On August 5, The Black Movie Hall of Fame, a historic global cinema project being undertaken in Kansas City, released a press release about its list of the 100 Best Black Movies Ever Made. Enjoy the news below:
Leading Black Film Critics and Entertainment Reporters Rank the
Best Black Movies of All Time
(KANSAS CITY, Mo. – August 5th, 2025) —Recently, several major outlets including The New York Times, RollingStone, Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB released lists celebrating the best films of the 21st century. One thing was missing from them all: the perspective of how Black people watch, celebrate, and create cinema.
To address this gap, the Black Movie Hall of Fame (BMHOF) reached out to more than 40 of the world’s top Black film critics and entertainment reporters to rank the most important and influential Black films ever made.
“Inspired by the American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Movies list, this is our fresh take on some of the best movies ever made,” said Shawn Edwards, executive director of the Black Movie Hall of Fame and longtime film critic at WDAF (Fox 4 News – Kansas City).“What sets this list apart from others is that every film on the list is about the Black experience and curated entirely by Black film critics and entertainment journalists. It’s a list from a completely different perspective than you usually see.”
This groundbreaking list was curated by a panel led by Edwards and included Gil Robertson (African American Film Critics Association), Aramide Tinubu (Variety), Lee Thomas (WJBK-TV in Detroit), Destiny Jackson (Deadline), Emmanuel Noisette (E-Man’s Reviews), Jasmine Simpkins (KTLA-TV in Los Angeles), Wilson Morales (BlackFilmandTV.com) and Kevin Frazier (Entertainment Tonight), along with dozens of other influential Black film critics and entertainment reporters from around the world.
To see the full list, visit The Black Movie Hall of Fame Top 100.
Fun Facts:
- The oldest movie on the list is “Within Our Gates” (1920).
- The newest movie on the list is “Sinners”(2025).
- Filmmaker Spike Lee directs the most titles on the list, with five films.
- Sidney Poitier stars in six titles—more than any other actor or actress.
- Denzel Washington appears in four titles, the second most of any actor.
- There are nine titles directed by women on the list.
- The list includes six documentaries.
- There are two animated films on the list.
- There are two made-for-television movies on the list.
- Euzhan Palcy is the only woman director with multiple titles (two) on the list.
- Melvin Van Peebles and Marion Van Peebles are the only father-son director duo with titles on the list.
BLACK FILM CRITIC’S ‘TOP 10’ LISTS
In addition to unveiling the 100 Best Black Movies of All Time, the Black Movie Hall of Fame engaged more than 40 of the world’s most influential Black film critics and entertainment reporters to share their top10 Black films. This extraordinary group of writers, journalists, and industry voices brings unique perspectives on the movies that have shaped culture and inspired generations.
Each critic’s list reflects a personal connection to the stories, artistry, and impact of Black cinema. These curated selections highlight the diversity of experiences and tastes across the global Black film community.
“I chose films that made me feel something in the reflection of my Blackness, and films that reminded me of the impact I have in this country, because of my Blackness,” explains Tyra Martin of WGN-TV.
To view each critic’s Top 10 List, visit Individual Top 10 List.
