ADVERTISEMENT
At Refinery29 Australia, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team, but we may earn commission or other compensation from the links on this page.
There's something particularly special about seeing black love on screen. Granted, a significant part of that is because we don't see it happen anywhere near as frequently as we should. Narratives around the black experience often zoom in on the pain and hardships of our community's past rather than the joy and strength in our hearts and relationships. But there are some gems that manage to celebrate everything it is to love and be loved as a young black person – regardless of the issues that challenge it.
There's something particularly special about seeing black love on screen. Granted, a significant part of that is because we don't see it happen anywhere near as frequently as we should. Narratives around the black experience often zoom in on the pain and hardships of our community's past rather than the joy and strength in our hearts and relationships. But there are some gems that manage to celebrate everything it is to love and be loved as a young black person – regardless of the issues that challenge it.
There are new films that redefine what 'black love' looks like, extrapolating a romantic narrative purely for what it is – romance. There are old films that shaped many of our understandings of the nuances of black love trying to blossom in surroundings that want to stamp it out. There are also stories that challenge black masculinity, the resilience culturally enforced in black women, and downright sexy ones that find the fun in straightforward attraction.
These are some of our favourite films in the canon of the greatest black love stories ever told.
ADVERTISEMENT