch with reality as the stresses in his life get the better of his fragile mental state, which is made worse by the onset of paranoid schizophrenia. One of the best Russell Crowe movies, Ron Howard’s harrowing 2001 biographical drama, A Beautiful Mind, does a tremendous job of discussing mental illness in a thoughtful way.

Stream A Beautiful Mind on Starz.
Rent/Buy A Beautiful Mind on Amazon.

Dolemite Is My Name (Netflix)

Following a chance encounter with an alcoholic hobo who can tell a mean story, struggling singer-turned-comedian Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) adopts a raunchy on-stage persona known as Dolemite before becoming an underground celebrity. Craig Brewer’s 2019 biopic, Dolemite Is My Name, which is one of the best movies on Netflix, sees Eddie Murphy in a return to form as the blaxploitation pioneer willing to risk anything and everything to achieve fame for himself and his friends.

Stream Dolemite Is My Name on Netflix.

The Farewell (Amazon Prime)

When it’s discovered that her beloved grandmother has been diagnosed with cancer and only given a few weeks to live, Billi (Awkwafina) and her family travel to China to say their goodbyes, but under the guise that they are visiting for a wedding. Based on events in director Lulu Wang’s life, The Farewell perfectly blends comedy and drama about goodbyes, new beginnings, and family secrets.

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Rent/Buy The Farewell on Amazon.

Boys Don't Cry (Hulu)

After fleeing his hometown after being threatened with exposure, transgender man Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) escapes to rural Nebraska in hopes of finding a better life, but only finds more fear and hate from the locals. Based on the true and heartbreaking story of a young man trying to find his way, Kimberly Price’s Boys Don’t Cry is just as meaningful now as it was upon release more than 20 years ago.

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Rent/Buy Boys Don’t Cry on Amazon.

The Disaster Artist (Netflix)

Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) and Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) set out to prove Hollywood (and the world) wrong by creating a one-of-a-kind drama, one that ends up making the mysterious filmmaker more infamous than famous. James Franco’s hilarious yet extremely heartfelt 2017 biopic, The Disaster Artist, shares all of the details concerning The Room and how it became the ultimate cult film of the 21st Century.

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All The President's Men (HBO Max)

Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) break the biggest presidential scandal of the 20th Century when they uncover details of the infamous break-in at the Watergate Hotel and Richard Nixon’s involvement. Released not even two years after Nixon’s August 1974 resignation, Alan J. Pakula’s All The President’s Men remains one of the most important films about journalism of all time.

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Fruitvale Station (Netflix)

Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) sets off to ring in the new year with his family in the San Francisco Bay area only to find himself caught in a tense situation on public transit. The heartbreaking story of the death of Oscar Grant is told in swift yet moving fashion in Ryan Coogler’s directorial debut, Fruitvale Station.

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Zodiac (Paramount+)

A police detective, reporter, and political cartoonist embark upon their own personal journeys while trying to identity and catch the sadistic Zodiac Killer. David Fincher’s 2007 drama, Zodiac, explores how the infamous serial killer impacted not only the lives of those he injured and killed but also those who gave up everything to find justice for his victims.

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The Big Sick (Amazon Prime)

Kumail Nanjiani (playing a fictionalized version of himself) and Emily Gardner’s (Zoe Kazan) budding relationship is put to the ultimate test when Emily falls into a coma after contracting a mysterious illness. One of the best movies on Amazon, Michael Showalter’s The Big Sick is based on the actual start of Nanjiani and Emily Gordon’s relationship and how they stuck with it despite cultural differences and the drama brought on by the medical nightmare.

Stream The Big Sick on Amazon.

This is just barely scratching the surface of all the great movies based on true stories. With titles being added to streaming services everyday, expect to see numerous additions to this list in the very near future.

Black History Month is the perfect time to watch some of our favorite movies starring, written by, and/or directed by Black artists. I selected a range of movies starring Black actors that have one or all of these criteria: depict a Black historical event or figure, are innovative and creative, made history because of their impact, or are just fun films.

I highlighted Hidden Figures because it’s a story not often immortalized in pop culture. Hidden Figures brings the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson to the big screen. These Black women helped NASA during the John Glenn space launch. Stories like this remind us of the bountifulness of Black History Month content.

Hidden Figures (2016)

Hidden Figures stars Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, and Octavia Spencer. Theodore Melfi co-wrote and directed this film, loosely based on the true-life story of the African American female mathematicians who worked at NASA during a key time in U.S. space advancement.

It’s an empowering film that highlights three women whose contributions had a huge impact on American history and stands as a moving tribute to the late Katherine Johnson. This is a great film to watch during Black History Month because it celebrates Black women and all they can achieve when given the opportunity. Hidden Figures showcases great performances by the entire cast, and it’s one of Octavia Spencer’s best performances.

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Stream Hidden Figures on HBO Max.

One Night In Miami (2020)

Regina King directed One Night in Miami, a fictionalized account of a meeting between Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) in 1964. They discuss many things, including their careers, racism in America, and their duties to help or inspire Black people during this peak time in the Civil Rights Movement.

Though fictionalized, the film presents a fascinating perspective of our important Black figures and a meeting the world would have loved to witness. Although set mainly at a hotel, the film gives a clear picture of this period and the obstacles these men faced because of their race and beliefs. Watching One Night in Miami during Black History Month may inspire you to learn more about the real men these historical figures were based on and ones like them.

Stream One Night In Miami on Prime Video.

Get Out (2017)

Get Out is a Jordan Peele contribution to the best new horror movies. It follows Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) as he spends the weekend with his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) and her family in their neighborhood and home. Chris soon learns that this might not be the nice, liberal family that he expected.

The movie became such a huge hit because it’s a story told well that’s relatable to many. It addresses race-based issues in a way that’s easily digestible. This allows viewers to connect with the subject, even if they are not the race directly affected by the issues. Black History Month can encourage reflection on past and present problems facing Black people and the world. Additionally, Black-led horror movies continue to grow, and Get Out helped increase interest and push the genre forward.

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Stream Get Out on HBO Max.

Coming To America (1988)

Eddie Murphy stars in John Landis’ Coming to America. The film follows the Prince of Zamunda, Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy), as he travels from Africa to Queens, New York, to find a new bride. At 21, Akeem doesn’t feel like he’s really lived and doesn’t want to accept his arranged marriage. Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, John Amos, Madge Sinclair, and Shari Headley also have supporting roles.

Coming to America is really a showcase of Murphy and Hall’s talent as comedians. They excel at bringing these funny, entertaining, colorful characters to life. It’s one of Eddie Murphy’s best films, and one he enjoys, so it’s a fun movie to watch during Black History Month, especially if you’re a Murphy or Hall fan.

Rent/buy Coming to America on Amazon.

Soul (2020)

Soul is the story of Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), a middle-aged jazz singer still looking for his big break. He finally gets it, but an accident separates his soul and body. He then goes to the Great Before, where he must help a soul named 22 (Tina Fey) find its spark.

This is Pixar’s first film featuring a Black lead. Soul is not only a good film to watch for its historical significance to Black History, but it’s also a film all about appreciating all the things that life has to offer. It’s about living and loving life while you’re still alive. This is an important universal message that emotionally resonates with everyone.

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Black Panther (2018)

Black Panther is a Marvel superhero movie about T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the king of Wakanda. Ryan Coogler directed the film, and it follows T’Challa as he faces off against his cousin, Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). The cast includes Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, and Angela Bassett.

T’Challa is one of the first mainstream superheroes of African descent. The film was the only Marvel superhero movie featuring a mainly-Black cast, until the sequel Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever. It was a huge box office success and a film that let many Black and brown children feel represented and seen as heroes in cinema. It’s also a celebration of black strength and power.

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Rent/buy Black Panther on Amazon.

I Am Not Your Negro (2016)

I Am Not Your Negro is a documentary film by Raoul Peck. Based on the manuscript Remember This House by James Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson narrates this documentary that gives more insight into Baldwin’s life and struggles with racism in America. It also addresses race relations in America by discussing the assassinated civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers.

Peck highlights how issues faced by Baldwin, King, X, and Evers are still ones faced by Americans today, especially Black Americans. I Am Not Your Negro offers a snapshot of the Civil Rights era, while also reflecting on society, specifically America’s relationship with racism. It’s a great documentary to watch if you’re interested in James Baldwin and want to learn a little more about the challenges faced by Black Americans in the 1950s, 1960s, and today.

Stream I Am Not Your Negro on Tubi.
Rent/buy I Am Not Your Negro on Amazon.

BlacKkKlansman (2018)

BlacKkKlansman tells the story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), an African American police officer who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). He talks on the phone to David Duke (Topher Grace), the head of the KKK in Louisiana, and uses his charm to become a respected member of the organization, while his partner, Flip (Adam Driver), attends meetings and events in person pretending to be him.

Filmmaker Spike Lee has become associated with comedies and dramas that address issues of race and social justice. He is skillful at creating or highlighting iconic characters and leaving a lasting impression with his films. Lee continues this tradition with BlacKKKlansman. The film can teach about an important moment in Black History, tie it to current issues in America, and still find humor in the dark situations it addresses.

Rent/buy BlacKkKlansman on Amazon.

Moonlight (2016)

Moonlight is Barry Jenkins’ film that follows Chiron (adult version played by Trevante Rhodes) as he deals with his drug-addicted mother, figures out his sexuality, and grows up in Liberty City, Miami. The cast also includes Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Andre Holland, Naomie Harris, Janelle Monae, and Mahershala Ali.

In 2017, Moonlight became the first film with a mainly all-Black cast and also the first LGBTQ+ film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. It’s an important coming-of-age film for Black History Month, not only because of its award wins but because it addresses masculinity and sexuality in a way that isn’t often seen in cinema, especially in films with Black leads. Moonlight is one of the best movies with LGBTQ+ representation.

Rent/buy Moonlight on Amazon.

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Dolemite is My Name stars Eddie Murphy as Rudy Ray Moore, a struggling comedian who creates his character, Dolemite. Rudy gains a following and fame among the nightclub scene and Black audiences. He eventually sets out to make a Dolemite movie.

Blaxploitation films were big in the '70s and an important part of Black cinema. Dolemite is My Name is another movie that pays tribute to that genre and the Black audience that gave these films and their creators power and success. The whole film is about the impact of a niche following and how it can help someone achieve success. It’s a comedy about the power of hope and dreams. It shows that nothing is impossible if you have a passion and continue to work for what you want.

Stream Dolemite is My Name on Netflix.

Fast Color (2018)

Julia Hart directed and co-wrote Fast Color, a superhero film about Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), a woman heading home to her daughter and mother as she’s being chased by law enforcement and scientists who want to study her and her powers. Ruth’s seizures trigger supernatural earthquakes. Her daughter and mother also have powers: they can take apart objects without touching them and reassemble them.

More people need to watch Fast Color because it depicts a beautiful generational story of power and how it drives a family apart and together. The science fiction genre could use more Black-led movies, so this is a special entry into it. Black History Month is a good time to watch Black-led hidden gem movies.

Rent/buy Fast Color on Amazon.

Do The Right Thing (1989)

Do The Right Thing is a Spike Lee movie about one hot day in a Brooklyn neighborhood. All day, racial tensions continue to rise until a major event turns tragic. Spike Lee stars alongside Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, and Giancarlo Esposito.

This classic is one of Spike Lee’s best films. It includes a bunch of future stars, including Rosie Perez, Martin Lawrence, and Samuel L. Jackson. It uses clever writing to address topics of race that are, unfortunately, still relevant today.

Rent/buy Do the Right Thing on Amazon.

Rustin (2023)

Colman Domingo gives one of his best performances as forgotten civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Rustin depicts his part in organizing the March on Washington in 1963. The film features fictionalized versions of several well-known activists, including Martin Luther King Jr. (Aml Ameen).

Rustin is an impactful movie that pushes an important figure in the civil rights movement into a spotlight stolen from him. It’s one of the best recent biopics, and it is one of my favorite civil rights movies. This is a perfect movie to watch during Black History Month, and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, because it recontextualizes and brings new focus to one of the most pivotal events in Black history.

Stream Rustin on Netflix.

The Woman King (2022)

Gina Prince-Bythewood directed The Woman King, a historical adventure flick. It showcases an all-female warrior unit run by General Nanisca (Viola Davis). She must protect the kingdom and her people, as outside forces continue to try to demolish this thriving and strong empire.

The Woman King is one of the best action-adventure movies I have ever seen. It also has a lot more humanity than many. The brilliant cast, compelling story, and superb directing make it a must-watch film. The movie not receiving more Oscar nominations is one of the biggest industry injustices of 2023 and one of the biggest Oscar snubs that still makes me angry.

Stream The Woman King on Hulu.
Rent/buy The Woman King on Amazon.

Rye Lane (2023)

Rye Lane is a romantic comedy set in South London that takes place over a day. Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah) spend the day together when she saves him some embarrassment after his ex-girlfriend brutally breaks up with him. The individuals get to know each other as they explore the city.

There are many amazing Black-led romantic movies, but Rye Lane may be my favorite. Jonsson and Oparah have intoxicating chemistry, and the movie uses one of my favorite styles of storytelling: falling in love in one day. Black History Month is about honoring the many types of excellent Black films. This includes romantic comedies.

Stream Rye Lane on Hulu.

Black Is King (2020)

Black is King is a visual companion to The Lion King: The Gift album. It’s a visual experience that uses the story of The Lion King with Beyoncé’s creative vision. She expertly creates a movie experience with music and visuals.

The film acts as a tribute to blackness while honoring diversity. It also celebrates African heritage and culture. Black is King is lyrical and visual poetry. Black History Month is not just a way to honor Black history but to celebrate Black culture, and this film very much does that.

Stream Black is King on Disney+.

Sing Sing (2023)

Colman Domingo gives another breathtaking performance in Sing Sing. The film follows a group of inmates preparing to perform an original play. The supporting cast features real-life, formerly incarcerated men. It’s based on the book The Sing Sing Follies by John H. Richardson.

The film is all about these men and their journey to use acting as an escape from the cruel reality of prison life. It’s very much a movie that highlights the impact of art. It’s one of the best movies of 2024, and it is a brilliant story that humanizes prisoners, which many movies fail to do.

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Stream Sing Sing on HBO Max.

The Fire Inside (2024)

Based on the boxing career of Olympian Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, The Fire Inside is an inspiring sports biopic. It showcases one girl’s drive to better herself and her family through fighting. It stars Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry.

It’s another stand-out Brian Tyree Henry performance, and it highlights why he’s criminally underrated. Destiny is also stellar as she captivates you in this role. The film isn’t just a brilliant biographical movie; it’s also a tribute to Flint, Michigan, and its resilience.

Rent/buy The Fire Inside on Amazon.
Stream The Fire Inside on MGM+.

King Richard (2021)

King Richard earned Will Smith his first Academy Award. It’s the story of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams's father, Richard Williams, and his impact on their success. It’s a loving tribute to a father, while also highlighting the Williams sisters’ early rise.

King Richard is an interesting sports biopic because of its focus on Richard, instead of the sports stars. It depicts a loving father who makes many sacrifices to help his children. However, it doesn’t show him without flaws.

Rent/buy King Richard on Amazon.

John Lewis: Good Trouble

John Lewis: Good Trouble is a documentary about civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis. The film is an introduction and tribute to this highly regarded American figure.

It’s a good documentary to watch during Black History Month (and any time of the year) to remind you of the people who fought hard to gain and uphold civil rights.

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Rent/buy John Lewis: Good Trouble on Amazon.

Emergency (2022)

Emergency was a favorite among the CinemaBlend staff a few years ago. It made the top 10 best films of 2022. This college comedy takes a sudden turn when Black and brown male students must worry about the repercussions of calling 9-1-1 when a passed-out white woman ends up in their place.

It’s a film with a thought-provoking ending and sharp commentary on race relations in America. Though it’s not a particularly happy movie, it does showcase that tough subjects can be presented in a way that’s not always a somber package. The reality of the situation is heartbreaking but the movie is often hilarious despite the topic.

Stream Emergency on Prime Video.

Sinners (2025)

In 2026, Sinners became the most nominated film at the Oscars of all-time. An honor it earned. It’s one of the most unique and creative movies of the last decade. Sinners is a vampire story that explores topics of prejudice, family, racism, stolen culture, music, and other pivotal and culturally relevant topics in the Black community.

It’s one of the best movies of 2025 and a must-watch for horror movie fans. It also includes some of the best performances of 2025. Sinners offers a masterclass on how to create a new story that can also kill at the box office.

