The Novice Cinephile

Category: Black Excellence

  • A Love Letter to Black Panther

    The 18th film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe takes us to the fictional land of Wakanda. Here, we’re introduced to a whole new side of the Marvel universe and go on a thrilling adventure with T’Challa, king of Wakanda, the Black Panther. Chadwick Boseman brings one of my favorite superheroes to life in this instant…

  • Love & Basketball Review

    Love & Basketball is about two professional athletes who fall in love at first sight. Will the love of basketball drive them apart or be the force that binds them together? We follow Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) from age 11 all the way to her late 20s. She dreams of being the first woman in…

  • Boyz n the Hood Review

    Boyz n the Hood is a coming of age story and follows Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.) as he grows up in South Central Los Angeles. We meet his friends Ricky Baker (Morris Chestnut) and Darren ‘Doughboy’ Baker (Ice Cube) and learn the harsh truths of living in the hood. This film hurts. It pulls…

  • Do the Right Thing Review

    Do the Right Thing is director Spike Lee’s fourth film, and it packs an emotional punch. Lee tackles everyday racism, police brutality, and white privilege in this amazing story. The film follows Mookie (played by Spike Lee) as he works for a pizzeria owner named Sal (Danny Aiello) and his two sons, Vito (Richard Edson)…

  • Sounder Review

    Sounder is a film based on the William H. Armstrong novel of the same name. We follow the Morgan family as they survive the depression. Nathan (Paul Windfield) gets arrested for stealing food, and it’s up to his eldest son, David Lee (Kevin Hooks), and his wife, Rebecca (Cicely Tyson), to take care of their…

  • In the Heat of the Night (1967) Review

    In the Heat of the Night is a mystery drama based on John Ball’s 1965 novel of the same name. We follow a Philadelphia detective named Virgil Tibbs, played by Sidney Poitier. After passing through a small town in Mississippi, Tibbs is taken into custody for a murder simply based on his skin color. After…

  • The Defiant Ones (1958) Review

    The Defiant Ones star Sidney Poitier as Noah Cullen and Tony Curtis as John “Joker” Jackson. Cullen and Joker are two escaped prisoners who are chained together and must learn to depend on one another. The film tackles the subject of racial prejudice and crafts a thrilling and heart-warming tale around these two characters and…

  • Cabin in the Sky Review

    Cabin in the Sky was released in 1943 and stars Ethel Waters (Petunia Jackson), Eddie “Rochester” Anderson (Joe Jackson), Lena Horne (Georgia Brown), Rex Ingram (Lucifer Jr.), and Kenneth Spencer  (The General). The film is a musical comedy that is based on the 1940 Broadway musical of the same name. Fun fact: Waters and Ingram…

  • Imitation of Life (1934) Review

    Welcome to the first review in my Black History Month series. Here, we will be reviewing films starring black actors from the 1930s all the way to the 2010s. This is my way of celebrating black excellence and showcasing just how far we’ve come in the last 90 years. In this review, we’ll be taking…