Read The Scripts Top 5 List: Five Films You Should Watch for Black History Month 2026

Number 5

A Soldier's Story is a 1984 mystery drama war film based on Charles Fuller's 1981 play A Soldier's Play. If you are a fan of war and mystery films, then you will like this one. The story was interesting, good, and the drama in this film was also good. We see Captain Richard Davenport investigate the murder of Master Sergeant Vernon Waters, while talking to the other soldiers that Waters oversaw, Richard learns about the mental and physical abuse the soldiers went through. We also see how Sergeant Vernon thought about some of the black soldiers and his behavior toward them.

Throughout the film, we see Richard trying to figure out who killed Sergeant Waters. At first, some people thought it could have been the Ku Klux Klan that did it, but Richard doesn't think it was them. Richard thinks it was the two white military police officers who did it, but after digging for more information, Richard found out the truth about who really killed Waters and brought them to justice.

Overall, this was a good film to watch. The story was intriguing and good; the cast did a good job playing their characters. Denzel Washington, David Alan Grier, Robert Townsend, Adolph Caesar, and Howard E. Rollins Jr.'s performance was also good, and the ending was good.

Number 4

The Tuskegee Airmen is a 1995 war drama film about four African Americans who became the first group of pilots to overcome racial stereotypes in the US Air Force and fought in World War II. If you are a fan of war dramas, then you will enjoy this one. The story was intriguing, the drama was good, and the story was easy to follow. We see Hannibal Lee, Walter Peoples, Leroy Cappy, Lewis Johns, Billy Roberts, and other Black pilots take part in this military flight training program. We see them being trained by Major Sherman Joy and Second Lieutenant Glenn, and they put the pilots through a tough time. During their time on the army base, the group lost Lewis and Walter in terrible accidents. Most of the Black pilots had left the program, but Hannibal, Leroy, and Billy decided to stay.

Over time, we see the three of them become lieutenants; they fought hard to overcome racial bias so they could fight in the war. Cappy and Billy end up getting killed during the war, but at the end of the film, Hannibal is the last one left in the group, and he becomes a captain. We also see how the pilots make history as The Tuskegee Airmen.

Overall, this was a good and interesting film to watch. The story shows us what the Black pilots went through during their training and how they dealt with the racial stereotypes and bias in the military. The cast did a good job playing their characters, Laurence Fishburne. Allen Payne, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and Cuba Gooding Jr.'s performances were good. Courtney B. Vance, Mekhi Phifer, and Andre Braugher's performances were also good. The ending was nice and a little sad, and the history of The Tuskegee Airmen will be remembered.

Number 3

The Banker is a 2020 period drama about two African American investors becoming the first Black bankers in the US. If you are a fan of biography dramas, then you will like this one. The story was good, interesting, and the drama was done very well. We see Bernard Garrett and his family go to Los Angeles so Garrett can get his start in the real estate business. Garrett has a hard time getting help from banks and also dealing with racism, but he was able to buy a building from Patrick Barker and have a good business relationship with him. Things don't go well for Garrett when Patrick Barker dies, so with the help of Joe Morris and Matt Steiner, the three of them become very successful real estate investors. Over time, we see them living well, and Garrett wants to buy a bank in his hometown in Texas so they can give out bank loans to Black people. Steiner poses as Morris and Garrett to buy the bank, but things don't go right for them, and all three end up in trouble with the law.

We see the three of them fighting for their freedom. Steiner took a deal to stay out of prison, but Garrett and Morris ended up in prison for some years, and they lost pretty much everything. After they are released from prison, Garrett, his wife, and Morris go to the Bahamas to live in the two homes that Steiner bought for them before Garrett's testimony, and we see them go on to enjoy their lives.

Overall, this was a good and fun film to watch. The story was interesting and good. It shows us what Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris went through to become real estate investors. The cast did a good job; Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, and Nia Long's performances were good. The ending was really nice, and showing real pictures of Bernard Garrett and Joe Morris in the end credits was also nice.