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Rent/buy Sinners on Amazon.

The Blackening (2022)

The Blackening is a horror comedy that follows a group of Black protagonists just trying not to die. It plays off stereotypes connected to Black characters in horror movies (such as always dying first). The Blackening cast includes Dewayne Perkins, Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, Jay Pharoah, and Yvonne Orji.

The film is also a movie about friendship and how that evolves and changes with age. We need more Black horror comedy movies. I am glad that The Blackening and others are helping to grow this genre.

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Rent/buy The Blackening on Amazon.

American Fiction (2023)

Based on Percival Everett’s Erasure, American Fiction tells a satirical story about how Black stereotypes sell. Dr. Thelonious (Jeffrey Wright), a highly intelligent professor, creates a fake identity to sell a book. His book becomes a major success because he leans into the idea of a reformed thug.

American Fiction touches on topics that many Black authors face while trying to survive and thrive in the literary industry. It also explores topics of losing yourself to appeal to the masses. The film is not only a thought-provoking movie but also very funny.

Rent/buy American Fiction on Amazon.

Uncorked (2020)

Uncorked is a Netflix original movie directed by Prentice Penny. It’s the story of a man named Elijah (Mamoudou Athie), who wants to become a master sommelier, and focuses what it takes to accomplish your dreams.

The world of sommeliers is already a topic that isn’t discussed enough outside that community. Exploring it through the lens of a Black character helps make this one of Netflix’s best movies. It’s a very entertaining film about the quest for glory.

Stream Uncorked on Netflix.

Marshall (2017)

Marshall is a biographical movie about Thurgood Marshall. He was the first African American Supreme Court Justice, and the film focuses on one of the first cases of his career. The late Chadwick Boseman stars. It’s considered one of his best performances.

There are many great Black historical figures, but not nearly enough honored, praised, and well-known. Thurgood Marshall is a person often taught about in schools, but not in much depth. Marshall offers a deeper look at him (and the law) that’s more than just a footnote in Black history celebrations.

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Black History Month is only one month out of the year, but movies like Hidden Figures, Do The Right Thing, Black Panther, and all the films on this list can and should be watched any time of the year, especially as a celebration of Black artistry.

Mahershala Ali is one of those actors for whom I get excited to see what he’ll do next. His talent is undeniable and his dedication to his craft is admirable. Mahershala Ali movies are often unique, diverse, groundbreaking, and entertaining. He’s also an actor who is not afraid to bounce between the worlds of TV and film.

Mahershala Ali has a big collection of film and movie projects, so it wasn’t easy narrowing his performances down to 10, but I wanted to select ten Mahershala Ali movies and TV shows that demonstrate his ability to effortlessly embody distinct characters in a variety of genres.

10. Alita: Battle Angel (Vector)

Alita: Battle Angel is the cyberpunk film by Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron where a cyborg who is revived and tries, while facing an array of different foes, to find her identity, Mahershala Ali plays Vector, one of Alita (Rosa Salazar)’s biggest enemies. However, he’s just a puppet in Nova’s plan. At times, Nova takes control of Vector’s body to speak to people directly. So not only does Ali have to play Vector, but he has to play Nova in Vector’s body.

One of Ali’s strengths as an actor is that he never (or rarely) plays 2D characters. Even his bad guys show signs of humanity. The scene when Dr. Chiren (Jennifer Connelly) makes a decision to turn her back on Nova and Vector really stands out because we see a hint of vulnerability in Vector that shows he’s not all schemes and lies. I think this performance needs to be included because sometimes action movie villains are hollow and wooden, but we get a little more than that with Vector.

9. Room 104 Season 2 Episode 11 Shark (Franco)

Room 104 is an anthology series where each episode focuses on a different story, a different set of characters, and different story genres. All these stories are connected by taking place in room 104 of a motel. It was created for HBO by the Duplass brothers. This episode follows cousins Ollie (James Earl) and Franco (Mahershala Ali), pool sharks who let a dollar tear them apart. Something about Franco is so irritating to watch. It’s his slick style, his arrogance, and his inappropriate playfulness that makes him maddening.

The minute Franco starts talking, you completely understand Ollie’s frustration with this guy, and you’re in awe at how easily Ali brings him to life. We’ve seen some of these slick, morally ambiguous characters before from Mahershala Ali, but this is one of the few that’s played more for comedic effect. Mahershala Ali and James Earl’s performances are what sell this episode because you immediately understand their dynamic and relationship from their dialogue and behavior.

8. Hidden Figures (Jim Johnson)

Hidden Figures is the inspirational story of the African American female mathematicians who worked at NASA during the Space Race. It specifically focuses on Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae).

Mahershala Ali plays Jim Johnson, Katherine’s love interest turned eventual husband. Ali is only in a few scenes in Hidden Figures but he represents an important part of Katherine’s development beyond her career pursuits. It’s also a different role from Ali because we rarely see him as a romantic love interest. As Jim, he’s charming, thoughtful, and sweet. This is also the second time Taraji P. Henson and Mahershala Ali have played a couple (they also did so in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), so there is a natural, familiar chemistry between them on screen.

7. True Detective (Wayne Hays)

Along with Carmen Ejogo and Stephen Dorff, Ali plays the lead in True Detective Season 3. This season of True Detective revolves around the disappearance of two young children. The show deals with it through three time periods (1980, 1990, and 2015). The most mesmerizing thing about Ali’s portrayal of Wayne Hays is that he gives us three different versions of Hays.

He has to play him as a rookie detective who gets thrown into the case, a man still haunted by it ten years later, and a man who moved on but now must reface these demons. Ali does a great job distinguishing these versions because even without the hair and makeup, you can easily figure out which one is which. Ali also has the added challenge of Hays memory disorder. He plays that aspect so brilliantly and subtly that you know what has happened even before he says he’s forgotten something.

6. Kicks (Marlon)

Kicks follows teen Brandon (Jahking Guillory) as his new pair of shoes are stolen by local thug Flaco (Kofi Siriboe). He goes on a dangerous adventure through Oakland with his friends to get them back. Mahershala Ali plays Marlon, a well-known criminal, and Brandon’s uncle. Ali only appears in a few scenes in this movie, but of course, he steals every one of them.

Kicks is one of Mahershala Ali’s lesser-known roles, but definitely one worth checking out. He could have easily played the stereotypical thug character, but instead you watch a man who clearly has lost much of his humanity due to the life he’s grown into, but there are still some signs of goodness in him, like him taking care of his sick mother and loving his kids, even if in a dysfunctional way, Ali is one of those rare actors who can play terrifying characters but still make you sympathize with them at points.

5. Green Book (Dr. Don Shirley)

Green Book is about the development of a friendship between Dr. Don Shirley and Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen). Don Shirley hires Tony to drive him across the Midwest and Deep South as he tours as a pianist. The film at its core is about two men learning and growing from each other.

Green Book resulted in Ali’s second acting Academy Award win. The acting by Mortensen and Ali is one of the film’s biggest strengths. If you watch clips of the real Don Shirley, you can see how much nuance and effort Ali put into bringing Shirley to the big screen. It was a performance clearly done with care and respect. Don Shirley is not this over-the-top character who commands a room because he makes sure to take up space, but he’s a powerful character because his dignity, intelligence, and talent naturally allows him to make an impression, and Ali plays that aspect of him perfectly.

4. Roxanne Roxanne (Cross)

Roxanne Roxanne tells the story of real life female rapper Roxanne Shante (Chante Adams). Mahershala Ali plays her husband Cross. It’s another one of Mahershala Ali movies that many may not have seen. I think what makes Ali’s portrayal of Cross so compelling is that he shows different levels of this man’s corruption, rise, and fall. We watch the charming side of Cross that wins over Roxanne, then we see the abusive, controlling monster he becomes.

We later see how his addiction plays a huge part in his failure as a decent human being, but then Roxanne Roxanne doesn’t let Cross off the hook by entirely blaming his bad behavior on addiction. This is part of his core. As stated before, even Ali’s “evil” characters have layers that keep them from being one-note or cartoonish. Cross very much feels like a real person, even when he’s doing inhumane acts. A lesser actor may have made Cross just simply the bad guy, but Ali makes him a bad guy with a soul, even if it’s damaged.

3. Ramy (Sheikh Ali Malik)

Ramy follows Ramy Hassan (Ramy Youssef) and his family as they deal with being Egyptian-Americans and Muslim in modern America. Mahershala Ali appears in the second season of Ramy through the finale. He plays Sheikh Ali Malik. This is my personal favorite performance by Ali because it’s such a fun role. The season starts with Sheikh Ali being a mentor to Ramy, and we see him go from this cool and calm guy to near his breaking point by the end.

The Sheikh is a character who is easy to admire and respect. There is no question why Ramy adores him, so to watch Ramy just make this man lose his mind shows how Ramy’s behavior brings those around him down. This is also a different role for Ali because we often see him in more serious roles. The Sheikh is a serious man but that’s part of what makes him so funny when paired with Ramy.

2. Luke Cage (Cornell Cottonmouth Stokes)

Mahershala Ali plays the villain, Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes, in the Marvel superhero series Luke Cage. Cottonmouth is terrifying, somewhere between a mad man and a neglected genius. Cottonmouth is sly, funny at times, and a sympathetic villain. I think the major difference between having a beloved villain or a hated villain is how an actor does everything possible to make you see their side of things.

You sympathize with them, and maybe even like them, because you understand their journey and how they became the villain (at least to others, never to themselves). Ali doesn’t just make Cottonmouth an evolved villain by his words, but facial expressions, demeanor, and mannerisms. Cottonmouth and Luke Cage (Mike Colter)’s Harlem’s good son vs bad son dynamic is entertaining to watch because of how Colter and Ali bring their A-game whenever they’re on the screen together.

1. Moonlight (Juan)

Moonlight follows the life of Chiron (adult version played by Trevante Rhodes). Mahershala Ali plays Juan, the local drug dealer who befriends young Chiron and becomes like a surrogate father to him. This role earned Ali his first Academy Award win.

Ali plays Juan as this very compassionate man who may be a drug dealer but he’s one of the most understanding, gentle, and truly kind people in Moonlight. I believe what makes Juan such an interesting film character is that often we see movie drug dealers as these one-note characters who glorify their life until they die. Juan is shown as a family man who regrets his career choice but it’s all he knows. Ali gives Juan all the subtleties and depth that he needs to really connect with the audience.

Before long (hopefully) you can see Mahershala Ali and another magnetic performance in in Marvel’s Blade, Swan Song, and in HBO’s Unruly.

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You know who’s a real gem of an actress? Octavia Spencer. It might be unfair to say this, but if acting was basketball, then Octavia Spencer would probably be the industry’s MVP when it comes to assists. That’s because when you typically think of Octavia Spencer movies, you probably think about how she’s often the most shining performance in a supporting role. That’s not to say that she doesn’t take on lead roles, as she had an important one just recently in HBO Max's The Witches. That said, most of her most memorable performances are usually of her giving a helping hand.

But support is so, so important, and it can make or break a story. That's likely why Ms. Spencer won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for The Help, and was also nominated two other times for Hidden Figures and The Shape of Water. But if there is any one truth about Octavia Spencer, it’s that she’s an impeccable actress and we’re lucky to have her. Now on with the list.

10. Zootopia (Mrs. Otterton)

Voice acting is no easy feat, especially when you’re playing the diminutive Mrs. Otterton in Disney’s hit movie, Zootopia. Emotions run high in this film, and Octavia Spencer’s performance as a woman looking for her missing husband is a shining moment in a movie just brimming with shining moments. It's such a little role, but Octavia Spencer manages to get us all emotionally invested in the search for her husband, and we’re rooting for Lt. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde to find him.

But what really makes this performance special is just how well Octavia Spencer’s voice disappears into the character. Sure, if you know it’s her, then you’ll hear her. But if you don’t know it’s her, then you’ll just get fully invested in this character’s plight and sadness and will most likely say, “That was Octavia Spencer?” once you read the closing credits. She’s just too good. Even as an otter.

9. Snowpiercer (Tanya)

With such massive and memorable performances by Tilda Swinton, Ed Harris, and Chris Evans, it’s often easy to forget that Octavia Spencer is even in Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer. But once you watch it again, you’ll remember her since she plays such an important but subtle role as Tanya, a mother who is determined to get her son back from authoritarian forces. She has a voice and she uses it to motivate people, much to great effect.

And while I won’t spoil the movie for you in case you haven’t seen it yet (and if you haven’t, it’s currently on Netflix) what ultimately happens to her will make you pound the armrest of your seat once you get invested in her character. Which is why Snowpiercer is a good movie on your first watch, but a great movie on your second or third viewings. And Octavia Spencer is just one of the reasons why. She's acting her butt off without you really even noticing it. Because that’s just how great she is.

8. Onward (The Manticore)

I love Onward. In fact, it’s actually my new favorite Pixar movie, despite its lackluster performance at the box office. But as much as I love the overall story of two sons trying to bring back their father, what I love just as much is the characters. And Octavia Spencer comes in the blow us all away again as the once fierce, but now family-friendly, Manticore.

Octavia Spencer is hilarious since she has to withhold the seething, relentless rage that her species is known for, but also keep it all under wraps so that she can run a fantasy-themed restaurant. Of course she can’t hold it all together for too long, nor would we ever want her to.

7. Divergent (Johanna)

I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t like the Divergent series. It came out in that really awful period following The Hunger Games where it seemed like every somewhat popular YA series (think The Maze Runner, The 5th Wave, The Mortal Instruments… or don’t think of them) was getting greenlit for a movie. So, um, yeah. I kind of hate Divergent. But of the two movies I’ve seen in the series, she was the best part in both of them.

Octavia Spencer plays a former speaker of one of the factions who then started her own Allegiant group. I always found the series to be too loud and obnoxious, but in comes Octavia Spencer, speaking softly but with authority as a leader. She shines a bright light on a series that didn’t deserve her talent but somehow got it anyway. In other words, Octavia Spencer made a series that I would consider intolerable actually watchable, which is no small feat.

6. Fruitvale Station (Wanda)

Do you want to cry your eyes out? No? Then don’t watch Fruitvale Station, because you will cry your eyes out. Michael B. Jordan delivers a knock-out performance as real-life victim, Oscar Grant III, but it’s Octavia Spencer who does most of the heavy lifting as his mother in the film, Wanda Johnson.

Octavia Spencer’s performance will tear you apart when she cries about how she should have told her son to drive into the city rather than take the BART train where he lost his life at the station after being shot by a BART police officer. Octavia Spencer won a Best Supporting Actress award at the National Board of Review and deserved it. And if you ask me, she should have won the Oscar, too.

5. Self Made: Inspired By The Life Of Madam C.J. Walker (Madam C.J. Walker)

True story: While talking to a colleague of mine last year at the school I work at, she asked me, the resident movie nerd, if there was a film based on the life of Madam C.J. Walker. I told her I didn’t think there was, but if they ever made one, they should cast Octavia Spencer. And lo and behold, Netflix made a fictionalized miniseries about Madam C.J. Walker starring Octavia Spencer. Am I good, or what?

Actually, it’s pretty obvious that Octavia Spencer should take on the role, and she’s great in it. We see her ultra-humble beginnings as a washerwoman, to the discrimination she faces, and ultimately as she creates a hair empire. The series itself is the only thing sort of holding it back more, as it could be a tad more interesting. But there’s no denying how great Octavia Spencer is in it. She knocks it out of the park, as always.

4. The Shape of Water (Zelda Delilah Fuller)

If you read my list of the best Best Picture winners of the 2010’s, then you’ll know that I’m not a fan of The Shape of Water. I mean, it’s fine, but it’s a bit too artsy fartsy for my tastes. But once again, in for the save comes Octavia Spencer who plays the protagonist’s good friend and interpreter.

Again nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, I kind of get bored watching The Shape of Water. But every time Octavia Spencer’s on the screen to prevent Sally Hawkins’ character from doing something she’ll regret, she somehow pulls me through a story that I know I’m supposed to like, but don’t.

3. The Help (Minerva “Minny” Jackson)

Winning her only Oscar (Criminal!) for her role as a maid who is fired for using a guest bathroom but then tells her story to a young journalist, The Help is an extremely enjoyable film that unfortunately hasn’t aged well since its 2011 release.

But Octavia Spencer’s performance is still aces. She’s sympathetic, but also probably the only actress who could make taking a dump in somebody’s pie feel like righteous justice. The Help itself will probably not be remembered all too fondly in the next few years, but that certainly shouldn’t take away from Spencer’s Oscar-winning performance.

