Now that it's 2019, Here's a recap of movies from 2018 with strong black leads, directors, and oakland themes! -makenna arase
There have been a lot of movies in the film industry featuring African-American directors, and even more that have had African-Americans as leads. However, there are a few that have made a larger impact beyond Hollywood, and as bonus, they are either set in Oakland or directed by someone originating from Oakland.
Some of the more noticeable movies are: Blindspotting, Sorry to Bother you, and Fruitvale Station. More movies include: Kicks and The Force.
Blindspotting (2018) is a movie about a black man named Collin going through his last three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning. He and his best friend, Miles, work as movers as they are forced to see their old neighborhood get turned into a trendy spot in a gentrifying Bay Area. After witnessing the fatal shooting of another black man by a police officer, the incident starts to haunt him and he starts to rethink his relationship with Miles, a white man. The movie has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 77% on Metacritics.
Blindspotting is set and was shot largely in Oakland, along with the two leads as well as the director originating from Oakland. Daveed Diggs, (the actor who plays Collin) worked with his best friend, Rafael Casal (the actor who also plays Miles) on the story and idea ten years ago, and it’s finally been put to the big screen. Carlos López Estrada, the director of Blindspotting, was born on September 12, 1988 and raised in Oakland.
Blindspotting also won a number of awards this awards season, including placing 7th in AAFCA’s (African-American Film Critics Association) top 10 films (2018), was a nominee for Austin Film Critics Association’s best first film (2018), and was also a nominee for Black Reel’s Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male; for Daveed Diggs as well as Outstanding First Screenplay for both Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs. These are only a few of the awards that Blindspotting has accumulated; in total, it has 6 wins and 17 nominations.
Sorry to Bother You (2018) is about a young black man named Cassius Green, who lives in an alternate reality version of Oakland. He gets a job in telemarketing, and discovers the “white voice,” a key that he uses to achieve materialistic glory. A slap to the face for white privilege and capitalism disguised as a comedy, this movie’s average ranking is a 93% on rotten tomatoes and an 80% on Metacritic.
The setting of the movie is not the only Oakland aspect, as the director, Boots Riley, is a major Oakland advocate. He has been largely involved with the city for a very long time, and Sorry to Bother You lives up to his reputation. The lead, Lakeith Stanfield, grew up in California, though not in Oakland. It was also in AAFCA’s top ten films (2018), this time in 9th place. Sorry to Bother You was the winner of Austin Film Critics Association’s Best Original Screenplay for Boots Riley (2018). It also won the same title in Black Film Critics Circle Awards (2018). Sorry to Bother You has in total 15 wins and 38 nominations.
Fruitvale Station (2013) is a movie adapted from a true story, about 22-year-old Oscar Grant III who was fatally shot and killed on New Year’s Eve in 2009. The movie follows a day in his life as he tries to live a clean life to support his girlfriend and daughter, and plans to go to San Francisco to watch the fireworks; but gets caught up in an altercation with the police on BART’s Fruitvale Station. The film covers the sequence of events impressively accurately, and doesn’t shy away from the police brutality. It scored a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 85% on Metacritics.
Since the BART station is located in Oakland, sensibly so is the movie’s setting. The director, Ryan Coogler, was born on May 23, 1986 and raised in Oakland. The lead, Michael B. Jordan, is a well-known face in Hollywood industry, recognized mostly for his role in Marvel’s Black Panther. It won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature (2014), the Breakthrough Actor Award (2013) for Michael B. Jordan, Producers Guild of America Award - Stanley Kramer Award (2014) and NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture (2014). There are plenty more awards for this movie, though these are only a few. In total, Fruitvale Station has had in total 39 wins and 54 nominations.
The movie Kicks (2016) may be a little less well-known, but it’s about a 15-year-old boy named Brandon, who longs for the freshest pair of sneakers that money can buy, in hopes that it will help him escape the reality of being poor, get some girls to talk to him, and stop everyone from picking on him. However, shortly after getting them, they are snatched by Flaco, the local hood. Kicks is a unique coming-of-age story, one that takes place in Oakland.
The director, Justin Tipping, was born on April 26, 1985, and raised here, in Oakland. Mahershala Ali, who is well-known in Hollywood, was also born in Oakland. Kicks was a nominee for the Americana Film Fest (2017) and the winner of the BET Awards for best actor for Mahershala Ali (2017). Kicks has had 4 wins and 3 nominations in total.
Another film is The Force (2017), which, in this case, is actually a documentary. Circling around the Oakland Police Department, it shows how its members struggle to confront the federal demands for reform. Not hesitating to dive deep into police brutality, this documentary focuses its lenses on every perspective; from the department, to the politics, to the black advocates in the streets. The director of the film, Peter Nicks, has produced multiple films surrounding Oakland, but it’s unclear whether he’s actually from here. The Force won the San Francisco International Film Festival (2017), and the Sundance Film Festival (2017). In total, it has 2 wins and 6 nominations.