Number 2

Marshall is a 2017 legal drama about Thurgood Marshall and the trial of Joseph Spell. If you are a fan of legal dramas, then you enjoy this one. The story was very good, intriguing, and easy to follow if you know about the real trial. We see Thurgood working on cases for the NAACP across the country, and we also see Sam Friedman working on some cases. Thurgood is assigned to take on the Joseph Spell case and work alongside Sam, but the judge would not let Thurgood represent Joseph; Sam was able to. Thurgood and Sam do not get along with each other at first, but throughout the trial, we see them getting along and trying to prove that Joseph did not assault Eleanor Strubing. We see Thurgood dealing with racial bias from the judge, the other lawyers, and some people in the town. Sam is also dealing with backlash for working with Thurgood, and we see both of them dealing with personal family stuff, too. Both of them are even attacked by random strangers one night, but they survive, and Thurgood finds out what really happened between Joseph and Eleanor.

During the trial, Joseph tells them he and Eleanor had an affair, and her husband was abusing her, and she lied about being assaulted by Joseph. While everyone is waiting on the verdict, Thurgood is assigned to another case and has to leave early, but he and Sam work on their final statement. Joseph was found not guilty by the jury and is a free man. Thurgood and Sam are happy about the verdict, and we see Thurgood prepare to take on his next case.

Overall, this was a really good and enjoyable film to watch. The story was interesting, and watching Thurgood Marshall and Sam Friedman deal with the challenges to save Joseph Spell from prison was really good. The cast did a good job playing their characters. Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Sterling K. Brown, Dan Stevens, and James Cromwell's performances were good. The ending was very good, and seeing all the things that Thurgood Marshall and Sam Friedman accomplished in their lives in the end credits was also very nice. Rest in Peace to, Chadwick Boseman.

Number 1

Da 5 Bloods is a 2020 war drama about four Black Veterans known as The Bloods who go back to Vietnam to look for their squad leader's body and the gold they found during the war. If you are a fan of war dramas, then you will enjoy this one. The story was very good, interesting, and the drama was well done. We see Paul, Otis, Eddie, and Melvin reunite in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and they are having a good time, hanging out with Vinh and talking about their time in the war. We get a flashback of The Bloods and their squad leader Stormin' Norman Earl Holloway fighting Vietnamese soldiers to receive a cargo box full of gold bars from an airplane. The Bloods wanted to keep the gold, so they buried it to come back for it. In the present, we see Otis talking to his ex-girlfriend Tiên and finds out that he has a daughter. Tiên takes The Blood to meet this businessman named Desroche, and he agrees to help the guys get the gold bars out of Vietnam. Paul's son David finds out what they are up to and wants to join them.

We get more flashbacks about The Bloods' time during the war, and we see their reaction to the news about MLK's death. In the present, the group finds out that Paul is dealing with PTSD, and they try to help him calm down. David meets Hedy, Simon, and Seppo, and he learns that they look for and destroy landmines. The Bloods and David go into the jungle, and we see their journey to find the gold and Norman's remains. They eventually find the gold bars, and Norman remains, and it was a sad moment. Eddie has a disagreement with the group about what to do with the gold, and he steps on a landmine and doesn't make it. David also stepped on a landmine, but with the help of Hedy, Simon, and Seppo everyone was able to save him.

Paul takes Hedy, Simon, and Seppo hostage, and Paul gets more paranoid by the minute. The group took down Paul, recovered the weapon he had taken from Otis, and Seppo got away. All of them made it out of the jungle, but gunmen showed up and wanted the gold and were willing to give back Seppo, but a big gun fight broke out, and most of the gunmen didn't make it, and neither did Seppo. Paul takes his share and goes back into the jungle, and we get another flashback about how Norman was killed. More gunmen find Paul and kill him, and the group fights off both Desroche and the reinforcements, and it is only David, Otis, Hedy, Simon, and Vinh left standing. Melvin's son and wife get their share of money, and Eddie's share goes to a BLM organization. Hedy and Simon gave their share to the organization they work for. We also see Otis still in Vietnam, spending time with his daughter, and David reads the letter that Paul left for him.

Overall, this was a very good and fun film to watch. The story was very interesting, and watching The Bloods' journey to find the gold and Norman's remains was so good, and the dramatic scenes were something else. The cast did an amazing job playing their characters. Delroy Lindo, Norm Lewis, Clarke Peters, Chadwick Boseman, and Isiah Whitlock Jr.'s performances were very good. So was Johnny Trí Nguyễn, Veronica Ngo, and, of course, Jonathan Majors. The ending was really nice, and this is the type of storytelling I like to see from Spike Lee. Rest in Peace to Chadwick Boseman and Isiah Whitlock Jr.