2. Ma (Sue Ann “Ma” Ellington)

Okay, honestly, I want to call Octavia Spencer’s performance in Ma her best. It’s definitely my favorite. In the recent horror movie, Ms. Spencer plays a deranged woman who invites teenagers to her house, and then terrorizes them because of a long lost crush she had and… I’m going to just leave it there.

But Ma is crazy! This is one messed up movie, and Octavia Spencer's character in this film is like nothing else she’s ever played. There is no wholesomeness here. There is no nice best friend. Instead, we get a woman who stabs and drugs people. I never thought Octavia Spencer would actually be scary, but she is. She's terrifying! And I love her for it.

1. Hidden Figures (Dorothy Vaughan)

But you know what? Years from now, I’m pretty sure Octavia Spencer’s most remembered performance will be as real-life smarty pants, Dorothy Vaughan, in Hidden Figures. She plays a mathematician and supervisor, and daggum, I never for a second didn't believe a single word that came out of her mouth. She is Dorothy Vaughan, which is even more special since I never even heard of Dorothy Vaughan until I saw this movie.

Which is kind of the point of the film, right? Giving voices to the oft-ignored? But the fact that Octavia Spencer gives so much life and power to this character in the racist 1960s, well, it just makes this performance all the more special. Years from now, kids will be inspired by Octavia Spencer’s acting and will want to learn more about this exceptional woman, and it’s all because of this exceptional performance.

Octavia Spencer may not specialize in powerhouse leading roles like Viola Davis, but her performances are just as vital when elevating a movie from being just good to being fantastic. That’s the power of an Octavia Spencer performance!

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There have been some great space travel movies throughout the history of cinema, with everything from the 1902 french silent film Le Voyage Dans la Lun (A Trip to the Moon) to Stanley Kubrick's 1969 masterful 2001: A Space Odyssey coming to mind. As the years have gone by there seems to be more and more narratives centered around the idea of space travel with beautifully shot blockbuster masterpieces like the 2014 Christopher Nolan epic Interstellar, and low-budget sci-fi horror thrillers like the 2013 found footage hit Eurpoa Report, and more.

Between 2010 and 2019, audiences around the world were treated to some of the greatest offerings in the history of the genre, so many that you might have forgotten one or two. To remind you of some, I've put together a list of 11 great space travels movies to come out in the past 10 years for you to explore. Buckle up and don't forget your dramamine because this is going to be a wild ride…

Interstellar (2014)

Audiences are still debating the divisive ending of Christopher Nolan's 2014 space/time travel/father and daughter drama, but despite the confusing final act of the nearly three-hour blockbuster, Interstellar remains one of the most inventive and enjoyable movies to come out in the past 10 years, no matter the genre. Not only does it feature one of the best Matthew McConaughey performances and a great score from Hans Zimmer, much of the film wasn't shot on a green screen and offers some pretty revolutionary ideas concerning space travel, relativity, and most of all, humanity's quest to find answers to all of life's questions. Add in some impressive shots of black holes, warm holes, and holes left in the hearts of several of the characters, and you have yourself an adventure worth revisiting six years later. At the very least just go back and watch the insanely beautiful trailer.

Ad Astra (2019)

There were great space travel movies scattered throughout the 2010s like galaxies in the vast universe, and one of the brightest of those was James Gray's melancholic story of a broken man hunting his long-lost father in the depths of space: Ad Astra. Starring Brad Pitt as Roy McBride, the film does an amazing job of turning what seems like an everyday job for its central character into a great odyssey from which we don't know if he'll return. And if he does return, how will the journey affect him? By the time Tommy Lee Jones' Clifford McBride is seen in the flesh, his son has experienced much more than he ever thought he would, and he still has more lessons to learn before it concludes.

First Man (2018)

Damien Chazelle's retelling of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon could have taken a very conventional route similar to something like Apollo 13, but thankfully his 2018 film First Man was anything but conventional. Instead of beaming with patriotism like so many have done before him, the director of La La Land and Whiplash showed a side of Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) that few had ever seen before. By including the death of Armstrong's young daughter in the early goings of the film, the director was able to add depth, emotion, and a different kind of pride to a movie that thumbed its nose at the normal space travel feature. It also avoided all of those over-the-top shots of rockets shooting off into space and instead focused on the Gosling's astronaut and what he was feeling at the time of the launch.

The Martian (2015)

Ridley Scott's epic story of the power of engineering and the human spirit might not be a comedy, but that doesn't mean The Martian isn't an amazing movie deserving of all the credit it has received since its 2015 release. Everything from Matt Damon's performance as stranded astronaut Mark Watney to Jessica Chastain's Melissa Lewis and the rest of Watney's crew and scientists back on Earth who come up with amazing ways of risking life, resources, and tons and tons of cash to get him home is enough to earn it a spot on this list, but that's not all. It has been five years since it first hit theaters, but its shots of space, the martian surface, and labs and facilities on our planet only add to the grand scale of this surprisingly refreshing space travel film.

Gravity (2013)

Unlike the first four movies on this list, Alfonso Cuarón's 2013 space thriller Gravity doesn't so much as deal with astronauts traveling to a far-off destination as much as it focuses on the journey home. Clocking in at 91 minutes (each as action-packed or tense as the last), the perilous journey of Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) surviving the destruction of her ride back home and the death of her entire crew, is something that really stands the test of time. It's only made better with George Clooney's Matt Kowalksi, who helps guide Stone along the way as she finds different methods of getting back to the safety of Earth. The film took home seven Oscars at the 86th Academy Awards, including best director, and it deserved each and every one of them.

Lucy In The Sky (2019)

Loosely based on the real-life story of former astronaut Lisa Nowak, the 2019 space drama Lucy in the Sky follows Lucy Cola (Natalie Portman), an astronaut so impacted by her first trip to space that she no longer feels a connection with her husband or family back home. What follows is a woman's obsession with getting back to space, no matter what it takes or will cost her. As the movie goes on, Lucy becomes obsessed with two of her fellow astronauts and that's where things take a turn. It failed to gain any traction at the box office and was panned by critics when it was initially released, but it still offers an in-depth look at the psyche of someone deeply affected by space travel.

Life (2017)

In addition to all the grand and critically acclaimed space travel movies releases in the 2010s, there was also a great deal of horror and hard sci-fi thrillers to come out. One of the beset examples of that is the terrifying alien flick Life which boasted an incredible cast that included Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Rebecca Ferguson as members of a crew aboard the International Space Station who receive a soil sample from the Martian surface that is believed to contain life. Once the sample is brought aboard the ship, the madness begins to unfold, slowly at first, before reaching a fever pitch as an alien life form takes out the scientists one by one as they try to prevent it from getting to Earth.

High Life (2018)

Robert Pattinson is preparing for the release of one of his biggest features yet in Tenet, and still filming what could prove to be a career-defining role in 2021's The Batman, but the former Twilight star isn't a newcomer when it comes to sci-fi thrillers and moody space movies. For example, take a look at Claire Denis' 2018 sci-fi drama High Life in which Pattinson plays Monte, one of several prisoners with death sentences sent to the depths of space to find a black hole where they are to extract a new form of energy. In addition to dealing with dark matter surrounding the infinite abyss that is the black hole, the film also deals with the birth of children through artificial insemination, finding one's place in the universe, and coming to terms with one's past.

The Wandering Earth (2019)

You might remember The Wandering Earth not because you saw the 2019 Chinese sci-fi epic but because of the headlines inspired by the fact that it brought in $700 million at the box office, with less than $6 million of that coming domestically. Despite not too many people seeing it during its brief run in the United States, The Wandering Earth reached a new audience on Netflix, where people got to see the ridiculousness of the movie's plot. Set in 2061, the story centers around a civilization on Earth who feels its more viable to simply move Earth to another star when the Sun turns into a red giant. This unconventional approach to the genre is pretty revolutionary and offers a breath of fresh air (unlike for the inhabitants of the planet in transit) to the premise of a space travel feature.

Europa Report (2013)

Found footage films were all the rage in the early years of the 2010s and it was only a matter of time before something like Europa Report hit theaters and streaming services around the world. This 2013 sci-fi horror film splices together footage from the fictional Europa One mission as it sets off to Jupiter's moon of the same name after it's discovered to potentially harbor life. Even after the crew loses contact with Earth, they push forward with their mission as they see how far they are willing to go in order to learn if life does exist outside the comfort of our home planet.

Hidden Figures (2016)

And then there is the 2016 biographical drama Hidden Figures, which technically doesn't deal with the main characters going and traveling through space, but its portrayal of the female mathematicians who were instrumental in helping American astronauts leave Earth's surface in the early 1960s. Based on a true story, the Academy Award-nominated picture takes an extensive look at the ups and downs of the African American women who fought racial injustices at NASA while the space agency was fighting the Soviets in the heat of the Space Race. And plus, the performances from Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe make Hidden Figures worth it alone.

This isn't even beginning to scratch the surface of all the great space travel movies that came out between 2010 and 2019, so let me know your favorites that might have slipped through the cracks.

Although Janelle Monae first appeared on the entertainment scene in 2003 with her music, she absolutely shined as an actress more than a decade later with her first starring roles in Hidden Figures and Moonlight. Both of these films tell unusual but vital stories featuring black leads and now Monae has spoken out about why it was important they were her first two big movie roles.

On a Season 3 episode of Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter, Janelle Monae opened up about why it was important for her to choose both Hidden Figures and Moonlight specifically as her first two roles. She mentioned that even as part of her music career, she’s always had a focus on making sure the world knows black people are capable of a multitude of things.

For those who are unfamiliar, the mention of math and orbit references Hidden Figures, a biographical drama that follows three exceptionally smart African American women working at NASA on an astronaut’s launch into space. In it, Janelle Monae plays Mary Jackson, NASA's first black female engineer. Then, Chiron is the main character in the coming-of-age drama Moonlight, which is so good it won Best Picture (following a La La Land flub, of course). The film takes viewers through Chiron's childhood, teenaged, and adult life stages and Monae plays the girlfriend of a drug dealer who becomes a father figure to Chiron.

Janelle Monae also spoke about walking her truth growing up as a queer black woman in America and how that formed a deep responsibility within her to make sure that African Americans are represented in entertainment. Hidden Figures and Moonlight are inspiring stories, both on and off screen, and Monae has become a role model. Her characters allow young girls of color to see themselves in a positive light and gives them something to aspire to. In her own words,

Sounds like art is extending far beyond a career for Janelle Monae and she's taking her ability to represent blacks well in the media very seriously. Through various forms of media, including acting and her music, she has already made a dent and shown no signs of slowing down on that effort. So, what is Janelle Monae hoping for her acting career in the future? She also revealed in the interview:

Whether we want to admit it or not, implicit biases exist, and we all have them. But now that people have opened their eyes to these biases and begun to understand what changes need to take place, the work can really begin. As for Janelle Monae, I have high hopes she will see those scripts. And maybe even that Black Panther role.

Fans of the Hulu phenomenon The Handmaid's Tale were in for a shock in June 2020 when it was announced that everyone's favorite show about an oppressive dystopian future where women are forced to have children for the ruling class wouldn't be returning until 2021 at the earliest. As much of a bummer as it was to hear to that we won't see the show this year, there are dozens of other shows and movies that can more than hold viewers over until the hit Hulu series finally comes back.

Movies like Children of Men and shows like Westworld are just two of the many worthy options that will surely hold you over until The Handmaid's Tale Season 4 is released at some point in 2021, so let's take a look at those as well as eight other movies and shows that you can stream or rent if you really miss the critically-acclaimed series. And with some of these series have multiple seasons of great television, you are going to be quite busy between now and next year.

Alias Grace

If you're looking for another series based on the work of the author of The Handmaid's Tale, look no further than the Netflix miniseries Alias Grace, which is based on the masterfully-written novel of the same name from Margaret Atwood. Although it's set in a different time period, the 2017 miniseries focuses on the mistreatment and demonizing of women by an oppressive ruling class that ultimately leads to murder, mystery, and further intrigue as the show's characters get to the bottom of one of Canada's most interesting crimes.

Stream Alias Grace on Netflix here.

Children Of Men

Alfonso Cuarón's 2006 dystopian science-fiction thriller Children of Men has long been a favorite of mine because of its story of the hope and new beginnings in the face of the civil unrest, turmoil, and an overall bleak look into the future. Set in a world where the human population has been infertile for several decades, this beautifully shot film shows just how much society is affected when no one is able to have children and there is no one to inherit the earth. Fans of The Handmaid's Tale method of dangling hope in front of the characters' faces like carrot to a horse will enjoy this engaging narrative and its shocking bursts of violence.

Stream Children of Men on Starz here.

The Stepford Wives

Not to be confused with the 2004 remake of the same name, the 1975 satirical thriller The Stepford Wives follows a young wife as she and her family leave the hustle and bustle of New York City for a picturesque community in the Connecticut. As the story unfolds, the audience learns that this perfect and peaceful community is anything but. Without giving too much away, this cult classic examines themes such as feminism, conformity, and the nature of the men who want a nice yet submissive partner. And just like any good 1970s horror movie, there's enough violence and strange situations that defy logic and reason.

Stream The Stepford Wives on Tubi here.

The Man In The High Castle

If alternate histories set in a parallel universe is your cup of tea then the Amazon original series The Man in the High Castle should be right up your alley. Similar to The Handmaid's Tale in the sense that America has been overtaken by a violent and ruthless regime who wishes to shape the society based off its own backward values and morals, the series based off the work of Philip K. Dick ran for four seasons on the streaming platform before calling it a day. Add Nazis and plenty of the spying and violence, and you have yourself an engaging series to watch while waiting for Elisabeth Moss' return in one of her best roles yet.

Stream The Man in the High Castle on Amazon here.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Going into Mad Max: Fury Road, it seemed like it was just another entry in George Miller's franchise set in a dystopian future where humanity has reverted back to its tribal and unhinged past, but not long into the 2015 thrill ride you quickly realize that it's anything but. Instead of Max saving the day like he's done in the past, it's Imperator Furiosa who leads the charge to get revenge on the tyrannical Immortan Joe and free the women, children, and even war boys he's essentially held captive by withholding vital resources for years. Who would have thought that a big-budget action thriller would be so rich with themes of feminism, unity, and redemption?

Rent Mad Max: Fury Road on Amazon here.

Watchmen

Just as eerie and violent as The Handmaid's Tale, the HBO series Watchmen also centers around a strong female lead caught up in the madness of the world. Based on the landmark graphic novel from Alan Moore, the 2019 series is set in another alternate reality where civil unrest, racial violence, and corruption run rampant in Tulsa, Oklahoma after a major tragedy rocks the community. Filled with themes of classism, racism, sexism, and many others, this highly-entertaining and unsettling show makes for a great binge as you count the days for The Handmaid's Tale eventual return to your weekly schedule.

Stream Watchmen on HBO Max here.

Snowpiercer

Before taking home four Oscars at the Academy Awards for Parasite in 2020, South Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho was mostly known in the United States for his dystopian thriller Snowpiercer. Set on a luxury train traversing the frigid Earth after the plant is plunged into a second Ice Age, the film the 2013 film explores the divide between the haves who live a relatively care-free and unaffected life in the front of the massive train while the have-nots are forced to live in tough and dangerous conditions in its rear. Like in The Handmaid's Tale, there is talk of an uprising for quite some time before enough is enough and action is taken. And if you like the movie, it has also been turned into a series of its own on TNT.

Stream Snowpiercer on Netflix here.

V For Vendetta

There are movies about an oppressive ruling class and the small group of people who sacrifice everything to topple the regime and then there is V For Vendetta. Set in a near-future version of London that is under the control of the fascist Norsefire Party, the 2005 adaptation of the Alan Moore graphic novel of the same name explores the events that lead up to an eventual rebellion by the masses inspired by the masked V. And much like The Handmaid's Tale, the film features a strong female lead in the character Evey who goes through quite a change over the course of the story and eventually helps lead the charge for freedom.

Stream V for Vendetta on Netflix here.

Westworld

Fans of The Handmaid's Tale and long delays between seasons will surely love the HBO series Westworld which had quite a long break between Season 2 and Season 3 (just short of two years). Besides that, both shows share a few common traits and themes: feminism, slavery, and bloody rebellion all come to mind. This highly entertaining science fiction series also features some of the best female-led casts you'll see on modern television thanks to the superb acting of the talented Evan Rachel Wood, Tessa Thompson, and Thandie Newton. And after seeing the world of the show expanded greatly in the most recent season to see life outside the park, this seems to only be the beginning of what's in store for its fans.

