Image by Jeremy Yap
A cool way to spend your Juneteenth weekend is staying inside and watching movies. Whether it will be in a movie theater watching a big budget new summer film or watching a classic film that gives you the warm feelings. As well as, makes you feel a certain way about the African American experience.
This is my list of movies to check out this Juneteenth.
- The Blackening – It’s a movie about a Juneteenth celebration gone wrong, this is a horror/comedy brought to you by the director Ride Along. Several friends venture to a cabin for a fun weekend of reminiscing about their college days. Only there’s a surprise waiting for them, an evil board game called “The Blackening”. Friends start coming up missing, even under duress and violence this movie delivers big laughs. It also features an almost entirely black cast, including Yvonne Orji and Jay Pharoh. This is a film that has a pulse for the culture as lots of black references and inside the community jokes are made, and the almost entirely black audience I saw it with at the E Street Cinema in DC appreciated just about every one of those jokes, loudly. There is nothing like seeing a comedy or horror movie with a packed audience in a movie theater. The Blackening delivers both experiences.
The Blackening slides into movie theaters June 16th on Juneteenth weekend.
Take a look at the trailer below.
- The Flash – This isn’t a movie for the culture. There’s no black history here, this film has nothing to do with Juneteenth at all. But there are a lot of ‘Blerds’ (Black nerds) out here I guess I’ll throw myself in there I’m a movie nerd, that love comic book movies. Some of you will show up to comic con events and cosplay, or wear t-shirts featuring superheroes to the theater to see the movie. For all of you out there that are excited to see Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne/Batman return to the screen, this Bud’s for you. I stood in a super long line to see The Flash, and there were just as many black people lined up to see it, as they were squeezing into a theater to see the Blackening. Despite Ezra Miller’s crazy and complicated criminal history, the desire to see an Old Batman actor throw on the pointy bat mask again won out. The bulk of the movie and what makes this film entertaining is the duo of young Barry Allen and current Barry Allen, the Flash spends lots of time with his younger self. Did I mention Barry has a black woman as a love interest? No? But you Blerds knew about Iris West already didn’t you? The Flash strikes into theaters June 16th.
Movies for the culture to stream Juneteenth weekend
- White Men Can’t Jump – Hulu (Remake of the classic early 90’s film)
- Malcolm X – Max (formerly HBO Max) (A Spike Lee joint based on Alex Haley’s book on Malcolm)
- The Banker – Apple TV Plus (Story of a black real estate developer using a white man’s face to acquire and run a bank)
- Black Panther/Wakanda Forever – Wakanda Forever are also classics, but they are still not a bad watch for Juneteenth weekend – Both are available on Disney Plus, and Black Panther still slaps.
- Woman King – Netflix (The power of Black/African women personified)
