Black on Black Cinema | Black Movie Reviews

Black on Black Cinema | Black Movie Reviews

Black on Black Cinema is a long-running podcast delivering in-depth reviews of Black films — from Oscar winners to hood classics, indie gems to blockbuster hits. Hosted by four Black men from Baltimore, we bring honest opinions, genuine disagreements, and conversations that matter to the Black community. We review: Spike Lee films, Jordan Peele films, Tyler Perry films, Black horror movies, Black indie films, Black action movies, Black comedies, classic Black cinema, new Black movie releases, Black TV shows and limited series, and everything in between. Featured on RogerEbert.com. Over 570 episodes and 13 years of Black film coverage. Topics include: Black film reviews, Black movie recommendations, Black cinema history, representation in Hollywood, Black horror, Black sci-fi, Blaxploitation classics, Black rom-coms, and cultural commentary from a Black perspective. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for your next movie night pick. 🎧 Also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and all major podcast platforms. Interested in sponsoring or advertising on this podcast? Contact us at ads@ossacollective.com. For programmatic ads, reach out to the Spreaker team below.

Episodes

Graham Platner's Campaign Collapses, The Signs Were There All Along

July 9, 2026 • 70 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema we break down the collapse of Graham Platner's Maine Senate campaign and why none of us were surprised. For months, white leftists rallied behind Platner despite a tattoo associated with WW2 fascism, resurfaced posts disparaging veterans and sexual assault survivors on Reddit, and troubling accounts from past relationships. None of it mattered until an ex-girlfriend came forward with a serious sex...
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Above the Rim (1994): A Message Film That Forgets Its Message

July 2, 2026 • 93 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema we take a deep dive into Above the Rim (1994), the final entry in Barry Michael Cooper's Harlem Trilogy following New Jack City and Sugar Hill. Directed by Jeff Pollack in his feature debut, the film stars Duane Martin as Kyle Watson, a high school basketball star torn between two men; Shep (Leon), a security guard with a complicated past seeking redemption, and Birdie (Tupac Shakur), a dangerous ...
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Trump Became Everything Racists Feared a Black President Would Be

June 18, 2026 • 56 mins
Black on Black Cinema announces our next full review: Above the Rim (1994), the final entry in Barry Michael Cooper's Harlem Trilogy. Directed by Jeff Pollack and starring Duane Martin, Tupac Shakur, Leon, Marlon Wayans, Bernie Mac, and Wood Harris. Above the Rim follows high school basketball star Kyle Watson torn between Shep, a fallen athlete trying to redeem himself, and Birdie, a dangerous drug dealer who happens to be Shep's ...
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Sugar Hill (1994) | Flawed 90s Gangster Nostalgia

June 12, 2026 • 105 mins
This week Black on Black Cinema finally gives Sugar Hill (1994) the deep analysis it deserves. Directed by Leon Ichaso and written by Barry Michael Cooper — the architect behind New Jack City and Above the Rim — Sugar Hill is the second and most emotionally dramatic entry in Cooper's Harlem Trilogy. Wesley Snipes as Roemello Skuggs, a high-level Harlem drug dealer who wants out. He's got money, power, a woman he loves i...
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Reparations for Black Americans: Not If, But How?

June 4, 2026 • 26 mins
Black on Black Cinema announces our next film review: Sugar Hill (1994), directed by Leon Ichaso and written by Barry Michael Cooper; the second film in his legendary Harlem Trilogy alongside New Jack City and Above the Rim. Wesley Snipes stars as Roemello Skuggs, a high-level Harlem drug dealer who decides to walk away from the life to start fresh with his girlfriend Melissa (Theresa Randle), only to discover that leaving isn't so...
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Is God Is (2026) | Brutal Confrontation of Generational Trauma

May 28, 2026 • 89 mins
Black on Black Cinema dives deep into Is God Is (2026), Aleshea Harris' feature directorial debut adapted from her Obie Award-winning stage play. Starring Kara Young as "The Rough One" and Mallori Johnson as "The Quiet One," the film follows twin sisters bearing the disfiguring burn scars of a childhood tragedy, ordered by their bedridden mother to kill the abusive father who destroyed their family. With Janelle Monáe, Sterling K. ...
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Leaked Texts Expose Playbook to "Trap" Black Athletes: We Need to Talk About This

May 21, 2026 • 38 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema, the crew returns to announce the next film, "Is God Is." The film follows two sisters who embark on an epic quest for revenge; confronting a charged family history that will push them to extraordinary lengths. The movie is written and directed by Aleshea Harris who is also the playwright for the original play the film is based on.

This week's random topic tackles the viral leaked text mess...
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Michael (2026) | Shallow Biopic of an Icon

May 15, 2026 • 115 mins
Black on Black Cinema reviews Michael (2026), Antoine Fuqua's Michael Jackson biopic starring Jaafar Jackson as the King of Pop. While Jaafar delivers a great impression of his uncle Michael, the film itself is a shallow, sanitized music biopic that refuses to engage with Jackson's complexity and controversies. Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer) crafts a visually stunning but emotionally hollow portrait that hits ...
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Black Voters Are DONE With "Don't Vote" Activists After SCOTUS Guts Voting Rights

May 8, 2026 • 65 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema, the crew returns to announce the next full film review on the 2026 music biopic "Michael." The film follows the life of famed musician Michael Jackson from early childhood to the middle of his career as one of the biggest names in music history. The random topic this week is all about the Supreme Court further damaging the Voting Rights Act, and how online Black spaces have had just about enough ...
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Love, Brooklyn (2025) | Black Romance Without Stereotypes