Stream Westworld on HBO Max here.

Hidden Figures

Probably one of the most inspirational and groundbreaking movies to come out in the past decade, the 2015 biographical drama Hidden Figures follows three of the African-American female mathematicians who fought a culture war at NASA while the space agency was battling the Soviet Union to put a man into orbit in the early days of the Space Race. This powerfully moving story about history's forgotten heroes doesn't have the dystopian future or bloody violence of The Handmaid's Tale, but it does have one of the strongest female casts in a recent movie as their characters fight to have their voices heard in a room of men. Seriously, this movie needs to be seen.

Rent Hidden Figures on Amazon here.

Those are just 10 shows and movies that fans of The Handmaid's Tale should watch while they're waiting for the smash Hulu series to return at some point in 2021. If you think there is a film or series not included on this list that you think fans of the drama should watch, make sure to let everyone know in the comments below. And if you want to see what questions we have going into the show's next season, check out this story and many others like it here on CinemaBlend.

What exactly is a “black movie”? I ask this question because I see it all the time in various articles and write-ups. In fact, if you type “Black movies” up in Google, you’ll find multiple lists on that very topic. And I get it. When you hear the term “black movies,” it doesn’t necessarily mean movies for black people, by black people (though, it may). It really just means stories that predominantly star black characters, and it may (if it’s good) even deal with issues uniquely concerning African-Americans. Now, movies of this nature could be happy, or sad. Though, if I’m being completely honest, they’re usually sad. Especially concerning today’s times.

Now, this is not a list of movies that I think all black people should watch (I’ve seen those lists, too). So you won’t find movies like The Wiz or Friday on here—Though, I do love those movies, too. Instead, this is a list of black-led films that I think all movie fans should watch, no matter the race or creed. Every single one of them is a landmark film in cinema, and the fact that they’re so ethnically unique just makes them all the better. How many of these black-led movies have you already watched?

Black Panther

It might be weird to start this list off with a COMIC BOOK MOVIE, but when said comic book movie is the first ever to be nominated for Best Picture, well, then I think it deserves a pass. Starring Chadwick Boseman as the titular character and helmed by Fruitvale Station/Creed director, Ryan Coogler, Black Panther wasn’t just any “comic book movie.” it was a phenomenon.

This might be because—say it with me, folks—representation matters! With a cast comprised mainly of black actors, and with a budget of $200 million, Disney was putting its money where its mouth (its mouse?) was. It doesn’t hurt that the film is a lot more heady than most movies in the genre, as it dealt with concepts such as colonization and inner city struggles. A landmark film that everybody should—and probably already has—see(n).

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Does Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner fully work in 2020? Hmm, maybe, maybe not. It’s definitely not going to have you discussing it endlessly like you did with Jordan Peele’s, Get Out (even though Guess Who's Coming to Dinner partly inspired that movie). It’s also kind of cheesy. But does it make for an interesting time capsule of what tolerance would have looked like back in the very contentious 1960's when it was released? Well, yeah, sure. I think it does.

It stars Sidney Poitier as a physician who wants to marry a young white woman (Katharine Houghton) from a rich Liberal family. The parents, played by Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, never expected their daughter to come home with a black man, but the film gets into how such a union doesn’t seem right to certain people. But, being a comedy, things turn out all right in the end. Still, interracial marriage is something that, even today, can get deeply frowned upon in certain communities. And while Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner definitely wouldn’t be considered a “black movie,” it does still deal with concepts that black people would be very familiar with.

Just don’t watch the race-flipped remake, Guess Who starring Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac. It’s, uh, not as good.

Get Out

I mean, I already mentioned Get Out, so…Jordan Peele’s debut has so much to say in its meager 1 hour and 44 minute runtime that you’re going to have to watch it at least two more times just to catch everything. Daniel Kaluuya plays a black photographer who is about to meet his white girlfriend’s Liberal parents. Everything seems great at first. That is until his girlfriend’s mom invites him down to “the sunken place." That's when he finds himself in a world of trouble.

Get Out is a horror film, but it was nominated for Best Picture. That’s because it’s so much more than just a horror movie. It’s a commentary on race in America, and what it means to be black (and white, for that matter, in some regards). It’s a powerful film, and even a funny one at times. A modern day classic.

Lilies of the Field

Let’s get back to Sidney Poitier. The film that won Mr. Poitier his Academy Award (making him the first black actor to win in a competitive category), Lilies of the Field, based on the excellent novel of the same name, is about a skilled wanderer (played by Poitier) who stumbles upon some German nuns and helps them build a chapel. That’s pretty much it, really.

But the film is told very cleanly, and it’s at times a very pretty film. Directed by Ralph Nelson, Poitier deserved his Best Actor Oscar as Homer Smith, so it’s worth watching just for his performance alone.

Uptown Saturday Night

Okay, we might as well just stick with Poitier since we’re already here. Uptown Saturday Night is actually the first in a trilogy, the other two being Let’s Do it Again, and A Piece of the Action. Honestly, I think you should watch all three movies since they’re all really good, even though the two leads—Poitier and (gulp) Bill Cosby—have different names in each one. But if you only watch one, watch this one.

It’s about two friends who are held up by robbers. But when one of the friends (Poitier) realizes that he has a winning lottery ticket in the wallet that was stolen, the two friends try to get the wallet back themselves. Fun times ensue. This is a great movie full of a lot of laughs, and it’s just great to see two excellent actors (if you can separate the act from the actor when it comes to Cosby, which I know is difficult), then you’re bound to have a good time.

12 Years a Slave

Based on a true story about the life of Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong’o, who acted her ass off for that Oscar, is a depressing movie that will not elicit a single smile out of you. You will also likely cry. But it’s an important film and well worth its Best Picture win.

Directed by Steve McQueen (No, not that Steve McQueen)12 Years a Slave is a harrowing film that delves into the horrors of slavery, and it goes deep into the torture that black people (even free black people) had to go through in the history of this nation. Have a Kleenex handy.

Moonlight

Another Oscar winner, director Barry Jenkins’ masterpiece, Moonlight, is about three pivotal times in a young black man’s life—one as a child, one as a teenager, and one as an adult. Each phase of his life informs his ultimate future.

But Moonlight is special since it deals with homosexuality in a way that many other films don’t. Especially since it’s set within the black community, which sometimes, unfortunately, views homosexuality very negatively as a culture. It’s a beautiful movie, and I’m happy (sorry, not sorry) that it beat La La Land for Best Picture.

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

Is Melvin Van Peebles’ Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song a classy film like Moonlight? Hell to the no. But it doesn’t make it any less important. The film that pretty much created the blaxploitation genre, Sweet Sweetback’s is just a culturally important movie in general. If you’re a fan of cinema at all, then you’ve probably already seen it.

In a nutshell, Peebles plays a dude with big wang who gets hassled by the police and then gets some sweet payback. There’s more to it, but that’s about the size of it. So, if you like Tarantino, then you’ll probably like this movie. And the 2003 film Baadasssss!, directed by Melvin’s son, Mario, is also pretty good. Watch both of them.

Fences

Based on the great August Wilson play of the same name, Fences finds Denzel Washington (who also directed) and Viola Davis living out their lives in 1950's in Pittsburgh. Denzel Washington plays a garbage man who was born too late, since he was also an excellent baseball player but was too old by the time the major leagues started accepting black players. This made him bitter, and it washes over his entire family.

It’s just a great overall story, and Denzel Washington handles the material well for the Pulitzer Prize winning play. Fantastic acting + fantastic storytelling=a fantastic movie. And that ending always gets me.

Hidden Figures

Lastly, how about an important, feel-good movie? The Academy Award nominated Hidden Figures is the true story about three black women who helped NASA in a major way but didn't really get the credit for it until now. Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae as real life mathematicians, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and NASA engineer, Mary Jackson, respectively, Hidden Figures is the kind of movie that you show your kids and say, see? African Americans have done much more for this country than you ever even knew.

But it’s rarely a preachy film, and it’s entirely safe for people of all ages. It’s the kind of film that you can show in school knowing that the students will enjoy it and learn something at the same time. In other words, it's edutainment done right.

There are a lot of other black-led films to choose from, but I think these are a good starting point. If there are any other movies you think should have been mentioned here, then please leave them in the comments section below.

Mahershala Ali is one of the most versatile actors currently working. He slips into his characters with ease, giving them depth, intrigue, and a distinct perspective. Ali started to become a household name with his Oscar winning role in 2016’s Moonlight. He then took home another Academy Award in 2019 for Green Book. The two-time Oscar winner is not only a critically acclaimed performer, but he’s appeared in many popular TV shows and movies, like House of Cards, The Hunger Games, True Detective, and Luke Cage, with his most recent role coming via Hulu's Ramy.

Many people have seen Mahershala Ali’s memorable performances in these popular projects and others, but he has been in the film industry for nearly 20 years, so there are a ton of great performances from Ali that you have probably missed. This in mid, here's a selection of some favorite lesser-known (or less-remembered) Mahershala Ali performances.

Ramy (Sheikh Ali Malik)

Mahershala Ali appears in Ramy Season 2 as Sheikh Ali Malik. Ramy (Ramy Youssef) being Ramy sees the Sheikh as a new guiding light. He wants the Sheikh to save him, but Ramy also being Ramy makes their relationship even more complicated when he and the Sheikh's daughter start taking the steps towards marriage.

It is clear to anyone watching why Ramy is so drawn to and dedicated to proving himself to the Sheikh. Ali gives this character a charming calmness that makes anyone around him want to be better. He’s a true spiritual guide and wise man. This is one thing that makes his final encounter with Ramy (at least in season 2) all the more heartbreaking and hilarious.

Hidden Figures (Lt. Col Jim Johnson)

Hidden Figures is the 2016 biopic about black female mathematicians who worked at NASA during the Space Race. Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, and Octavia Spencer star. Mahershala Ali plays Lt. Col Jim Johnson in the movie. He’s Taraji P. Henson’s love interest. The pair have an awkward first encounter, but later start to build a real lasting romance.

This is the second major movie that Henson and Ali appeared in together, they also starred opposite each other in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. The chemistry between these two actors always works on screen. Henson and Ali play off each other very well in Hidden Figures, and he portrays a humble, sweet man that is very fitting for a legendary figure like Katherine Goble Johnson.

Law And Order: SVU (Mark Foster)

This episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (Season 11, Ep 1) starts with the introduction of Detective Nate Kendall (Wentworth Miller), and that leads to a rape case with a white woman accusing a black man of rape. Here, Mahershala Ali plays Mark Foster, the man accused of the crime. It’s uncovered that the van used in the assault matches a case from ten years ago that Stabler (Christopher Meloni) was in charge of solving. “Unstable” has many layers and one of them is false imprisonment of black men.

Mahershala Ali gives a terrifyingly good performance as Foster. His venom and anger helps create a truly psychopathic character, who may be up there with SVU’s best villains. The other great villain in this episode is the failure of the justice system and the false imprisonment of innocent people.

Roxanne Roxanne (Cross)

Roxanne Roxanne is the biopic about rapper Roxanne Shante, played in the movie by Chante Adams. It starts with Shante as a teen who loves to rap battle boys in her neighborhood, and then shows how that evolves to a full career in the music industry. Mahershala Ali plays Cross, her abusive husband.

Cross is this shady character that you know is likely a terrible person from the moment he enters the screen, but you can see how that type of character may have an easy time preying on a damaged teen girl. All Ali’s villains are despicable, but he gives them enough humanity to make them multi-dimensional and real.

Room 104 (Franco)

Room 104 is an anthology series by the Duplass brothers (Jay and Mark). Each episode takes place in a single hotel room, and each episode takes on a different genre and story. Season 2's installment “Shark” is about two cousins who are more like brothers. They make their money from traveling around hustling people. One is a pool shark and the other is the person who plans.

Mahershala Ali creates this very slimy-esque hustler character, who even tries to hustle his own cousin. This is one of Ali’s most fascinating characters that I’ve seen because he’s very much someone most people know. A guy always plotting and planning, but tries to be sly with all his schemes that it eventually becomes obvious his motives. This is also kind of a funny episode, because once you learn the amount that they’re fighting over, you realize the ridiculousness of these characters. This also makes them like any other siblings, fighting over the smallest things.

Kicks (Marlon)

Kicks is a 2016 drama about a boy, Brandon (Jahking Guillory), who gets his Jordan shoes stolen. He, along with his two best friends, goes on a quest to confront the bully, criminal, murderer, and just plain bad dude who stole them. Mahershala Ali plays his equally dangerous uncle Marlon.

Marlon is hard and cold. However, he’s shown taking care of his sick mother and raising three boys (though definitely not in the best way). Once again, Ali brings a complex character to life with his commitment to the role. Marlon is dark and gritty, but you see moments of real kindness. He, Brandon’s bully, and Brandon are all victims of their situation and neighborhoods. Kicks is an intense movie to watch but it balances it with moments of comedy and a whimsical nature.

The Place Beyond The Pines (Kofi)

The Place Beyond The Pines is a crime drama starring Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes, and Bradley Cooper. Dane DeHaan, Ben Mendelsohn, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne, Emory Cohen and Mahershala Ali have supporting roles. The movie follows Luke (Ryan Gosling) and he engages in bank robberies with his bike. Later it shifts to police officer Avery (Bradley Cooper)’s perspective, and ends following Luke’s son Jason (Dane DeHaan).

Mahershala Ali plays Kofi, new boyfriend to Eva Mendes' Romina. From what we see, Kofi is there for Romina and Jason by providing and supporting them. We don’t get enough of Kofi to really know too much. It’s a small role for Ali, but the film is overall worth the watch for the complex characters and interesting story and style.

The 4400 (Richard Tyler)

The 4400 is a science fiction drama about 4400 people who have been missing, but suddenly reappear. Some went missing in different decades, but they all return the same age that they were when they were abducted. They also have no memories of their time away. Later, it’s revealed that some of the 4400 have developed powers.

Mahershala Ali’s character is originally from the 1950s. He was a U.S Air Force man in the Korean War. He’s beaten by his fellow Air Force men when they discover his romantic relationship with a white woman. As a 4400, he develops telekinesis. Richard is one of the prominent characters in the series. In the 4400’s ensemble cast, Ali’s performance was always one of the standouts. Richard always seemed noble, family orientated, and on a path to do what was best for his family.

Mahershala Ali continues to take on unique and challenging roles. Soon he’ll be taking on one of Marvel’s most iconic characters, Blade. If you can’t wait for that release, the shows and movies listed above are just a few of the many great performances by the Moonlight actor. I recommend you start with the ones on this list, and then go explore more of the Mahershala Ali filmography.

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In 2016’s Hidden Figures, Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe portrayed three African-American NASA mathematicians whose work played an integral role in the space race. Now one of the women that movie was based on has passed away. Hidden Figures inspiration Katherine Johnson has died at 101 years of age. NASA remembers her below:

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine announced the news of Katherine Johnson’s passing today, taking to Twitter to offer his condolences to her family and pay tribute to the woman that helped humanity take its first steps into space. The mathematician, who was born in 1918, passed away today at the age of 101.

Actress Taraji P. Henson portrayed Katherine Johnson in Theodore Melfi’s Hidden Figures, which was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture. Katherine Johnson even got to attend the ceremony and appear on stage with the cast.

Starring alongside Taraji P. Henson in Hidden Figures was Octavia Spencer who played Dorothy Vaughan and Janelle Monáe who played engineer Mary Jackson. Katherine Johnson was the last of that trio still alive as Dorothy Vaughan passed away in 2008 and Mary Jackson passed away in 2005 according to NBC News.

The astronauts may get all the glory, they’re the ones with the fancy suits in space and they’re the ones that get to walk on the moon, but it takes a lot of people to make those heroics possible and many of those people and their tireless work goes unheralded. While Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan didn’t live to see the wider cultural recognition of their contributions brought on by Hidden Figures, Katherine Johnson did.

And Katherine Johnson’s contributions were significant. After graduating from college and working as a public school teacher, Johnson was hired by NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, in 1953 to work at the Langley Laboratory in Virginia. There she used her skills at math to help man begin the ascent to the final frontier.

