15 of the Best Black Romance Movies of the Decade (IMDB)

Black Romance – A genre which seems to be a rather interesting yet beautiful portrayal of a classic romantic plot in the modern era of Hollywood.

This genre seems to have an oomph factor to it for it has the presence of the perfect ingredients of passion, playfulness, and a feel good factor to make a perfect Hollywood romantic recipe.

Sit back and relax, for we present to you a list of the 15 best black romance movies which will make you click Watch Now within no time!

List of 15 Black Romance Movies

1. Brown Sugar (2002)

• Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Taye Diggs, Nicole Ari Parker

• IMDb Rating: 6.6/10

This 2002 classic narrates the story of Sidney and Dre who credit their friendship and the success of their careers to watching an instance of Hip-Hop on a New York Street corner.

Fast forward 15 years, Sidney is a well-respected music critic and Dre has gone on to become a successful music executive with a void of unfulfillment. The day they remember what they learnt on the corner is the day that’ll mark their journey of discovering their true passion.

The film projects a rather peculiar sense of success and unfulfillment whilst beautifully combining the marvellous plot of a classic romantic film.

With some solid performances and a mushy feel in its kitty, this flick is surely the one you can watch with your partner anywhere and anytime!

You can stream Brown Sugar on Amazon Prime.

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2. Beyond the Light (2014)

• Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver

• IMDb Rating: 6.9/10

Having been trained by her mother to become the perfect celebrity singer, Noni finds it difficult to manage her success. With the pain crossing her threshold, she decides to end her life which was miraculously thwarted by her cop and bodyguard Kaz.

Sparks ignite between Noni and Kaz and they form a sizzling chemistry, thus deciding to take things further only for their loved ones to be the villains of their blossoming love story.

Beyond the Lights stands true to its title, for this love story deals with how Kaz saves an almost broken Noni and helps her join the pieces, and make her the singer that she always wanted to be.

A classic blossom of romance combined with a hunger for ambition makes this flick a must-watch for the power couples out there!

Watch Beyond the Lights on Amazon Prime.

3. Love and Basketball (2000)

• Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Omar Epps, Kyla Pratt

• IMDb Rating: 7.1/10

Featuring third on this list of black romance movies is this quirky combination of romance and sports involving the tale of two neighbours Monica and Quincy who have grown up together playing basketball.

While loves tries to sneak into their lives, it’s their desires of becoming professional basketball players which stands in their way of ever-lasting togetherness.

The film vividly explores their journey from childhood friends to pro basketball players whilst carrying a undertone of romance in their story.

Sports, romance, and ambition may not be the perfect ingredients of a love story but this flick tells you why everything is fair in love and basketball!

Watch Love and Basketball on Amazon Prime.

4. Poetic Justice (1993)

• Cast: Tupac Shakur, Janet Jackson, Regina King

• IMDb Rating: 6.1/10

Directed by John Singleton, this film depicts the plight of Justice who grieves the death of her boyfriend and finds poetry as the best way to cope with it.

Having missed out on her trip to a poetry convention to Oakland, Justice secures a lift with her best friend Lesha and her boyfriend Chicago. Justice begins developing feelings for Chicago’s co-worker Lucky but will her grief be her biggest obstacle to open her heart again?

Touching on the painful theme of grief and inability to love again, Poetic Justice is one such film which can teach you the true meaning of unconditional love.

Watch Poetic Justice on Amazon Prime.

5. How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

• Cast: Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Regina King

• IMDb Rating: 5.7/10

This 1998 black romance movie describes the life of a 40-year-old stock-broker named Stella who is a workaholic and has forgotten how to live. Stella decided to break the monotony and heads to Jamaica for a vacation with her best friend Delilah.

Change begins to manifest as a simple holiday is converted into a full-blown romance with Winston a man who is 20 years younger than she is.

The film further explores the blossoming romance between Winston and Stella and how they go on to defy the stereotype of the age barrier in an era where all of this was uncommon, thus helping Stella get her groove back.

After all, a wise man said it rightly, Love knows no age!

Watch How Stella Got Her Groove Back on Amazon Prime.