April 30, 2026 • 105 mins
Black on Black Cinema breaks down Love, Brooklyn (2025), Rachael Abigail Holder's directorial debut that premiered at Sundance Film Festival. Starring André Holland, Nicole Beharie, DeWanda Wise, and Roy Wood Jr., this indie romantic drama follows writer Roger as he navigates complicated relationships with his ex Casey (an art gallery owner) and current lover Nicole (a newly-single mother) against Brooklyn's rapidly changing landsc...
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Women's "Bear Versus Man" Choice Becomes Crystal Clear

April 23, 2026 • 62 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema, the crew returns to announce the next film to be reviewed, "Love, Brooklyn." The film follows three longtime Brooklynites navigate careers, love, loss, and friendship against the rapidly changing landscape of their beloved city. The movie stars Andre Holland, Nicole Beharie, DeWanda Wise, and Roy Wood Jr. The random topic this week is an overarching conversation of rape and violence culture in re...
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Black Belt Jones (1974) | Jim Kelly's Insanely Fun Karate Flick

April 20, 2026 • 89 mins
Black on Black Cinema examines Black Belt Jones (1974), the groundbreaking Blaxploitation martial arts film that solidified Jim Kelly as an action star following his breakout role in Enter the Dragon. Directed by Oscar Williams and produced by Warner Bros during the height of the Blaxploitation era, the film stars Kelly as a martial arts instructor who battles the mob to protect his community's karate school from a crooked land dea...
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Zohran Mamdani's Wife Said the N-Word...at Age 15

March 26, 2026 • 31 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema, the crew returns to announce the next film, "Black Belt Jones." The 1974 blaxploitation classic starring Jim Kelly, which follows the Mafia buy out of Papa Byrd's karate school downtown that ends in his death. Byrd's daughter, Sydney, refuses to sell, and wants revenge. Byrd's students call the Black Belt Jones for help. Jones reluctantly teams with Sydney in many battles. The random topic this w...
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Devil in a Blue Dress — Denzel's Neo-Noir Film & The Franchise That Never Was

March 20, 2026 • 82 mins
Devil in a Blue Dress (1995): Denzel Washington's most underrated performance. Directed by Carl Franklin, based on Walter Mosley's novel. Easy Rawlins, a Black WWII veteran in 1948 Los Angeles, takes a job finding a missing white woman. Simple task becomes a labyrinth of violence, corruption, and impossible choices. This week on Black on Black Cinema, we look back on one of Denzel's lesser known classics.

This should have la...
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Living Through Moral Collapse (Iran War)

March 12, 2026 • 43 mins
Next week on Black on Black Cinema, we're reviewing Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), starring Denzel Washington in one of his most underrated performances. This Carl Franklin neo-noir follows Easy Rawlins navigating 1940s Los Angeles—a Black veteran trying to survive in a world designed to destroy him.

But first, we need to talk about something: watching the Iran war unfold from inside the United States feels surreal. We'...
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Soul Men (2008) | Bernie Mac's Final Performance & Samuel L. Jackson's Roadtrip Comedy

March 5, 2026 • 79 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema, the crew returns to review Soul Men (2008) which was released just two months after Bernie Mac's death, making it a bittersweet farewell to one of comedy's greatest talents. Directed by Malcolm D. Lee and starring Samuel L. Jackson alongside Mac, this road trip musical comedy follows two estranged backup singers reuniting for a tribute concert after their lead singer dies.

Black on Black C...
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The BAFTA Incident — Disability, Race & Media Responsibility

February 26, 2026 • 37 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema, the crew returns to introduce the next film to the reviewed, "Soul Men." The 2008 film follows two estranged soul-singing legends who agree to participate in a reunion performance at the Apollo Theater to honor their recently deceased band leader. The movie stars Samuel L. Jackson and the late great Bernie Mac. Available to stream for free on Tubi.
The random topic this week we tackle the comp...
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The Dutchman (2025) | Amiri Baraka's Explosive Racial Confrontation

February 19, 2026 • 98 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema, the crew returns to discuss the 2025 psychological thriller, "The Dutchman." Based on Amiri Baraka's groundbreaking 1964 Obie Award-winning one-act play, the film follows Clay (André Holland), a successful but troubled Black businessman navigating a crumbling marriage with his wife Kaya (Zazie Beetz). After a therapy session with the enigmatic Dr. Amiri (Stephen McKinley Henderson), Clay encounte...
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Bad Bunny vs Turning Point USA: Who Owns the Culture?

February 13, 2026 • 52 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema, the crew returns to announce the next film, 2025's "The Dutchman." The film follows a successful black businessman, haunted by his crumbling marriage and identity crisis, who is drawn into a sexualized game of cat and mouse with a mysterious white woman on a subway that leads to a violent conclusion. Starring Andre Holland, Kate Mara, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Zazie Beats. The random topic ...
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She's Gotta Have It (REVIEW): Unapologetic Feminine Sexuality | Ep293

February 5, 2026 • 102 mins
This week on Black on Black Cinema, the crew returns to review Spike Lee's 1986 directorial debut "She's Gotta Have It." The film follows Nola Darling, a woman who openly dates three men who are aware of one another and possess three wildy different personalities.

Black on Black Cinema is a long-running podcast featuring in-depth Black movie reviews and frank conversations that matter to the Black community. We review Black ...
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