Katherine Johnson did trajectory analysis for America’s first human spaceflight, Alan Shepard’s mission Freedom 7 in 1961. She also contributed to America’s first orbital spaceflight piloted by John Glenn. Glenn wasn’t keen on putting his life in the hands of the computers that would be used to handle the mission on Earth, and wanted Katherine Johnson to check all the equations by hand to give him confidence they were right. She also worked on the space shuttle and Earth Resources Satellite.

Katherine Johnson worked for NASA for over 30 years before retiring in 1986. Last year, when she was a whopping 100 years old, NASA honored her by reintroducing a facility in her home state of West Virginia as the Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility. Katherine Johnson also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.

Recognition may have come later than it should have and it shouldn’t have depended on a book and movie to get there, but Katherine Johnson and the trailblazing black women of NASA’s early years are hidden no more.

Hidden Figures is now available on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, DVD and digital. Check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see what movies are headed to theaters this year.

Halloween is the perfect time of the year to pay homage to people you admire and respect. Sometimes that's a superhero, and sometimes that may be more of a real-life hero or heroine, like the ladies in 2016's Hidden Figures. Some girls have dressed up as Katherine Goble, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan this year, and the result is a pretty fitting tribute. Check the Halloween Hidden Figures costumes out!

The three young ladies are dressed up in gear befitting the period, complete with cool sixties prints and cat-eye glasses. Just in case you mixed them up with any old ladies from the 1960s, the sharply dressed girl in the front of Zellie Imani's post is carrying a copy of Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race, written by Margot Lee Shetterly. The book was the basis for the biographical drama film starring Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae and Octavia Spencer.

Around this time every year, it's pretty common to see young people dressed as Disney characters and other pop culture icons. The top kids Halloween costumes this year included, Wonder Woman, Spider-Man, the Power Rangers, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, a Transformers costume, a tootsie roll (random), Moana, a Halo Spartan and more. What a lot of these characters have in common is that they are all important to pop culture, in a very fictional sense. Sure, the ladies in Hidden Figures came to light similar to a character like Moana thanks to being on the big screen, but in this case, the characters are based on real people who contributed a lot in order to help John Glenn make it into space.

For reference, take a look at the overall style of the ladies in the movie.

This year we've already seen some celebrities get into the holiday spirit, as Kristen Bell (unhappily) dressed up in Elsa's costume from Frozen. Gwyneth Paltrow similarly looked at movies for a costume idea this year, and ended up going as her character from the film Se7en. And basketball player LeBron James decided to dress up as Pennywise from IT, which is all kinds of scary, considering how huge the basketball player is. None of these costumes are quite as adorable as the girls that went all out with their Hidden Figures looks, but it's honestly pretty hard to top cute kids.

Halloween is really just getting started this afternoon, and we'll be sure to let you know if any other individuals shoot out some epic costumes on this holiday of holidays. For now, you can see what's coming up with our full movies schedule.

It's a big month for movie releases, with a few holdover awards nominees finally hitting Blu-ray and DVD, as well as several big box office movies. Among these is, of course, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a movie that did well in its theatrical run and that we anticipate to do quite well once it hits shelves. Disney has been gearing up for the big release with plenty of press, and there are a few stories about the making of the film already running around. In addition, April will mark the month that near Academy Award winner and actual Golden Globe winner La La Land will finally be hitting Blu-ray, albeit sans the Academy Awards sticker I'm sure Summit Entertainment was hoping for. Luckily, that shouldn't mar your enjoyment of the film in the least.

While we wait for April's big Blu-ray releases, if you are looking for the March 2017 DVD, Digital and Blu-ray releases, we have you covered. Unless otherwise noted in the Digital column, Digital releases are the same days as the Blu-ray and DVD releases.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray Review

Rogue One is obviously a Star Wars movie, but in some ways, it also feels very separate from the rest of the entries, despite its basic plot explaining how the Death Star plans were stolen. With a few notable exceptions and a couple fun cameos, the film includes mostly original characters. It also has its own tone and sense of pacing. That combination of nostalgia and originality really works and comes together to produce what many consider to be one of the better Star Wars movies of all-time. Of course, it doesn't hurt that Gareth Edwards' Rogue One: A Star Wars Story contains plenty of consuming visual landscapes and CGI work recreating Grand Moff Tarkin that's nothing short of stunning. It also makes for one heck of a Blu-ray release, that also comes with a DVD and Digital copy. Walt Disney Home Entertainment's set even has a really nice menu setup with a cute buffering screen, and there's way more to the set, as well.

Bonus features are lengthy and located on a separate disc. Literally, there are so many details you can learn on the disc, from the idea of how the initial idea came together and how Gareth Edwards' Monsters influenced his hiring to how the stunts were achieved. The cast-specific extras are a little less exciting because they are mostly practical, but I even enjoyed the "Epilogue: The Story Continues" extra which featured footage from the premiere. Maybe it was just the emotional music choice that was getting to me. You can check out the full list of extras or order your own copy of Rogue One over at Amazon.

Office Christmas Party Blu-ray Review

Office Christmas Party was spawned from an insanely simple premise, which is acknowledged within the extras on the Blu-ray disc. However, with 28 lead cast members---also acknowledged on the disc---the movie has an awful lot going on, most of which picks up after branch manager Clay (T.J. Miller) decides to throw a giant holiday party when his staff's jobs are on the line. Shenanigans ensure, involving actors as varied as Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn, Kate McKinnon, Courtney B. Vance, Jamie Chung, Randall Park, Rob Corddry, Jillian Bell, and more. With the massive cast and the amount of ad-libbing that was allowed on the set of Office Christmas Party, it makes totally sense there are just a crapton of outtakes and deleted scenes (some of which are in the unrated version) on the disc. There's also lengthy theatrical commentary and a behind-the-scenes featurette. This is the type of comedy you'll watch again and again if you liked it, and if Office Christmas Party is your jam, you can order a copy of the flick here.

Tuesday, April 4 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Office Christmas Party

Don't Kill It

Paterson

Week of Tuesday, April 4 Early Digital Releases

Split

The Founder

Teen Titans The Judas Contract

Sleepless

Generation Found

Hidden Figures Blu-ray Review

There were some doozies in this year's Academy Awards nominees. One of these films, Hidden Figures, is notable not just for its cast, its great script and the way it all came together, but also because the movie is an inspirational story about three women who worked important NASA jobs in the face of both ethnic and gender cultural issues at the time. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release is better upon a second viewing, as the details of Katherine Goble (Taraji P. Henson), along with Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) and Dorothy Vaughan's (Octavia Spencer) stories are fascinating. The set itself is nice, too. When there are true-to-life stories such as the one in Hidden Figures, it's often good to get more background, and "The Life of Katherine Johnson" and more era-specific information is explored in the intriguing Making Of segment. Filming in Georgia was also personally fascinating to learn about, as I'm always interested to hear why shows and movies work for a move or TV show like The Walking Dead. (In this movie's case, the Virginia setting makes Georgia appealing.) The extras on the disc are probably not enough to entice you if you didn't already like the movie, but luckily this one is pretty great. Check out more about the release before you order your own copy and be sure to look at the original book.

Tuesday, April 11 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

Hidden Figures

Lion

Veep: The Complete Fifth Season

Silicon Valley: The Complete Third Season

Top Gear 23

Tangled Before Ever After

Worlds Apart

Walking With The Enemy

The Bye Bye Man

Toni Erdman

Mad Families

War on Everyone

Three

Week of Tuesday, April 11 Early Digital Releases

The Young Pope (iTunes April 10)

Underworld Blood Wars

La La Land

Split Blu-ray Review

Following up the Fox series Wayward Pines, M. Night Shyamalan headed back to the big screen, producing the modestly budgeted thriller Split. Much of the movies eeriest moments are due to James McAvoy, who plays Kevin Wendall Crumb, among others, in Split. Without giving too much away, this latest endeavor features all of the twists and turns we've come to expect from a film by M. Night Shyamalan. It's a doozy of a movie, fun, scary, spectacular, and it's still good on a rewatch. Universal Studios Home Entertainment's set comes standard with an additional DVD and Digital copy. Extras aren't lengthy or amazing, although if you liked McAvoy's performance, you can catch more in "The Many Faces of James McAvoy." There's also an alternate ending, and I don't want to give too much away about it, but it is disturbing, and it's easy to see why it was cut from the final draft of the film. Still, that's certainly the extra that is most worth a watch. Order your own copy now.

The Founder Blu-ray Review

A lot of movies have been made over the years about big business, and The Founder tackles one of the biggest: the rise of McDonald's a fast food chain that rose to prominence on the whims and hard work of Mac and Dick McDonald (John Carroll Lynch and Nick Offerman) and Ray Croc (Michael Keaton), a man with more of a vision for the business than a humble attitude toward it. The Founder is mostly about Ray Croc's attitude toward building an empire, and how his relationship with the McDonald brothers crumbled as he struggled for largesse and they simply wanted to produce a good product. Keaton puts in a masterful performance here, as enthusiasm turns to obsession and director John Lee Hancock introduces us to a darker side of business. It's a slow process, and at times, the nearly two hour-long movie is a little slow. But it's certainly worth a watch. Anchor Bay Home Entertainment's Blu-ray release comes with a DVD and Digital copy, but it's light on extras, although you can look into those first. This may be one to rent before owning, but it's no doubt another example of Michael Keaton churning out great roles.

Tuesday, April 18 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

Split

The Founder

Punching Henry

Killjoys: The Complete Second Season

Teen Titans: Judas Contract

Sleepless

Week of Tuesday, April 18 Early Digital Releases

A Dog's Purpose

Gold

La La Land Blu-ray Review

Filled with sunny costumes and actual sunshine, La La Land is a delightful romp through one of the most famous cities on Earth. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are both compelling in the narrative, which follows their young romance as the two are both trying to make it big in the big city. I could nitpick about the singing and dancing quality in the film, but there's a charm to the leads' lack of expertise and the movie's ending will certainly be memorable. There's a reason Damien Chazelle's latest film won six Academy Awards at this year's ceremony, including a big win for Emma Stone in the best actress category. If you want to read more about why La La Land is a must-watch, we have you covered. If not, Summit Entertainment's Blu-ray release comes with both a DVD and Digital copy of the film. If you are wondering how certain scenes in the movie were shot---the big shutting down the freeway opener, for example---the extras featuring a wonderful amount of movie trivia, and there are quite a few of them with the set too, especially if you purchase the Blu-ray, which comes with a few extras. There's also a segment on the times Gosling and Stone have worked together in the past, so if you are a fan of their body of work, there's plenty to peruse. You can order your own copy of the flick.

Tuesday, April 25 Blu-ray And DVD Releases

La La Land

The Affair: Season Three

Animal Kingdom: The Complete First Season

Mean Dreams

Underworld Blood Wars

The Daughter

We Are X

The Marine 5: Battleground

Detour

Peanuts Go Team Go DVD

Week Of April 25 Early Digital Releases

Fifty Shades Darker

A pop star, philanthropist, and now accomplished movie musician, Pharrell Williams is quickly becoming the stuff that Hollywood legends are made of. And with La La Land bringing musicals back to the forefront of show business, the idea of setting his life to music is as tempting of a prospect as any. Which is how Fox has come to acquire the rights to a project that is inspired by Williams' childhood home of Virginia Beach: a movie musical that also takes inspiration from another storied source, Shakespeare.

The Hollywood Reporter recently announced the project, entitled Atlantis, as a Romeo and Juliet inspired musical that takes a page from the Academy Award-nominated songwriter and the Bard himself. Partnered with Williams is producer Gil Netter, who helped Pharrell sell the project, as well as Tony-winning director Michael Mayer and writer Martin Hynes, who will work in their respective fields as part of the Atlantis team. With the talented forces behind the project, there's a lot of opportunities for this fresh project to become the next La La Land caliber hit in the history of musicals.

It's to be assumed that Pharrell Williams will be complimenting his producing duties with yet another songwriting credit, as Atlantis is obviously going to need songs. In fact, one could hope that his budding friendship with famed composer Hans Zimmer will see the two reunite yet again to work on the music and score for this brand new project. Should this happen, it'll all but confirm another feeling we're starting to experience when thinking about Atlantis. Specifically that this film will be nothing short of a hot awards season prospect.

While La La Land was certainly an enjoyable romp through the musical realm, it has been accused as being a somewhat racist product. Naturally, as the Academy likes to put forth an aura of progressive and diverse options, this would make them more primed to vote for Atlantis as a potential nominee, and even a potential winner. Of course, this isn't the primary reason that the film could be seen as a prestige competitor, as Pharrell Williams' previous nomination status makes for a built-in shoo-in. Also, while fans of La La Land might be upset the musical failed to secure the Best Picture trophy, the infamous awards body could see Atlantis as a chance to make it up to the younger folks who may be more inclined to follow the Academy.

For now though, it's the early days for Atlantis, which is currently under development at Fox and has no release or production schedules in mind for the project as of yet. But we'll definitely be on the lookout for any further indicators as to what type of movie it will shape up to be. In the meantime, you can hear Pharrell's latest collaboration with Fox, as Hidden Figures will be available on Digital HD tomorrow.

Hidden Figures was one of the last movies to be released in 2016, hitting theaters on Christmas Day of that year in select theaters (it later opened wide on January 6). That means its theatrical run still isn't quite done, and that extended period has paid off. Thanks to the movie's impressive critical reception, including its recognition during awards season, more people have been going to see the biographical drama, and as of this past weekend, it's made more money domestically than X-Men: Apocalypse, Jason Bourne and Star Trek Beyond, three fellow 2016 releases.

According to The Wrap, Hidden Figures' domestic total rose to $162.8 million at the end of this past weekend. For comparison, Jason Bourne, which marked Matt Damon's return to the Bourne franchise after nearly a decade, ended its theatrical run taking in $162.4 million domestically, while X-Men: Apocalypse, the ninth installment of the X-Men franchise, and Star Trek Beyond, the third of that franchise's reboot movies, took in $155.4 million and $158.8 million, respectively. Although Hidden Figures' worldwide gross doesn't come near cracking what any of these three movies made in various countries, it's incredible that the movie has performed so well in the United States, showing that you don't always need to be part of a franchise or "brand" to guarantee financial success. Plus, don't forget that Hidden Figures was only made off $25 million, while those three blockbusters had budgets stretching past $100 million.

Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae, Hidden Figures told the story of real life African-American mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, who were instrumental to many of NASA's accomplishments in the 1960s. The supporting cast included Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Mahershala Ali, Glenn Powell and Jim Parsons. Among the many accolades it has earned include winning three African-American Film Critics and three NAACP Image Awards, as well as being nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and three Academy Awards.

If you haven't had the opportunity to see Hidden Figures yet, take a look at the trailer below to get an idea of the movie's premise and why it's done so well both critically and commercially.

Hidden Figures is still playing throughout the U.S., so if you want to contribute to that domestic haul, grab a seat at a theater near you soon. If you're unable to do that, you can buy the biopic on home media starting with the Digital HD release on Friday, March 28 and the Blu-ray/DVD release on Tuesday, April 11.

One of the biggest issues in the world of TV and movies is diversity and inclusion. While this has perhaps always been an issue in the biz, last year's Oscar ceremony put a spotlight on the subject. Following the Academy's nominations of entirely white actors, the campaign #OscarsSoWhite became viral and brought national attention to the subject of equal representation in the media. And while this year's Oscar nominees are far more diverse than last year, it seems that there still may be work to do in order to become more inclusive of people of color, women, and LGBT folks.

UCLA recently did a study which examined 2016's film and TV projects in regards to diversity both on and off camera. And while the Oscars will presumably have far less controversy surrounding the ceremony this year, UCLA claims that the work isn't done. The recent study found that just 29 percent of leading actors were female in 2016. Additionally, only 7.7 percent of directors were women. These findings attempt to inspire the community to continue the work towards inclusion, despite a much more diverse Oscar pool.

UCLA's study focused on the top 200 films of the year, as well as over 1,000 TV shows across network, cable, premium, and streaming providers.

And while this study may seem discouraging and alarming, it's important to note that 2016 was a major one in regards to equality in Hollywood. In regards to female representation, we saw quite the shift in this year. Part of this is due to Daisy Ridley's leading role as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. J.J. Abrams' megahit saw a strong leading character who just happens to be female. The character was extremely well received, and there was major controversy when action figures and merchandise left Rey out.

This fallout led to an increase in female characters' inclusion in merchandise, from Star Wars' Rey to Marvel's Black Widow. Additionally, Wonder Woman was produced for the DCEU, which features a cast full of strong female characters and a female director in the form of Patty Jenkins. The MCU will follow suit, producing two female led installments with Captain Marvel and Ant-Man and the Wasp.