6. Jumping the Broom (2011)

• Cast: Paula Patton, Laz Alonso, Angela Bassett

• IMDb Rating: 5.7/10

At number six on this featurette of black romance movies, we have Jumping the Broom, a common tradition of any African-American wedding for that’s how twisted the plot of this film is.

Sabrina Watson, who belongs to an aristocratic family decides to tie the knot with a middle-class Wall Street worker named Jason Taylor thus bringing about a whirlwind of twists and arguments.

This film covers the issue of class sensitivity and how the philosophy of marrying within your status can deter you from finding your true love. But when you desire something the most, even the universe conspires it to provide it to you!

A beautiful romantic story with a valuable life lesson to take home will make you and your partner look adoringly into each other’s eyes after watching this film.

Watch Jumping the Broom on Amazon Prime.

7. Daddy’s Little Girls (2007)

• Cast: Idris Elba, Gabrielle Union, China Anne McClain

• IMDb Rating: 5.8/10

This movie revolves around the life of Monty, a struggling mechanic who seeks the help of Julia, a lawyer to seek the custody of his three daughters.

However, he encounters a mesmerizing twist as he begins to fall in love with Julia but the albatross of his daughters’ custody flies round his neck thereby leaving him in a perplexity of sorts.

This film will give you the vibe of a reverse Cinderella tale and the fact that love knows no boundaries or stereotypes will inspire you to fight for your love.

With a heart-warming screenplay and a brilliant emotional connect, Daddy’s Little Girls is sure to send a few droplets rolling down your cheek.

Watch Daddy’s Little Girls on Amazon Prime.

7. About Last Night (2014)

• Cast: Joy Bryant, Michael Ealy, Kevin Hart

• IMDb Rating: 6.1/10

A remake of the namesake 1986 film, the story is about Danny and Debbie who decide to be a couple just for a night but decide to take things forward and test their relationship further in reality.

With the initial hesitance of getting into a relationship, the film perfectly captures how to trust your gut feel and give your heart a chance to commit a great blunder. The criticism of friends might have deterred them but love finds its eventual way in the most beautiful fashion.

Sometimes, it’s just best to go with the flow and this romantic date-night flick teaches you just that!

Watch About Last Night on Netflix.

8. Jason’s Lyric (1994)

• Cast: Allen Payne, Bokeem Woodbine, Jada Pinkett Smith

• IMDb Rating: 6.6/10

Set in a drug-infested neighbourhood of Houston, the film chronicles the life of Jason who dreams of doing something better in this bad hood. He hopes to remove the criminal mindset from his brother by becoming an example for him and thus gets a job as a TV salesman.

His life is seasoned with a zest of joy when he meets Lyric and falls in love with her. While their love story flourishes, Jason begins to see a pleasant future with Lyric while concealing a hidden secret from his past.

The film shows us that love can triumph even in the worst of settings and his hidden secret is what keeps the audience impatient and searching for more.

Looking for a movie to watch with your and your partner cuddled up, Jason’s Lyric is your best bet from a good collection of black romance movies.

Watch Jason’s Lyric on Amazon Prime.

9. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

• Cast: Kiki Layne, Regina King, Stephan James

• IMDb Rating: 7.1/10

If you love stories to be exciting and full of twists and turns, then this film is got to be on your bucket list for black romance movies. Based on a 1970s novel by James Baldwin, it deals with the lives of childhood lovers Tish and Fonny.

All is hunky dory until Fonny’s life takes a sharp turn after being falsely accused of rape. It is then when a pregnant Tish takes things in her hands and makes her lover’s innocence her ultimate mission.

The constant support offered by Tish to Fonny in spite of being accused of such a heinous crime is worthy of applause. Circumstances test the tenacity of their relationship but the fulcrum of their love remains undeterred and unshaken.

Trust, loyalty, and love- you and your partner can get tons of inspiration from this film to keep things sailing smooth and in cruise control.

Watch If Beale Street Could Talk on Google Play Movies.

10. Medicine for Melancholy (2008)

• Cast: Wyatt Cenac, Tracey Heggins, Melissa Bisagni

• IMDb Rating: 6.7/10

In a film dealing with the after-effects of a hookup, Micah, a social activist locks gaze with an affluent professional named Joanne at a party that ends up in a crazy one-night stand.

