Monday, June 22, 2020

Not Sad Black Movies


Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix have compiled a list of movies that are meant to show the plight of Black people around the world. If you browse through you will see chains, fire, and a lot of sad looking Black folk. It's not cool. I know these companies mean well with what they are doing but a lot of the films they suggest are trash films to begin with or just straight up depressing as fuck. As I watch people I know and online check out these movies I just think “We aren't just struggle!” As hard as it is to be Black we actually do manage to find humor in the world. Hell, think of the ten best comedians ever and at least seven of them will be Black. That is if you have a sense of humor. Or maybe you haven't been exposed to much Black stuff. That is another thing I am realizing as the Black Lives Matter protest and movement continue. A lot of people were never exposed to things that didn't look like them.

I grew up watching movies, TV shows, listening to music, and being taught by people that didn't look like me. The first White person I ever met that I can recall was my doctor. Otherwise they were just seen on TV. If someone with my skin tone was shown they were a criminal, just put on the show to add some spice, or part of a “very special episode” where a main character becomes friend with a Black person and finds out their family is full of bigots or start dating someone Black and find out their friends are racist.

I am not saying that every movie on these lists are bad. Most are but not all. One of the coolest thing over the last few years was that films being made by Black people or having mostly Black people started coming out that weren't about being killed, a guy from the 'hood, or made me leave the theater feeling miserable. Black people finally started making movies that were, well, movies. Cool shit that showed that there are more layers to us. I have chosen six of them that didn't make me feel like shit and had some sort of message. Links to my reviews are attached.







The Last Dragon (no link)





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