Whether you’re spending tonight alone, with a loved one or chilling with your friends- here is a list of our favourite black love films to accompany your ice cream, box of chocolates and other ‘treats’.
1. Love and Basketball
It wouldn’t be black love without mentioning the 2000 classic. For those of you that haven’t watched it (I hope you feel shame), the story follows a lifelong romance between Monica and Quincy and their joint infatuation with basketball. With iconic moments like strip basketball and playing 1-on-1 for each other’s hearts, their onscreen chemistry made it all that more touching rather than cringe. You can understand why the list starts here.
2. The Best Man
People always talk about The Best Man Wedding and Best Man Holiday without paying homage to the movie that started it all. Produced by Spike Lee, the rom-com tells the tale of a writer (Taye Diggs) who fears that the his affair with his best friend’s fiancée might come to light. Romantic, right? Although the film hails from the late 90s, the comedy is refreshing and far from outdated. The cast is star studded so it’s nice to see people like Morris Chestnut and Regina Hall at the early stages of their career.
3. Love Jones
Before we hated Larenz Tate in Power, we loved his hotep-scented self in Love Jones. Picture this, performing spoken word in a barely-lit Chicagoan jazz club and you lock eyes with the love of your life. That’s what happened with Darius and Nina. As corny as it may seem, the lovey-dovey undertones were pretty seamless. It was believable. And seeing a 20-something Nia Long is always a bonus in any situation... The storyline was different from the others on the list but the overall plot seems farfetched. Despite inconsistencies it still has a solid spot in our faves!
4. Brown Sugar
You know a movie is worth watching when Erykah Badu and Common make Love of My Life for the soundtrack. Tied together by their encompassing love of music and years of friendship, this narrative is the original ‘the friend you told them not to worry about’ theme. With the movie being centred around music, the soundtrack is good enough to be an album with features from Angie Stone and Mos Def but nothing overshadows the famous divorce seen in the restaurant...
5. If Beale Street Could Talk
Sometimes love and affection is used as a device to a wider issue and If Beale Street Could Talk is a prime example. Adapted from the renowned James Baldwin, Barry Jenkins has big boots to fill with his interpretation. The plot boasts a transcendent love that overcomes injustice and institutional racism, something that is hard to watch but also inspiring.
6. Moonlight
Love isn’t all rainbows and butterflies and this is the picture to prove just that. Moonlight feeds into that idea of a one true love in the purest way possible, without using romantic love as the defining genre. Watching Chiron grow from a boy to a man, his feelings seem like the least of his worries but we see him emotions form in his decision making and life choices. You can’t mention Moonlight without commenting on the cinematography and boy, did they really capture black skin correctly. That’s a lovestory in itself.
7. Think Like a Man
The Best Man walked so Think Like a Man could run. Like, really run. Based on Steve Harvey’s book (who let this man give relationship advice), the film shows what happens when a group of couples get their hands on the bestseller. What follows is nothing but comedy, carnage and Kevin Hart loving Wendy Williams... Between all jokes lies some truth and cute moments between different types of relationship. There’s nothing like a light hearted romance.