UCLA actually produced a short video to present their findings, and it contains tons of interesting information regarding the imbalances between demographic groups in Hollywood. And while things are changing, it makes the case that caucasian men are still very much on top in the entertainment industry. Check it out below.

That being said, I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't think that 2016 was a positive one in regards to inclusion and diversity for TV and film. So although there is still work to be done, it's clear that the conversation revolving around visibility is indeed doing some good.

This year's Academy Awards February 26, 2017 and will be hosted by late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel.

This year marks the 89th Academy Awards ceremony, with a crop of notable nominees that will fight it out to take home the highest honors in the film world. So naturally, in order to handicap your Oscar pool properly, as well as keep current in the conversation with all of your movie-inclined friends, you're going to want to see, at the very least, the entire field of Best Picture candidates. In the past, this used to be a real pain, as most Best Picture nominees would already be out of the theaters and stuck in that limbo between theatrical and home video release.

But in the past decade or so, it's become much easier to stay current thanks to both the ever-shrinking window between both mediums and big theater chains running special events that run the entire line-up. Which is why we're pleased to have compiled a list of all nine Best Picture nominees and whether you can still see them in theaters or when they'll be available on home video. Keep in mind, release dates and theatrical exhibitions are subject to change, so be sure to double check your local theater listings and your streaming/purchasing venue of choice.

AMC/Regal Marathons

Probably the easiest, and most fun, way of catching all nine Best Picture nominated films is through the programming packages that AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas are both offering in February. In the case of AMC's Best Picture Showcase, the nine films are spread across two weekends (February 18th & 25th), and will cost $65 for a two-day pass, with individual passes running at $32.50 (Feb. 18th only) and $37.50 (Feb. 25th only). Though if you're feeling strong, you can watch all nine films in one day in select locations. For all of the details, including Stubs Rewards perks and discounts on two-day passes at the box office, head to AMC's official site.

Regal Cinemas, on the other hand, is running their Best Picture Film Festival of programming from February 17th straight until Oscar night on the 26th. For $35, you can see all of the films, but there is a catch: all nine films are scattered throughout the length of the festival, so you'll need to do some schedule optimization in order to catch them all. However, if you're looking to catch only a couple stragglers and don't need the entire pack, this is probably the best option. Further details & scheduling can be found at Regal's official site.

But let's say you're not interested in going to a multi-picture marathon, or just want to catch your favorites at home. The following are individual listings for each film and how you can catch them in all of their singular glory.

Hell Or High Water

Synopsis: Two brothers (Chris Pine & Ben Foster) rob a local Texas bank chain blind, all in the name of protecting their family's land. But a wily sheriff (Jeff Bridges) is hot on their tails, and giving them a run for their money.

Is It Still In Theaters: It depends. Some theaters have brought the film back in limited capacity due to its award nomination.

When Will It Be Available On Digital HD/Home Video: Hell or High Water is currently available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.

Possible Streaming Options: iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, Vudu & FandangoNOW.

Arrival

Synopsis: When several alien crafts arrive on Earth, and are in need of interpreters, linquist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is drafted to make first contact with the species known as the Heptapods. Tensions mount, and the world is on the brink of something risky, with Louise's efforts making the difference between peace and war.

Is It Still In Theaters: Yes. Thanks to Paramount, Arrival celebrated its 8 nominations by bringing the film back to theaters with some extra bonus footage for one day only. But there are some theaters still showing the film in limited showtimes, so look closely at your listings.

When Will It Be Available On Digital HD/Home Video: Now (Digital HD)/February 14th (Blu-ray/DVD)

Possible Streaming Options: iTunes & Amazon Video.

Fences

Synopsis: Troy Maxon (Denzel Washington) is beloved and feared by his own sons and wife (Viola Davis.) Fences tells the story of the Maxon household, the ups and downs the it suffers as his youngest son grows up and life's pressures push the family into some dark corners.

Is It Still In Theaters: Yes, but it could be winding down soon, so you should probably run out and see this one while you can.

When Will It Be Available On Digital HD/Home Video: February 25th (Digital HD)/TBD (Blu-ray/DVD)

Possible Streaming Options: Amazon Video & FandangoNOW.

Hidden Figures

Synopsis: Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson,) Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer,) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) are three young African American women that helped NASA change the world during the early age of the space race, while having to simultaneously combat the inequalities of institutional racism. Yet their story hadn't been told until much later, partially thanks to this film.

Is It Still In Theaters: Yes. Hidden Figures is still in the thick of it's wide release window, so you should be able to catch this one before Oscar night.

When Will It Be Available On Digital HD/Home Video: Hidden Figures is currently listed as having a "Spring 2017" release date for home video/Digital HD.

Possible Streaming Options: No streaming options have been announced for this title at this time.

Hacksaw Ridge

Synopsis: Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) never carried a gun and never fired a shot during his tour of duty during World War II. What he did do was rescue 75 wounded soldiers from the field of battle, and he did it out of pure faith and shining humanity. Based on a true story.

Is It Still In Theaters: You might find some theaters still running Hacksaw Ridge, particularly after its nomination drive. But it's not going to be easy.

When Will It Be Available On Digital HD/Home Video: February 7th (Digital HD)/February 21st (Blu-ray/DVD)

Possible Streaming Options: FandangoNOW & Vudu.

Lion

Synopsis: Saroo (Sunny Pawar) wandered off from home as a child and managed to go as far as Australia. As an adult (Dev Patel), he becomes curious about his origins after memories of his childhood town start to resurface. With some internet knowhow, he embarks on a journey to uncover his past. Based on a true story.

Is It Still In Theaters: Yes, though you should probably check your indie theaters and/or bigger multiplexes to increase your odds of catching this Lion.

When Will It Be Available On Digital HD/Home Video: TBD (Digital HD)/March 21st (Blu-ray/DVD)

Possible Streaming Options: No streaming options have been announced for this title.

Manchester By The Sea

Synopsis: Lee (Casey Affleck) returns home after his brother's untimely passing, and is greeted with legal guardianship of his nephew (Lucas Hedges.) Coming home could offer some much needed closure, but also looks to open up old wounds as he is reunited with his ex-wife (Michelle Williams.)

Is It Still In Theaters: Manchester By The Sea looks to be winding down in its theatrical exhibition window.

When Will It Be Available On Digital HD/Home Video: February 7th (Digital HD)/February 21st (Blu-ray/DVD)

Possible Streaming Options: FandangoNOW & Amazon Video.

Moonlight

Synopsis: Through three narratives in as many different time periods of his life, the story of Chiron (Alex Hibbert/Ashton Sanders/Trevante Rhodes) unfolds. We learn about his hard life at home, his relationships with those around him and ultimately the type of person he will become because of both.

Is It Still In Theaters: Moonlight is heading to home video soon, but there are still some limited locations that might be showing the film.

When Will It Be Available On Digital HD/Home Video: February 14th (Digital)/February 28th (Blu-ray/DVD)

Possible Streaming Options: Amazon Video, FandangoNOW & Vudu.

La La Land

Synopsis: An aspiring actress (Emma Stone) and a stubborn Jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) meet and fall in love in the city of dreams. But can a person chase their dreams while holding onto the one they love as they do the same?

Is It Still In Theaters:____Yes, very much so. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if this stayed in theaters up until the actual awards themselves. In fact, the film is heading back to IMAX as of today, so check your local listings.

When Will It Be Available On Digital HD/Home Video: No Digital HD/home video release dates have been set for this title.

Possible Streaming Options: No streaming options have been announced for this title.

Hidden Figures is a movie that has been inspirational for a lot of people. However, three girls from Wisconsin who dressed as the three leads from the film are now acting as an inspiration for the actresses that played the parts in the film. As part of a Black History Month Project, three girls recreated the Hidden Figures movie poster and the stars of the film are absolutely in love with it.

The idea was the brainchild of Milwaukee College Prep teacher Terrance Sims. According to The Huffington Post, he wanted to create a series of posters that showed off the excellence of his students as well as draw focus to African-American culture during Black History Month. Ambrielle-Baker Rogers, Morgan Coleman, and Miah Bell-Olson are the three students in the image, wearing outfits that they put together with their parents, then photographer Amanda Evans took the picture and put it with the film's poster.

From there, the image has gone viral and has reached the eyes of the three actresses who portray the real-life women from the film who helped NASA put the first Americans in space. Taraji P. Henson is the most over the moon about it, showing it off on Instagram as an example of why she made the movie in the first place.

It's clear that Hidden Figures is having its desired impact on popular culture. The story of the African American women who were involved in the space program is a story that most of, the stars of the movie included, simply weren't aware of. The movie has gone a long way to rectifying this oversight, and now this image shows us that the message has been received by those it was most meant for, children, especially African Americas and women, who might now be inspired to follow into careers in math and science.

Janelle Monae also sent the image out on Instagram, while Octavia Spencer did the same on Twitter.

This image is just about as inspirational as the film that inspired it, and the real-life story that inspired the movie. Hidden Figures is in theaters now and is up for several Academy Awards later this month, including best Picture.

Filmmaking isn't a competition. There shouldn't be any winners and losers. Instead, everyone should just be focused on making the best films they possibly can with the tools provided for them.

That's the usual train of thought. But Oscar nominations morning throws this entire rule book out of the window. Actors, actresses, producers, directors, writers, editors, and anyone else who is overlooked turn from gentle and contemplative individuals into rabid, furious egotists, that start cursing out their rivals, planning revenge, and asking the heavens why the world has been so cruel to them.

Today was no different. In fact, there were quite a few snubs that were hard to understand. Here's a rundown of the Oscar snubs that will have left people rightfully furious.

Deadpool

Really? I mean, what more does the superhero genre have to do to get Oscar recognition? Everybody and their great-grandmother loved Deadpool, and after gaining recognition at the Critics' Choice Movie, Writers Guild Of America, Producers Guild Of America, and Golden Globes it was thought that it would come away with at least a couple of nods at the 89th Academy Awards. Instead, it received zero. Which is a travesty.

Ryan Reynolds should have, in my opinion, been recognized ahead of Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) in the Best Actor category, while Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese can feel aggrieved at missing out on a Best Adapted Screenplay nod. There was even hope that it might sneak Best Director (Tim Miller) and Best Picture nominations, too. Still, there's always Deadpool 2.

Silence

Audiences haven't quite cottoned to Silence in the way that its producers hoped. Which is quite a surprise, because when early reviews for the religious epic were released at the start of December, some critics even put it right up there as one of Martin Scorsese's best. But a hectic festive schedule took the wind out of its sails, and it has so far only crawled to a $9.9 million box office total.

This apathy has rubbed off on Oscar voters, too. So much so in fact that Silence only picked up one Oscar nomination, with Rodrigo Prieto recognized for Best Cinematography. After its reviews were released, it was considered a contender for the main categories, including Best Picture, Best Director (Scorsese), Best Actor (Andrew Garfield), Best Supporting Actor (Adam Driver), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Jay Cocks, Martin Scorsese). But having now been overlooked, its likely to just disappear out of cinemas altogether.

Amy Adams, Arrival

The same can't be said of Arrival, which was one of the most celebrated films of 2016. This has been reflected in its eight Oscar nominations. But while Bradford Young (Cinematography), Sylvain Bellemare (Sound Editing), Claude La Haye & Bernard Gariepy Strobl (Sound Mixing), Patrice Vermette (Production Design), Eric Heisserer (Adapted Screenplay), Joe Walker (Film Editing), Denis Villeneuve (Best Director), and its team of producers (Best Picture) will undoubtedly have already popped open the bubbly, Amy Adams will be cursing her luck.

That's because she was beaten to a Best Actress nomination by Isabelle Huppert (Elle), Ruth Negga (Loving), Emma Stone (La La Land), Natalie Portman (Jackie), and Meryl Streep, who picked up her obligatory nomination for Florence Foster Jenkins. But while Adams can console herself with the fact that she's been nominated five times before, it's particularly puzzling because Arrival might actually be her best performance to date.

Sully

Like Silence, there was plenty of Oscar buzz surrounding Sully when it was originally announced, as director Clint Eastwood and its star Tom Hanks are no strangers to Awards season glory. The true story of its titular everyman pilot that saved the lives of 155 passengers after US Airways Flight 1549 was forced to crash land on the Hudson River also seemed ripe for recognition, too. When it chalked up $238.5 million at the box office during its run its place as a frontrunner was secure. Especially after it was named by the American Film Institute and National Board Of Review as one of the top ten films of 2016.

But that's as good as it got for Sully, because other Awards groups just haven't been taken with it. Sure it got a Sound Editing nomination this morning, but they'd long given up the ghost of receiving Best Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Director (Clint Eastwood), and Best Picture nods. I blame its gentle attempt at humor as its closing line.

Patriots Day

Another film that had been targeted as a front-runner for Oscar glory during its production, Patriots Day didn't even pick up one solitary nomination. In fact, it was outdone by Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg's other collaboration in 2016, Deepwater Horizon, which received two nominations for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Editing.

Patriots Day's depiction of the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15, 2013, was expected to connect with Oscar voters, especially as it starred Boston native Mark Wahlberg in the lead role. Plus, Berg's reputation has steadily been growing over the years, and it was thought that it would pop with Patriots Day. Again, it had its hopes increased after the National Board Of Review named it as one of its top 10 films, but it was squeezed out of contention by a hectic Christmas period, which also saw it gross just $24.7 million.

Sing Street

Films like Sing Street don't usually aim for Oscar nominations. That's because it is set in Dublin in 1985, and is a musical-comedy-drama that was made on a relatively low budget. But after premiering at Sundance last year, audiences really took to the all-singing / all-dancing extravaganza, especially thanks to its beloved depiction of 80s music and positive disposition.

That's why, shortly after the Oscar nominations were released, plenty of people voiced their discontent that Sing Street didn't pick up a Best Original Song nomination for either The Riddle Of The Model, Up, To Find You, A Beautiful Sea, Drive It Like You Stole It, Girls, or Brown Shoes. Clearly the Academy members aren't quite as enthralled with 80s, synth driven pop music as the rest of us.

Taraji P. Henson, Hidden Figures

There were always going to be some big omissions in the Best Actress category. We've already mentioned that Amy Adams has every right to feel aggrieved, but with such a competitive field this year there are two or three other actresses that will be crying into their Corn Flakes this morning. But while Annette Bening (20th Century Women) and Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) looked likely to miss out, Taraji P Henson will undoubtedly feel peeved that her turn in Hidden Figures, which has rightfully earned all kinds of praise during the biographical drama's impressive box office ascent over the last few weeks, wasn't deemed worthy.

While other films floundered over Christmas, Hidden Figures found its audience with a snappy promotional campaign. In many ways its paid dividends, and Taraji P. Henson will undoubtedly be celebrating Hidden Figures' Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay nominations, as well as Octavia Spencer's Best Supporting Actress nod. But, deep down, she'll probably also be feeling peeved that she hasn't been solely recognized herself, as well.

Finding Dory

There was a time when Pixar wasn't just considered a lock for a nomination in the Best Animated Feature Film field, but the award itself had basically already been sewn up for them, too. So much so, in fact, that there was even a push for the likes of WALL-E, Toy Story 3, and Inside Out to be nominated in the Best Picture field.

But not anymore, because even though Finding Dory amassed $1.028 billion to make it the second highest grossing Pixar film of all time, and has a score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, it was still overlooked in the Best Animated Feature Film field, as Kubo And The Two Strings, Moana, My Life As A Zucchini, The Red Turtle, and Zootopia beat it. Clearly Pixar now has to raise its game, which can only be a good thing for audiences.

Several Best Actor Contenders

Like the Best Actress field, the Best Actor category this year was packed to the brim with potential nominees. But there can only be five. And while Casey Affleck, Andrew Garfield, Ryan Gosling, Viggo Mortensen, and Denzel Washington will already be practicing their speeches, there will be quite a few actors out there mourning the fact that they just missed out.

After losing to Eddie Redmayne back in 2014, Michael Keaton wasn't even nominated this time around for his performance in The Founder, and while Joel Edgerton will be ecstatic that his Loving co-star Ruth Negga is in the mix in the Best Actress category, he'll feel a little disappointed that he didn't get a Best Actor nod. Then there's Andrew Garfield, who will obviously just be delighted that he's been nominated for his turn in Hacksaw Ridge, even though he'll know that he really should have been singled-out for his work in Silence, instead.

