The turn of the 21st century saw a series of Black love films that evoke nostalgia among those of us of a certain age. But watching some of these movies with 2024 eyes and sensibilities might evoke a few groans – and debates with strongly-opinionated friends.
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As you pop a bottle of vino and settle in with your boo for Valentine’s Night, watch out for these films, which might not stir up the romantic mood like they used to.
Love Jones (1997)
Often considered the quintessential Black Gen X love story, “Love Jones” rewards boundary pushing in the name of “romance.”
The questionable elapses in time or travel aged poorly (train tickets to and from Chicago and New York?!?), but Darius (Larenz Tate) tracking down Nina (Nia Long) by swiping a paper check she wrote at his homegirl’s record store to get the address and show up at her crib is downright nasty business by today’s standards.
Ladies, what would you do if a cat who tried to spit game at you at Trader Joe’s popped up at your front door?
The Best Man series (1999-2022)
This series broke the mold with its depictions of Black professionals who aren’t defined by trauma. But it still fell victim to well-worn misogynistic tropes.
Mia (Monica Calhoun) is depicted as the “saintly” woman in the homies group because she’s a prayerful stay-at-home mother taking care of home and children while husband Lance (Morris Chestnut) brings home the bread. Every other woman in the film has a career of her own and somehow suffers in the love department.
Harold Perrineau’s Murch is the “wholesome” friend who swoops in with his cape and saves Regina Hall’s stripper-with-a-heart-of-gold Candy, only to spend time later in the series shaming Candy for her sexual past that has nothing to do with him. Tyler Perry much…?
Purple Rain (1984)
Despite his musical talents, Prince wasn’t exactly known as the nicest dude. His semiautobiographical film “Purple Rain” underlines this as the oldest and most untenable film on this list: It could never get made today.
The Kid (Prince) spends much of the movie being a petulant bastard to Apollonia to prove her dedication to him, including convincing her to strip naked and jump in a cold lake. There’s also the scene of him evoking his abusive father and slapping the dogshit out of her. But domestic violence and emotional manipulation wins in the end because he “Would Die 4 U.”
(Also, the less said about Morris Day convincing Jerome to pick up and toss a former lover in a dumpster, the better.)
Love & Basketball (2000)
In 2000, it was still perfectly acceptable to frame an entire love story around a talented Black woman sacrificing her pride to bag a dude. Quincy (Omar Epps) is a product of his father’s selfish, philandering ways. But even through his career-ending injury and decision to wife up another woman, Monica (Sanaa Lathan) kept chasing after him.
The film’s coda – Monica’s “I’ll play you for your heart” game of one-on-one to a disinterested Quincy – hit 24 years ago. Today, it feels like a cheesy, unearned happily-ever-after.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
This only makes the list because it’s an adaptation of Terry McMillan’s semi- autobiographical 1996 novel, and that story didn’t end well: Turns out McMillan’s real-life Winston (Taye Diggs), a man named Jonathan Plummer, was gay and playing McMillan for her money and a green card the whole time.
Come for Diggs’ smile and Angela Bassett’s abs…leave the rest behind.
Queen & Slim (2019)
A Black love story in the loosest sense, “Queen & Slim” aged poorly 25 seconds after it hit theaters.
The conceit itself – a bad first date ends in an accidental cop murder that sends two perfect strangers on the run together – is questionable on its own. But the execution is atrocious: “Queen & Slim” is filled with enough trauma porn to please generations of white Oscar voters – except it didn’t because it sucked (why did the lil’ baby have to shoot the cop?!?).
Their life on the lam is unrealistic and the Bonnie & Clyde denouement is atrocious and insulting. I wish I had more fingers to type more bad things about this cinematic abortion.
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