Overall, there have been a good handful of films with directors that are African-American as well as from Oakland, as well as having the film itself focused or based in Oakland. All of the films listed here have had numerous awards and nominations, and high scores on critic websites. With the new year of 2019, there are sure to be more amazing movies like these, and well on their way to a list like this in honor of Black History Month.
Some of the more noticeable movies are: Blindspotting, Sorry to Bother you, and Fruitvale Station. More movies include: Kicks and The Force.
Blindspotting (2018) is a movie about a black man named Collin going through his last three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning. He and his best friend, Miles, work as movers as they are forced to see their old neighborhood get turned into a trendy spot in a gentrifying Bay Area. After witnessing the fatal shooting of another black man by a police officer, the incident starts to haunt him and he starts to rethink his relationship with Miles, a white man. The movie has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 77% on Metacritics.
Blindspotting is set and was shot largely in Oakland, along with the two leads as well as the director originating from Oakland. Daveed Diggs, (the actor who plays Collin) worked with his best friend, Rafael Casal (the actor who also plays Miles) on the story and idea ten years ago, and it’s finally been put to the big screen. Carlos López Estrada, the director of Blindspotting, was born on September 12, 1988 and raised in Oakland.
Blindspotting also won a number of awards this awards season, including placing 7th in AAFCA’s (African-American Film Critics Association) top 10 films (2018), was a nominee for Austin Film Critics Association’s best first film (2018), and was also a nominee for Black Reel’s Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male; for Daveed Diggs as well as Outstanding First Screenplay for both Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs. These are only a few of the awards that Blindspotting has accumulated; in total, it has 6 wins and 17 nominations.
Sorry to Bother You (2018) is about a young black man named Cassius Green, who lives in an alternate reality version of Oakland. He gets a job in telemarketing, and discovers the “white voice,” a key that he uses to achieve materialistic glory. A slap to the face for white privilege and capitalism disguised as a comedy, this movie’s average ranking is a 93% on rotten tomatoes and an 80% on Metacritic.
The setting of the movie is not the only Oakland aspect, as the director, Boots Riley, is a major Oakland advocate. He has been largely involved with the city for a very long time, and Sorry to Bother You lives up to his reputation. The lead, Lakeith Stanfield, grew up in California, though not in Oakland. It was also in AAFCA’s top ten films (2018), this time in 9th place. Sorry to Bother You was the winner of Austin Film Critics Association’s Best Original Screenplay for Boots Riley (2018). It also won the same title in Black Film Critics Circle Awards (2018). Sorry to Bother You has in total 15 wins and 38 nominations.
Fruitvale Station (2013) is a movie adapted from a true story, about 22-year-old Oscar Grant III who was fatally shot and killed on New Year’s Eve in 2009. The movie follows a day in his life as he tries to live a clean life to support his girlfriend and daughter, and plans to go to San Francisco to watch the fireworks; but gets caught up in an altercation with the police on BART’s Fruitvale Station. The film covers the sequence of events impressively accurately, and doesn’t shy away from the police brutality. It scored a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 85% on Metacritics.
Since the BART station is located in Oakland, sensibly so is the movie’s setting. The director, Ryan Coogler, was born on May 23, 1986 and raised in Oakland. The lead, Michael B. Jordan, is a well-known face in Hollywood industry, recognized mostly for his role in Marvel’s Black Panther. It won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature (2014), the Breakthrough Actor Award (2013) for Michael B. Jordan, Producers Guild of America Award - Stanley Kramer Award (2014) and NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture (2014). There are plenty more awards for this movie, though these are only a few. In total, Fruitvale Station has had in total 39 wins and 54 nominations.
The movie Kicks (2016) may be a little less well-known, but it’s about a 15-year-old boy named Brandon, who longs for the freshest pair of sneakers that money can buy, in hopes that it will help him escape the reality of being poor, get some girls to talk to him, and stop everyone from picking on him. However, shortly after getting them, they are snatched by Flaco, the local hood. Kicks is a unique coming-of-age story, one that takes place in Oakland.
The director, Justin Tipping, was born on April 26, 1985, and raised here, in Oakland. Mahershala Ali, who is well-known in Hollywood, was also born in Oakland. Kicks was a nominee for the Americana Film Fest (2017) and the winner of the BET Awards for best actor for Mahershala Ali (2017). Kicks has had 4 wins and 3 nominations in total.
Another film is The Force (2017), which, in this case, is actually a documentary. Circling around the Oakland Police Department, it shows how its members struggle to confront the federal demands for reform. Not hesitating to dive deep into police brutality, this documentary focuses its lenses on every perspective; from the department, to the politics, to the black advocates in the streets. The director of the film, Peter Nicks, has produced multiple films surrounding Oakland, but it’s unclear whether he’s actually from here. The Force won the San Francisco International Film Festival (2017), and the Sundance Film Festival (2017). In total, it has 2 wins and 6 nominations.
Overall, there have been a good handful of films with directors that are African-American as well as from Oakland, as well as having the film itself focused or based in Oakland. All of the films listed here have had numerous awards and nominations, and high scores on critic websites. With the new year of 2019, there are sure to be more amazing movies like these, and well on their way to a list like this in honor of Black History Month.