Tuesday morning marks the announcement of the nominations for the 2017 Academy Awards. The "big game" for movie fans and professionals alike, this list is going to be the playing field to end all playing fields for the class of 2016. The competition will be fierce, and as with any field of runners and riders, there's a good mix of the expected and the unexpected.

So with our own optimism, and a dash of reading the tea leaves of the awards season that's come before, we have a list of what we feel are going to be locks and longshots for landing a place on the honor roll. Of course, there's still a degree of uncertainty, as Hollywood has taught us time and time again that longshots can be winners, and dreams can come true. In that event, we reserve the right to be just as surprised as you are.

Best Picture Lock: La La Land

There's absolutely no question that La La Land is going to be nominated for Best Picture come Tuesday morning. With buzz being extremely strong since it premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year, and said enthusiasm failing to die down, the odds have always been in Damian Chazelle's favor. But now, with a record breaking 7 Golden Globes in its hands, another day of sun has turned into a season of splendor for this bittersweet tale of love and dreams.

Best Picture Longshot: Arrival

It hasn't been an easy ride for Arrival, despite gaining similar amounts of traction to La La Land after debuting in Toronto. With an almost complete shut out from even being nominated at the Golden Globes, the signs are pointing to the possibility that this Denis Villeneuve's examination of an extremely grounded first contact scenario is a non-starter with awards judges. We're holding out for a nomination for Amy Adams, but we're not so hopeful that Best Picture will stick the landing.

Best Animated Feature Lock: Zootopia

Honestly, if you'd asked around the offices of Cinema Blend whether Disney would land a Best Animated not with Zootopia or Moana, you'd get a mixed bag. It's not that one film is significantly worse than the other, on the contrary, they're both fantastic. But Zootopia was released in March, and the later the year gets, the more you tend to forget about some movies. Not Zootopia apparently, as its reputation has kept it alive in everyone's minds. Though the fact that it's streaming on Netflix probably helps too.

Best Animated Feature Longshot: Kubo and The Two Strings

2016 has been an embarrassingly good year for animated films, so picking who gets shut out is really hard. Unfortunately, if we were to guess who'd be leaving empty handed come tomorrow morning, Kubo and The Two Strings would be the film we'd end up picking. Again, there's no doubt that this film is staggeringly beautiful and absolutely brilliant. But between two, possibly three Disney films landing noms, Sausage Party's awards play, and My Life As A Zucchini making an even later splash in the field with a Golden Globes nomination, this race seems a bit more crowded with contenders than usual.

Best Actor Lock: Casey Affleck

Manchester By The Sea has always felt like more of an acting nomination contender than a Best Picture lock. Nowhere is that more present than in Casey Affleck's performance in Kenneth Lonergan's mournful, yet sometimes humorous drama. Winning the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama certainly helps, but if you're a Casey Affleck fan, you knew that this was merely a fait accompli after years of hard work.

Best Actor Longshot: Ryan Reynolds

Let's address the elephant in the room: Ryan Reynolds isn't getting a Best Actor nod for Deadpool. While the Golden Globes have the luxury of splitting into two different sections for Drama and Musical/Comedy, the Academy Awards do not have that distinction. As such, it's very doubtful that the normally comic-phobic Academy will be throwing much love towards the Merc with the Mouth, and it's a damned shame too, because Reynolds's performance is absolutely pitch perfect.

Best Actress Lock: Viola Davis

The question isn't whether Viola Davis will be nominated as a Best Actress candidate for her work in the powerful film Fences, but rather who else will try to stand in her way? While some would tell you this is a Best Supporting Actress role, as the character of Rose Maxon could be perceived as a backseat to Denzel Washington's Troy. However, between Davis' performance and the context of her character in the source material, we can't help but argue vociferously that she's not only a Best Actress candidate, she's our frontrunner to take it home.

Best Actress Longshot: Taraji P. Henson

Hidden Figures, for the most part, feels like it's come too late in the awards race to be buzzed properly. If we were to bet on any nominations heading towards this well-regarded latecomer, it'd be for Best Picture and possibly Best Original Song. But if the movie's recent popularity at the box office has truly improved its chances at awards glory, then surely there's enough room for Taraji P. Henson to make her way into the running for Best Actress. While we're still skeptical, as it's a crowded field already, we're still hopeful.

Best Original Screenplay Lock: Manchester By The Sea

Kenneth Lonergan is no stranger to the Oscar dance, as he was previously nominated twice for Best Original Screenplay, thanks to You Can Count On Me, and Gangs of New York. This year should undoubtedly be his third turn at bat, as Manchester By The Sea has quickly rose through the ranks to challenge all comers in the awards season blitz. While it's hard to say if it'll be a strong contender for winning, especially since Moonlight took the top Drama prize of Best Picture at the Golden Globes, it's most certainly a strong contender.

Best Original Screenplay Longshot: La La Land

Another harsh lesson in Golden Globes reality: La La Land probably won't get that coveted Best Original Screenplay nomination, and if it does, it surely will not win. While being a charming film, the story does seem a little thin, with many characters existing as Macguffins more than living characters. With Moonlight and Manchester By The Sea giving chase, and the singular nomination pool, Damian Chazelle's writing nod seems like a longshot in our book.

Best Adapted Screenplay Lock: Arrival

While Arrival may be a longshot to take a Best Picture nomination home, we would think that it has much better traction for a nomination tipped towards Eric Heisserer's adaptation of Ted Chiang's short story, Story Of Your Life. Both it's innovative approach to a Sci-Fi theme we've seen often, and its focus on the power of language and translation, it's a timely message that reminds us that we have to truly listen in order to understand our own world, not to mention that of the Heptapods. And we all know the Academy loves message movies.

Best Adapted Screenplay Longshot: Deadpool

Seriously guys, we loved Deadpool. It was everything you'd want from the character's solo debut, it healed the wounds of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and it made Ryan Reynolds bankable again. We can't sing the praises for this baby high enough, but again, there's more competition on the Oscar level than most others. The recent wave of nominations in various guild-centric awards certainly bode well for the film, but that's not always the indicator for a lock at the Oscars.

There are a handful of pre-cursor events that happen prior to the announcement of the annual Oscar nominations that give contenders real hope. To see ones name, or even their film, recognized by the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild, and yes, even the Golden Globes or the Critics' Choice Awards, means that you are still in the running, and you have a legitimate shot at hearing your name on Oscar noms morning (which will be one week from today -- Tuesday, January 24, so circle the date on your calendar).

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts -- or, the BAFTAs -- are another outstanding indicator of the films, directors, actors and actresses that are leading contenders in the Oscar race. Since 2007, the BAFTAs have lined up with the Oscars in the Best Picture category six our of nines times, accurately predicting wins for Argo and The Hurt Locker (when they looked like runners up during the nomination process). Even when the BAFTAs differed from the Academy, as they did the last two years with The Revenant and Boyhood, they had eventual Oscar winners Spotlight and Birdman in the running in their Best Picture category.

Looking at the full list of BAFTA nominees for 2016, here are the ones I think have a very good shot at making the cut for Oscars on Tuesday, January 24:

Best Picture

Arrival

La La Land

Manchester by the Sea

Moonlight

Four of the five films nominated by the BAFTAs have a shot at earning Best Picture nominations from the Academy, with Arrival being the only one that could conceivably be left on the outside looking in. La La Land, Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea strike me as mortal locks for Best Picture noms, while the BAFTAs love for Ken Loach's I, Daniel Blake likely won't continue on this side of the pond.

Best Director

Denis Villenueve, Arrival

Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The Sea

Of the five men named by the BAFTAs, I only see three making the cut at the Academy, with Ken Loach and Ton Ford (Nocturnal Animals) traded out for different names at the Oscars. Right now, if I had to gamble, I'd put good money on Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) taking at least one slot, with the other going to Garth Davis for the sentimental Lion.

Best Actor

Casey Affleck, Manchester By The Sea

Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Here's where the Academy and the BAFTAs start to separate (though I wish they were in lock step). The BAFTAs honored Jake Gyllenhaal (Nocturnal Animals) and Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) for outstanding performances in spectacular movies. But I don't like their Oscar odds, and can see them getting replaced by Denzel Washington (Fences) and Tom Hanks (Sully). That fifth slot, which the BAFTAs gave to Andrew Garfield, could stay his, though it might be for Silence instead of Hacksaw Ridge, if enough Academy members see Martin Scorsese's latest.

Best Actress

Amy Adams, Arrival

Emma Stone, La La Land

Natalie Portman, Jackie

These three seem to be the names that are repeated most often in the Best Actress category ,and I expect all three of them to receive Oscar nominations on Tuesday, January 24. However, where the BAFTAs went with Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt for Florence Foster Jenkins and The Girl on the Train, respectively, I tend to think the Academy will recognize either Annette Bening (20th Century Women) or Isabelle Huppert (Elle). I'm also holding out hope for Taraji P. Henson, as well as for Hidden Figures to have an impact in multiple categories. We shall see.

Hidden Figures is a film about women who do extraordinary things in a time when they weren't even allowed to use the same part of a public bus. Now, one of the lead actresses of the movie is doing something to make sure that the film's message of strength makes it to those who need to hear it most. Octavia bought out an entire theater over the Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend so that families who could not otherwise afford to go to the movies would have a chance to see the film.

Octavia Spencer, who plays the role of Dorothy Vaughn in Hidden Figures, made the announcement via Instagram over the weekend that she had bought out an entire theater so that as many as possible could see the film fro free. She says that growing up she would not have been able to see the movie because her single mother would not have been able to afford it. Spencer is now in a position to be able to help out others in similar financial straights and so she's trying to give a little something back.

Octavia Spencer is, in her own small way, an example of how far things have come since the era of Hidden Figures. The film follows three African-American women skilled in mathematics who do their part to help ensure that the fledgling American space program is a success. As both African Americans and women, their contributions are discounted by many twice over. Still, Spencer, Taraji P. Henson, and Janelle Monáe all play women who fight the system that's been set up against them in order to accomplish things that nobody believes they are capable of doing.

Taraji P. Henson, previously stated that had she been aware of the real life women in the movie, she might have considered an entirely different direction in her life. The story that Hidden Figures tells isn't one that's widely known, which is all the more reason that those who might not have the opportunity get a chance to learn the story. None of the families in Hidden Figures are particularly well off, living in the segregated south it's virtually impossible for them to become so. Seeing women who are able to accomplish so much while having so little could be just the inspiration that somebody needs to go on to do something great.

Many others have made a point to learn the story of Hidden Figures as well, the film won the box office other the weekend, as it did last weekend as well. While it may have taken a bit too long for this story to reach the public consciousness, it's clearly resonating with audiences now that it is here.

During Sunday night's Golden Globes, the title Hidden Fences was erroneously thrown about twice during the evening's proceedings. An obvious gaffe that conflated the titles to Hidden Figures and Fences, it raised some ire, as well as some questions about what such a mash-up would look like. Well, look no further, as that faux film now has its own parody trailer, and it's pretty much everything you'd expect it to be. Get your Kleenex and your Oscar ballots ready, and watch below.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert are the folks behind this funny clip, which leans more on the side of the true story of three NASA mathematicians than the Pulitzer Prize-winning story about family drama and strife. But that doesn't make it any less powerful when you watch young Fence (playing itself) persevering against all odds and his father's warnings to become the first fence in space. It's a story that could only be told on a late night talk show, and damnit, it's been told now!

For such a thin premise, Hidden Fences does get quite a bit out of its joke. Though the better half of the material comes from the social satire that embroiled this title's creation, as the film is billed as "Based on the true story of people who think all movies about black people are the same movie." Now, to be fair, the two titles are slightly easier to confuse than others. With both Fences and Hidden Figures being mentioned usually in the same awards-season breathe, flipping things around isn't totally unheard of.

Still, one would think that by now we would have heard about the equally incorrect, and possibly funnier parody project, Figures. Which, to be honest, would probably be just a version of Fences with stick people. Though with the performances of Denzel Washington and Viola Davis behind those stick figures, you'd probably see the Best Picture trophy going to its first animated entry, as the resulting product would be hailed as quite the achievement. I guess we'll just have to settle for two perfectly good movies that already exist, and have proven to be entertaining and powerful experiences.

Hidden Figures and Fences are both currently in theaters. The only way you'll see Hidden Fences is if you keep watching the trailer above or make the film yourself. Should you engage in the latter, be prepared for some laughter, and possibly some strange looks.

Hidden Figures stormed into movie theaters this past weekend, and made enough hay to actually dethrone Rogue One: A Star Wars Story from the top slot at the box office. Audiences dialed in to the true-life story of three incredible women who overcame a series of historical obstacles to contribute to the Space Race being run at NASA in the 1960s... when women, and especially African American women, were struggling to receive any opportunity, regardless of their inherent skill levels.

And if you caught Ted Melfi's Hidden Figures this weekend, you know the scene that was the talk of every group following the screening: the moment where Taraji P. Henson's character -- the brilliant mathematician and physicist Katherine Johnson -- stands up to her superior (Kevin Costner) because he ignorantly wonders where she goes during the day... unaware that she has to run across campus to use a bathroom that's reserved for Colored people. The scene is a jaw-dropper, the kind of sequence that earns actors instant Oscar nominations, particularly when they play it as expertly as Henson and Costner. During a recent press day in New York City, I had to ask the two actors how they prepared for this pivotal and emotional scene. Henson told me:

Kevin Costner, meanwhile, says that the scene only works because the rest of the movie properly builds to the release of the tension. We repeatedly see Katherine Johnson sprinting across the vast NASA campus because there isn't a bathroom for her to use that's near the room where she has to work. These are segregated times, and it's one unnecessary obstacle that Johnson needs to face, when our nation really needs her to be crunching numbers. On the scene, Costner informed me:

Kevin Costner goes on to explain why the cast actually felt a little ashamed after Taraji P. Henson wrapped work on that scene. Watch the video in full for that answer.

Hidden Figures is a must see. It's currently playing in theaters as we speak.

Over the course of the last month, we have watched Rogue One: A Star Wars Story dominate the box office. The struggle of the Rebellion to obtain the plans for the first Imperial Death Star struck a chord with audiences, and the numbers confirmed that Rogue One became nothing less than a phenomenon. That said, it now seems that a real life struggle against oppression has overtaken the adventures in the galaxy far, far away. Hidden Figures (not Hidden Fences) has officially passed Rogue One at the box office, and the cast of the movie recently took to social media to celebrate the occasion. Here's what Taraji P. Henson had to say about the success.

Taraji P. Henson's Instagram post pretty much says it all. The financial success of Hidden Figures represents a significant watershed moment for black women in Hollywood, as the story of three African-American NASA mathematicians has clearly resonated with moviegoers -- seemingly disproving any notion that race or gender diversity can somehow hamper a film's performance. To beat a Star Wars movie at the box office (particularly with Hidden Figures screening in fewer theaters) is a major accomplishment, and it hasn't gone unnoticed by the actress. Her fan base has responded to the success as well, and the comments section of her post has become flooded with support and praise for the movie's victory.

The other members of the Hidden Figures cast chimed in on the success of the film as well. Octavia used her Instagram account to address the success of her new movie, and her caption specifically referenced the Star Wars franchise. She said:

Like Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae similarly echoed the idea that The Force was with the Hidden Figures ladies at the box office this weekend. She additionally pointed out that, despite screening in slightly more than half as many theaters as Rogue One, Hidden Figures managed to pull in an impressive $22.8 million. Even with less exposure, the film managed to become a clear hit; that's no easy feat.

Here's Janelle Monae's post:

Hidden Figures has gone on to become a delightfully surprising wide January release in its first few days at the box office. The film's numbers prove that it has apparently found a home with audiences, but it has also become a critical darling as well. As of the publishing of this article, the film is currently riding high with a 93% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell have the film an impressive 4/5 star rating in his review.

Of course, it is worth remembering that Hidden Figures has the advantage of freshness on its side. Rogue One dominated the box office since its release on December 16, and its reign had to come to an end at some point. The first Star Wars standalone film debuted to an impressive $155 million domestic opening weekend, and it went on to garner a worldwide gross of $914 million in the subsequent weeks. A movie was eventually going to take down Rogue One, and it seems that Hidden Figures has earned that honor.

CinemaBlend will bring you more information related to Hidden Figures and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story as more updates regarding both films are made available to us. Stay tuned for more details!

