The Grand Black Canon: 7 Films made in the 2020's to Watch This Juneteenth
Good morning and Happy Juneteenth! 4 years ago, Juneteenth was established as a national holiday in observation of the official end of slavery in the United States. While Black Americans in Texas have always observed their Emancipation day, Juneteenth the national holiday has given the rest of the nation a time to reflect on Black American’s place in this country. We owe so much of our culture as a country to the creativity and genius of Black people who are descended from enslaved individuals and I doubt we could even call ourselves a proper country without them. So in honor of their work, their fight, and their art, I wanted to highlight five recent films by Black creatives and urge you to watch one today. And find a way to support Black art anyway you can!
Sinners (2025):
I don’t have the words to describe my love for Sinners. I saw it in theaters 3 times and it still isn’t enough. This film is a beautiful exploration of Black culture in the Mississippi delta in such a pivotal time in American history. It’s also lush and vibrant in it’s storytelling and I’ve scarcely felt so immersed in a film. If you really just want to feel something, I suggest you get up and find a screen to go see it today. If you live near any major metropolitan area, it is absolutely still playing somewhere.
Nope (2022):
Another film I could gush about for hours. Nope poses the question, “what is a bad miracle?” and spends 130 minutes answering it to incredible effect. Peele is a master of creating tension and atmosphere and this film has both in spades, which is why it is my favorite film of his.
One of Them Days (2025):
I can’t tell you how long I’ve been begging for a good buddy comedy. This genre secretly contains many of the best films ever made and One of Them Days has quickly become one of my favorites. From the brilliant mind of Syreeta Singleton, this film is also a love letter to Black LA and if you want to laugh until you ugly cry on this Juneteenth, this film will deliver.
The Blackening (2022):
The Blackening is a fun, light romp that serves as a parody of the modern horror film. Every character feels so real and the film does a good job of grounding you into this ridiculous reality. I covered this film last year in the Spooky Spectator but this is film I urge you to watch any time of the year!
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020):
The story of an incredibly frustrating and tense recording session, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a complete triumph. For his last role, Chadwick Boseman delivers his best work ever as the ambitious and unstable Levee Green, leaving us with a master class in acting and an ache at what could have been. There was no reason he wasn’t awarded that posthumous Oscar but the Academy isn’t known for their judgment. Ultimately, this is an incredible film and I highly recommend you give it a watch.