As the days pass, they begin to strike the right chords and develop feelings for each other. But an array of political and philosophical differences would stand as barbed fences to their potential tale of romance.

While it may be important to be compatible, Micah and Joanne’s contrasting ideologies do no stop them from being attracted to each other and flourish an ever-lasting bond of love and togetherness.

Sometimes, mistakes do turn out to be blessings and love was definitely the medicine for their melancholy!

Watch Medicine for Melancholy on Amazon Prime.

11. Southside With You (2016)

• Cast: Tika Sumpter, Parker Sawyers, Vanessa Bell Calloway

• IMDb Rating: 6.2/10

How often do you get to see the love story of the President of the USA on-screen? The answer, once-in-a-lifetime! Southside With You is the theatrical portrayal of former USA president Barrack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama (nee Robinson).

The film revolves around their iconic date of a summer day in 1989 offering an insight into the love story of one of the world’s biggest power couples.

The USP of the film is its nostalgic and mushy plot and goes on to beautifully depict the chronicle from the diary of Mr and Mrs Obama.

A scenic evening and both of you cuddled in a blanket will give you the perfect setting to watch this film.

Watch Southside With You on Netflix.

12. Queen and Slim (2019)

• Cast: Jodie Turner-Smith, Daniel Kaluuya, Bokeem Woodbine

• IMDb Rating: 7.1/10

Ever heard of a date gone wrong? This one is one of the most hilarious examples of that. The movie revolves around an awkward date between the protagonists Queen and Slim.

Thins go awry when a cop happens to bust them and ruins their plans but eventually things lead to the formation of a sparkling chemistry and a loves story on the run.

Queen and Slim brings out the real definition of ride or die and narrates a powerful and emotional instance of the struggles of African-American love.

This ain’t your stereotypical love story, for this one is packed with heaps of thrill drizzled with some traditional romance.

Watch Queen and Slim on Amazon Prime.

13. Love Jones (1997)

• Cast: Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Lisa Nicole Carson

• IMDb Rating:7.5/10

Coming at number 13 on our list of black romance movies is this 1997 release, Love Jones, which is the story of two African-Americans namely Darius and Nina. Both of them have their own dreams and click instantly at a party in Chicago.

Nina’s ex-fiancé Marvin plays spoilsport and forces Nina into moving to New York to restart their relationship. This leaves Darius heartbroken and leaves the couple’s future hanging in the balance.

The emergence of past relationships yet longing for each other makes this a complicated one to understand but doesn’t take away the passion factor from the film.

A decent screenplay and some seasoned performances make this a great flick to indulge in!

Watch Love Jones on Amazon Prime!

14. The Bodyguard (1992)

• Cast: Whitney Houston, Kevin Cosner, Michele Lamar Richards

• IMDb Rating: 6.3/10

A Prince Charming tale of sorts, The Bodyguard describes the life of Rachel, a singer and actress who receives death threats from a stalker fan, and things begin to go helter-skelter.

Enter Frank, an ex-Secret Service agent who is hired to be her bodyguard. He not only solves the problem but also goes on to win the heart of Rachel.

This is a classic narrative of a heroine falls for hero after he saves her life and managed to do relatively well at the box office.

Despite gaining mixed reviews from critics, The Bodyguard remains one of the most popular films of this genre.

Watch The Bodyguard on Netflix!

15. Deliver Us From Eva (2003)

• Cast: Gabrielle Union, LL Cool J, Essence Atkins

• IMDb Rating: 6.1/10

Loosely based on the Shakespearean novel The Taming of the Shrew, this tale revolves around Eva who has been looking after her sister after the death of her parents. She has a weird habit of interfering in her sisters’ romantic affairs which makes her a nosy character of sorts.

Her sisters decide to set her up with Ray Adams, a playboy, to distract her from her familial responsibilities. Just when sizzling chemistry is about to brew, things go haywire between them.

With a typical romantic storyline and good performances to follow through, Deliver Us from Eva delivers fairly well on the romance and love quotient.

Watch Deliver Us from Eva on Amazon Prime!

Now, you have the list of the top 15 black romance movies to watch. So, what’s going to be your choice to stream this weekend with your partner?

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