Live television is always a risky venture. People are bound to make mistakes -- particularly on the red carpet -- and we have come to expect such blunders. However, that doesn't change that fact that it's nearly always ill-advised to mess up the title of a movie when talking to someone who actually worked on said film. That's precisely what Jenna Bush did when talking to Pharrell Williams on the red carpet at this year's Golden Globes, and the results were nothing if not beautiful. Check out Pharrell's reaction to the mistake below to see for yourself.

That's right, Jenna Bush accidentally referred to Hidden Figures as Hidden Fences (a clear mix-up with Denzel Washington's Fences), and Pharrell just stood there with an extremely befuddled look on his face. In that one beautiful moment, Pharrell is all of us -- standing there helplessly unsure as to whether or not he should correct her or be polite. Pharrell ultimately took the high road in this particular situation (despite throwing a ton of unmistakeable shade), but we have a sneaking suspicion that Ms. Bush has already learned about her mistake from others at the ceremony.

Of course, because the Internet is the Internet, people have already taken serious notice, and the hashtag #HiddenFences has started to go viral.

It's worth acknowledging that Jenna Bush wasn't the only person to say Hidden Fences at the Golden Globes this evening. Michael Keaton made a similar error when he took the stage to present later in the night. However, because Keaton is already known for his offbeat, devil-may-care persona (and also because the Internet immediately latched on to Jenna Bush's error), we think that it's entirely plausible that he was poking fun at the situation.

After all, do you honestly believe that Batman would make a mistake like that? I didn't think so.

At the end of the day, we're not surprised that somebody messed up the title of Hidden Figures. The Golden Globes is an incredibly fast-paced ceremony, and someone was bound to make a minor mistake at some point. The trick is to roll with the punches and carry on like a professional -- which Jenna Bush undoubtedly did. Besides, "figures" and "fences" are already pretty similar words, and we honestly doubt that we could do any better under pressure. That said, it's still fun to laugh about.

CinemaBlend will bring you up to date coverage of the Golden Globes as more information is made available to us. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to try and write a script for a film called Hidden Fences. It's going to be a hit.

Ted Melfi's Hidden Figures is exactly the kind of movie you think that it is, based on the trailers and TV spots. It's a sentimental, inspirational crowd pleaser lifted from the glossed-over corners of our nation's history books, telling a true tale of underdogs overcoming adversity to accomplish something extraordinary. Only, Hidden Figures is an excellent example of this specific type of film, an exceptional film bolstered by sensational performances that stands apart from soft and simple biopic pap because it wrestles complicated social issues to the ground and sets its lessons to a winning beat of original Pharrell Williams tunes. In general, everything about Hidden Figures works, and it all works very, very well.

Set during the tense and turbulent days of the Space Race being waged between NASA, the United States and our international rivals overseas, Hidden Figures spotlights three African-American women who helped move mountains behind the scenes as our nation's top minds worked to orbit John Glenn (Glen Powell) around the Earth. We are shown a young Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) testing off of the charts in her early education classes, meaning she'd be a no-brainer asset for NASA's space program. Only, obviously, Katherine and her colleagues are African-American, and segregation trumps education during these divided times.

Toiling alongside Katherine Johnson -- and facing their own work-related hurdles -- are Dorothy Vaughan (portrayed by the stoic and patient Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (played by feisty newcomer Janelle Monae). The former, despite years of on-the-job dedication, can't seem to qualify for a managerial position at NASA, for which she's practically overqualified. The latter is pursuing a degree in engineering, but has to wage war in the legal system to simply earn the right to attend classes for which she's more than prepared to dominate.

Melfi spends enough time with these ladies to keep us invested in the outcomes of their struggles, but the bulk of Hidden Figures is dedicated to Katherine Johnson. And to borrow a celestial analogy apropos of the story, Taraji P. Henson holds court like a planet around which everyone else in Hidden Figures orbits, attracted by the gravitational pull of her dramatic intensity. I don't watch Empire, but Hidden Figures convinced me to start giving it a try. Henson is spectacular here, plugging into the wide range of emotions needed to illustrate the steps of Katherine's realistically complicated journey. First, she's a woman, trying to succeed in the brainy Boys' Club that is NASA in the 1960s. Second, she's a Black woman trying to carve her niche in a segregated nation. Melfi tries to round out Katherine's calculated personality by giving her a love interest (Moonlight's Mahershala Ali), but it's unnecessary. Everything we really need out of Hidden Figures happens in the hallways and offices of NASA as Katherine helps crunch numbers to get John Glenn into orbit and back.

In this effort, Henson is met by two white, male actors counterbalancing her uphill battle. Big Bang star Jim Parsons brings a shade of that nerdy character to Hidden Figures to play a colleague who doubts Katherine's abilities... until he doesn't. The meatier part goes to Kevin Costner, who's "boss" character is a composite of several real scientists at NASA, which Costner molds into a warm gel of support and superiority, pushing Katherine to be the best that she can be. Hidden Figures is at its absolute best when Henson and Costner bubble their conflict to a boiling point and argue about where Katherine spends the bulk of her time... racing across NASA's campus to use a Colored's Only restroom. It's a Movie Star scene, and they each give Movie Star performances in it. I wouldn't be stunned if that scene, alone, earns them Oscar nominations.

The rest of Hidden Figures falls in line, pushing the right buttons and pulling the right strings to deliver a winning, crowd-pleasing historical drama that's American in its unabashed pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps and overcome tone and mentality. Again, it's probably exactly the type of movie that you think that it is. Only, it's better at being that type of movie than you probably expected.

We absolutely love movies, and we're willing to be that you do, too. That's probably why you're currently on a website with the word "cinema" right in the name. Sometimes it honestly feels like we perceive the passage of time through the comings and goings of movies in theaters. That being said, it has become a generally accepted fact that January is a relatively dry period when it comes to film -- a time when many studios dump their inferior quality movies.

In the interest of making things easier for everyone, we have taken it upon ourselves to compile a list of the films hitting theaters this month that actually might not suck. With so many "filler" movies debuting over the course of the next four weeks, these are the ones that you should make sure to look out for over the course of the next 30 days. Without any further delay, let's kick this list off with a movie we know you will want to see.

A Monster Calls

Before J.A. Bayona takes you into the land of prehistoric monsters in the upcoming Jurassic World sequel, make sure to check out his phenomenal work on A Monster Calls. The film -- which centers on a young boy who summons a giant, plantlike monster while coping with his mother's terminal illness -- experienced a limited release in December and has thus far generated an insane amount of critical acclaim. CinemaBlend's own Sean O'Connell even referred to it as "the year's best movie," so it will be well worth your time to check this one out after it opens wide on January 6.

Release Date: January 6, 2017

Hidden Figures

Everyone thinks that they know the story of John Glenn's journey into outer space, but Hidden Figures endeavors to tell the story of three black women who made the first American space flight possible. The film appears to be grounded by the gravitas of some truly stellar performers -- such as Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Kevin Costner -- and its approach towards the importance and symbolism of black women in American history has the potential for some genuinely relevant social commentary. As far as true stories go, you likely won't want to miss Hidden Figures.

Release Date: January 6, 2017

Patriots Day

Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg are currently on a major hot streak when it comes to films based on stories of American sacrifice and heroism. Their partnership blossomed in grand fashion with 2013's Lone Survivor, and continued last year with the adrenaline-fueled Deepwater Horizon. We had the opportunity to check out their latest collaboration prior to its wide release, and we're happy to say that Patriots Day is well worth your time. It's gripping, it's relevant, and it's absolutely perfect to get you through that January movie slump.

Release Date: January 13, 2017

Live By Night

Much like the duo of Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg, Ben Affleck is another filmmaker who will seemingly continue his hot streak in mid-January. The former Hollywood pariah (and current excellent Batman) has proven time and time again that he has the filmmaking chops to deliver compelling drama, tense action sequences, and a gritty, noir-esque aesthetic that just cannot be matched, and all of those qualities appear to be on display in Live By Night. Mr. Affleck has come a long way since Gigli, and you can bet that we will be there to see his latest cinematic offering.

Release Date: January 13, 2017

xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage

Hear us out; we are acutely aware that xXx: The Return of Xander Cage likely won't win any Academy Awards when the 2018 ceremony rolls around, but we still think that it looks like an awesome ride. The upcoming extreme spy threequel seems to have embraced all of the delightful campiness that made the original 2002 film so fun, and absolutely nobody in the cast looks like they're playing it straight. As long as it doesn't take itself too seriously, xXx 3 could wind up becoming one of the most fun spy sequels in recent memory.

Release Date: January 20, 2017

Split

M. Night Shyamalan made a welcome return to the "Fresh" side of the Rotten Tomatoes meter with his take on the found footage genre in The Visit. However, his upcoming movie Split appears to be on another level entirely. A bizarre and dark tale about a man suffering from severe dissociative identity disorder, the film looks like a genuine return to form for the polarizing filmmaker -- as well as one of James McAvoy's best performances to date.

Release Date: January 20, 2017

The Founder

Before getting a glimpse at the first official trailer for The Founder, we genuinely never would've thought that the creation of McDonald's was a high stakes endeavor. Oh, how wrong we were to assume something like that. Michael Keaton is very clearly reaching for the stars as Ray Croc in this bizarre biopic, and as a result, The Founder looks like one of the most intriguing untold true stories in recent memory.

Release Date: January 20, 2017

Gold

We're currently living in the golden age of the McConaissance, and every step of the ride has been an absolute treat. In Gold, Matthew McConaughey appears to have once again disappeared into another extremely off-kilter role, and the film simply looks like a total blast. The film centers on the true story of a down on his luck man who finds gold in the Indonesian jungle -- as well as his struggle to hold onto it once other parties learn about the find.

Release Date: January 27, 2017

Hidden Figures tells the little-known story about the African American women who were involved in the early days of NASA. The film is receiving early screenings in order to be eligible for awards, but one of those screenings is more high profile than the others. First Lady Michelle Obama is hosting a special screening of the film at the White House today. In addition to the first lady, the real Katherine Johnson, who is played in the film by Taraji P. Henson, will be in attendance.

Hidden Figures is set for a limited Christmas Day release in order to be considered for year-end awards like the Oscars. It will see a wide release on January 6. However, before all that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, there will be a special screening at the White House. The movie will be even more resonate now than it might have otherwise been. The film tells the story of John Glenn's historic orbiting of the earth. The former Astronaut and U.S. Senator recently passed away.

The fact that African American women were involved in the space program in the 1960s is one of those stories that not only are most people unaware of, it's also the sort of story that doesn't seem likely considering the state of race relations in the decade. That makes it all the more important that the story be told. The First Family clearly has a desire to help spread the word of the film as much as possible. Apparently, Michelle Obama has already seen the movie once already. Whether or not the President of the United States will be in attendance is unknown. We'd assume he'll sneak in if he has the time, but as President, it's surprising the guy has the time to watch a movie anytime in eight years.

The story of these women is so unknown that the stars themselves have lamented that they never heard the story growing up. Considering how important it is for many to promote STEM fields to girls of all ethnicities, hopefully, movies like Hidden Figures will help to be sure that this story isn't lost to future generations.

Those of us not lucky enough to score an invite to the White House screening will need to at least wait for Christmas Day to check out Hidden Figures. Will you be spending the holiday learning about this part of history you were previously unfamiliar with?

Because the Actors branch makes up such a significant portion of the Academy membership, the nominees for the annual Screen Actors Guild can often have a major impact on the ongoing Oscar race. If that's the case, then this morning's announcement of the 2017 SAG Awards nominees threw some weight behind Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester By The Sea and Moonlight, but put a ding in the armor that has encased La La Land up to this point.

SAG doesn't do a Best Picture, per se. They do Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, the equivalent award, and this year they went with: Captain Fantastic; Fences; Hidden Figures; Manchester By The Sea; and Moonlight. I have no real issue with those selections, though in seeing that, I realize that my current personal frontrunner, La La Land, has an uphill battle to win a Best Picture Oscar without this SAG recognition. Still, outside of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (who each received individual nominations), the full ensemble for Damien Chazelle's magical musical doesn't do much, so an ensemble snub is understood.

Here's the full list of 2017 SAG Awards nominees:

The 23rd annual SAG Awards will be handed out on Sunday, Jan. 29. The ceremony airs live on TNT and TBS at 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.

Now that we are getting into December, the Awards Race begins to take a clearer shape. Every year, around this time, top critical organizations begin to recognize the best in cinema, and when we start to hear the same titles repeated by various film groups, we in the media can start to determine frontrunners, as well as also-rans.

To that end, recent wins for Damien Chazelle's La La Land and Barry Jenkins' Moonlight from the top critics' groups in New York and Los Angeles helped propel those movies into Frontrunner categories in several top races. As was pointed out, Jenkins has claimed a Best Director trophy from pretty much every group that has tried to hand one out, including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review. Can one of these films peak too soon? That has happened in the past, where backlash against a presumed "Winner" settled in, prompting Academy voters to push their weight behind another film. There's still a LOT of time to go, with a few more shoes to drop before this competition is squared away.

The Critics' Choice Awards happen much earlier this year, airing on Sunday, December 11 instead of their usual January slot. That could give some valuable momentum to one of the following movies, or take some air out of a tentative campaign or two. For the moment, here's where I think everyone stands:

Best Picture

The Frontrunners

La La Land

Manchester By The Sea

Moonlight

The Contenders

Arrival

Fences

Hacksaw Ridge

Hell or High Water

Hidden Figures

Jackie

Lion

Loving

Patriots Day

Sully

The Dark Horses

20th Century Women

The Founder

Nocturnal Animals

Silence

The Longshots

Allied

The Birth of a Nation

Live By Night

A Monster Calls

Best Director

The Frontrunners

Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Barry Jenkins, Moonlight

The Contenders

Clint Eastwood, Sully

Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge

Pablo Larrain, Jackie

Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester By The Sea

Martin Scorsese, Silence

Denis Villeneuve, Arrival

Denzel Washington, Fences

The Dark Horses

J.A. Bayona, A Monster Calls

Garth Davis, Lion

Jeff Nichols, Loving

Robert Zemeckis, Allied

The Longshots

Ben Affleck, Live By Night

Warren Beatty, Rules Don't Apply

David Mackenzie, Hell or High Water

Morten Tyldum, Passengers

Best Actor

The Frontrunners

Casey Affleck, Manchester By The Sea

Denzel Washington, Fences

The Contenders

Joel Edgerton, Loving

Andrew Garfield, Silence

Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge

Ryan Gosling, La La Land

Tom Hanks, Sully

Michael Keaton, The Founder

The Dark Horses

Ben Affleck, Live By Night

Warren Beatty, Rules Don't Apply

Jake Gyllenhaal, Nocturnal Animals

Lewis MacDougall, A Monster Calls

Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic

Miles Teller, Bleed for This

The Longshots

Ethan Hawke, Born to be Blue

Logan Lerman, Indignation

Matthew McConaughey, Gold

Nate Parker, The Birth of a Nation

Best Actress

The Frontrunners

Natalie Portman, Jackie

Emma Stone, La La Land

The Contenders

Amy Adams, Arrival

Annette Bening, 20th Century Women

Taraji P. Henson, Hidden Figures

Isabelle Huppert, Elle

Ruth Negga, Loving

Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

The Dark Horses

Amy Adams, Nocturnal Animals

Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane

Rebecca Hall, Christine

The Longshots

Kate Beckinsale, Love & Friendship

Marion Cotillard, Allied

Susan Sarandon, The Meddler

Best Supporting Actor

The Frontrunners

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

The Contenders

Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water

Kevin Costner, Hidden Figures

Ralph Fiennes, A Bigger Splash

Ben Foster, Hell or High Water

Lucas Hedges, Manchester By The Sea

Dev Patel, Lion

The Dark Horses

Adam Driver, Silence

Aaron Eckhart, Bleed for This

Aaron Eckhart, Sully

Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins

Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins

Liam Neeson, Silence

Issey Ogata, Silence

Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals

Mykelti Williamson, Fences

The Longshots

Alan Rickman, Eye in the Sky

Jeremy Renner, Arrival

Peter Sarsgaard, Jackie

Best Supporting Actress

The Frontrunners

Viola Davis, Fences

Naomie Harris, Moonlight

The Contenders

Felicity Jones, A Monster Calls

Nicole Kidman, Lion

Margot Martindale, The Hollars

Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures

Michelle Williams, Manchester By The Sea

The Dark Horses

Greta Gerwig, 20th Century Women

Sienna Miller, Live By Night

Janelle Monae, Hidden Figures

The Longshots