Movies offer an incredible opportunity to enter another world for a brief period of time. At the same time, they can also offer very intense experiences, or offer content that some may find objectionable. With that said, I believe each of the movies listed below offer valuable insight into many topics. With the desire to acknowledge that not all content is suitable for all people, I have done my best to categorize these movies by topic, and to offer rating and genre information. More information can be found by clicking the links, which will bring you to the IMDB page for each movie.
While the goal is for this list to become extensive, it should not be considered exhaustive. This list will continue to be updated as more resources become available.
immigration/
refugee
An American Tail | G | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Flee | PG-13 | Documentary, Animation, Drama
Under the Same Moon | PG-13 | Adventure, Drama
Monsieur Lazhar | PG-13 | Comedy, Drama
Yellow Rose | PG-13 | Drama, Music
Brooklyn | PG-13 | Drama, Romance
The Kite Runner | PG-13 | Drama
Minari | PG-13 | Drama
Blue Bayou | R | Drama
Policing/prison/
criminal justice
13th | TV-MA | Documentary, Crime, History
Ken Burns: The Central Park Five | Not Rated | Documentary, Crime, History
The Hate U Give | PG-13 | Crime, Drama
Blindspotting | R | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Queen & Slim | R | Crime, Drama, Romance
Cut Throat City | R | Action, Crime, Drama
Fruitvale Station | R | Biography, Crime, Drama
Death penalty
Just Mercy | PG-13 | Biography, Crime, Drama
True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality | TV-MA | Documentary
Clemency | R | Drama
Dead Man Walking | R | Crime, Drama
History/based on a true story
Black + Evangelical | Documentary
Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America | Documentary, History
The Space Race | Biography, Documentary
Hidden Figures | PG | Docudrama, Period Drama, Biography
The Farewell | PG | Comedy, Drama
Stand and Deliver | PG | Biography, Drama
Dakota 38 | Documentary
Selma | PG-13 | Biography, Drama, History
I Am Not Your Negro | PG-13 | Documentary, History
Hotel Rwanda | PG-13 | Biography, Drama, History
Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America | PG-13 | Documentary
One Night in Miami… | R | Drama
Glory | R | Biography, Drama, History
Judas and the Black Messiah | R | Biography, Drama, History
The Trial of the Chicago 7 | R | Drama, History, Thriller
12 Years A Slave | R | Biography, Drama, History
BlacKKKlansman | R | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Is That Black Enough For You?!? | R | Documentary, History
biopics/
biographical documentaries
Malcolm X | PG-13 | Biography, Drama, History
Ray | PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Music
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It | PG-13 | Documentary, Biography
Respect | PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Music
Rustin | PG-13 | Biography, Drama, History
The Pursuit of Happyness | PG-13 | Biography, Drama
Harriet | PG-13 | Action, Biography, Drama
Romero | PG-13 | Biography, Crime, Drama
Race | PG-13 | Docudrama, Biography, Sport
Lee Daniels’ The Butler | PG-13 | Biography, Drama
King in the Wilderness | TV-14 | Documentary
The One and Only Dick Gregory Documentary
Ali | R | Biography, Drama, Sport
Goodbye Bafana | R | Biography, Drama, History
Sports
Remember the Titans | PG | Docudrama, Period Drama, Sport
Radio | PG | Biography, Drama, Sport
King Richard | PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Sport
Coach Carter | PG-13 | Biography, Drama, Sport
Invictus | PG-13 | Biography, Drama, History
Creed | PG-13 | Action, Drama, Sport
Salute | TV-14 | Documentary, Sport
Race: Bubba Wallace | TV-MA | Documentary, Sport
Music/musicals
Hairspray | PG | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Wicked | PG | Fantasy, Musical, Fairy Tale
Wicked: For Good | PG | Musical, Fantasy, Drama
Dreamgirls | PG-13 | Period Drama, Drama, Musical
West Side Story (1961) Crime, Drama, Musical
West Side Story (2021) | PG-13 | Crime, Drama, Musical
In The Heights | PG-13 | Drama, Musical, Romance
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) | PG-13 | Documentary, Music
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan | TV-14 | Biography, Documentary, Music
Straight Outta Compton | R | Biography, Drama, History
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom | R | Drama, Music
Animated
Coco | PG | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Encanto | PG | Animation, Comedy, Family
Turning Red | PG | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Zootopia | PG | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse | PG | Animation, Action, Adventure
Comedy
My Big Fat Greek Wedding | PG | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Hunt for the Wilderpeople | PG-13 | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Crazy Rich Asians | PG-13 | Comedy, Drama, Romance
American Fiction | R | Comedy, Drama
The Big Sick | R | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Sci-fi/fantasy
Black Panther | PG-13 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Arrival | PG-13 | Sci-Fi Epic, Drama, Mystery
The Shape of Water | R | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
District 9 | R | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Sorry to Bother You | R | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
horror
Drama
Fences | PG-13 | Drama
The Color Purple | PG-13 | Drama, Epic, Period Drama
Moonlight | R | Drama
Parasite | R | Comedy, Drama, Thriller
The Last Black Man in San Francisco | R | Drama
Waves | R | Drama, Romance, Sport
If Beale Street Could Talk | R | Drama, Romance
Precious | R | Drama
The Florida Project | R | Drama
Boyz n the Hood | R | Crime, Drama
Dear White People | R | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Do the Right Thing | R | Dark Comedy, Tragedy, Drama