Key Takeaways

• The list blends classic and modern Black romance films, from Love Jones to Rye Lane.
• Several Hip Hop and R&B icons, including Queen Latifah and LL COOL J, star in these love stories.
• These films reflect generational shifts in how Black love is portrayed on screen, from emotional vulnerability to cultural pride.

Feb. 14 is as good a time as any to explore your romantic side. No matter how you’re spending the day, there’s no shortage of films that explore love in all its forms. Even better, many of them center Black leads or predominantly Black casts.

There are rom-coms like Think Like a Man, Love Jones, and The Perfect Find, just to name a few. If you’re in the mood to cry it out instead (preferably with a glass of wine nearby), The Photograph and Queen & Slim are hard to beat. Across the list, you’ll spot plenty of familiar faces, sometimes more than once, including Kevin Hart, Regina Hall, Michael Ealy, and Queen Latifah, who all seem to understand the genre particularly well.

Whether you’re a hopeless romantic or happily taken, you’ll find something to fall in love with among our 15 favorite Black romance movies. Check them out below.

1. ‘The Photograph’

There are romantic dramas, and then there’s The Photograph. Over the course of the film, Michael and Mae fall for each other while piecing together her late mother’s hidden collection of letters, which reveal untold stories about her life and career as a photographer. The dual timelines (one unfolding in the present, the other rooted in the past) may not be for everyone, but LaKeith Stanfield and Issa Rae sell every moment.

2. ‘Just Wright’

Queen Latifah has no shortage of romantic leads under her belt, and after watching Just Wright, we totally see why. The "U.N.I.T.Y." rapper stars as a physical therapist who falls for NBA player Scott McKnight, played by Common. Love and basketball might as well be a subgenre all its own, and our Hip Hop favorites hold it down surprisingly well here.

3. ‘Think Like A Man’

Maybe we’re biased because of the star-studded cast, which includes Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, and Meagan Good, among others, or because we get four relationships for the price of one, but Think Like A Man is pure entertainment gold. Just as the title suggests, the women begin using Steve Harvey’s “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” to their advantage, much to the fellas’ dismay.

4. ‘South Side With You’

Biographical films can be romantic, too, especially when they’re centered on one of the greatest Black power couples: Michelle and Barack Obama. Directed by Richard Tanne, the film zeroes in on their first date back in 1989. Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers deliver convincing performances as Michelle and Barack, respectively.

5. ‘Relationship Goals’

Amazon Prime’s Relationship Goals stars Kelly Rowland and Method Man as exes turned co-workers competing for the same position at work. Is getting romantically involved with someone you see at the office every day a smart idea? Probably not. Does it make for an entertaining watch? Absolutely. The rom-com is also inspired by Michael Todd’s “Relationship Goals: How to Win at Dating, Marriage, and Sex.”

6. ‘Brown Sugar’

A classic, if we do say so ourselves, Brown Sugar is perfect for anyone who loves Hip Hop just as much as they love falling in love (which should be all of us, right?). Longtime friends Andre (Taye Diggs), an A&R, and Sidney, an editor-in-chief, slowly realize their feelings for each other. Thanks to its musical backbone, the movie also features cameos from Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) and Queen Latifah, the latter of whom dishes out some good dating wisdom: “You get the buddy and the booty.”

7. ‘About Last Night’

Another film that, for better or worse, asks viewers to juggle two couples, About Last Night follows Danny (Michael Ealy) and Debbie (Joy Bryant) as they sleep together on the first night, move in, fall apart, and eventually give things another try. Meanwhile, Bernie (Kevin Hart) and Joan (Regina Hall) spend most of their screen time supplying the laughs and occasionally sabotaging the other couple’s relationship.

8. ‘Sylvie’s Love’

Between the jazz, the romance, and Tessa Thompson herself, there’s a lot to love about Sylvie’s Love. Set during a sweltering New York summer in 1957, Sylvie and Robert (played by Nnamdi Asomugha) first met at her father’s record shop. There are complications, of course — namely her fiancé being overseas fighting in the Korean War and time passing by — but Sylvie’s love triangle ultimately resolves itself, leading to a happily ever after.

9. ‘Love Jones’

Darius (Larenz Tate) and Nina (Nia Long) were a ’90s love duo we couldn’t get enough of when Love Jones first arrived. If it’s been a while, or you’ve never seen it, Valentine's Day is the perfect time to press play. The Chicago-set romantic comedy/drama has long held cult-classic status.

10. ‘The Best Man’

The Best Man centers on a group of close friends reuniting for the wedding of two members of their circle. Trouble brews when Harper’s (Taye Diggs) book, “Unfinished Business,” airs out his college friends’ secrets just as Lance (Morris Chestnut) is preparing to walk down the aisle with Mia (Monica Calhoun). Long story short, Harper’s manuscript causes tension within the group, a temporary break with Robyn (Sanaa Lathan) due to the secrets, and nearly costs him everything, but she actually helps him save the wedding. Lance and Harper reconcile, and the film ends with him proposing to Robyn. In the later film arcs, Robyn ends their marriage, and eventually Harper finds real love with Jordan (Nia Long).

11. ‘The Perfect Find’

Based on Tia Williams’ “The Perfect Find,” the story follows Jenna (Gabrielle Union) as a 40-year-old fashion editor who, after losing both her job and longtime boyfriend, accidentally hooks up with her new boss’ son, Eric (Keith Powers). Both are incredible actors, and if you’re into the age-gap rom-coms Netflix does so well, this one will be the perfect watch.

12. ‘Love & Basketball’

One of the greatest sports films — and probably because of how romantic it is — Love & Basketball follows two childhood friends who love basketball just as deeply as they love each other. Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps are perfect as Monica and Quincy, who grow up, drift apart as most people do, and eventually find their way back to each other.

13. ‘Rye Lane’

British rom-coms might be a love-or-hate thing, but if you’re searching for one with Black leads, Rye Lane is an excellent starting point. The movie stars David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah as two strangers who meet by chance after going through recent breakups. Plus, it earned Oparah a well-deserved BIFA Award for Breakthrough Performance, so that's another great reason to watch!

14. ‘Last Holiday’

As we’ve already seen, Queen Latifah knows her way around a romantic lead. Instead of being pursued by Common in Just Wright, she’s hilariously chased by another Hip Hop icon in Last Holiday: LL COOL J. It may technically take place during the holiday season, but since it hit theaters just a month before Valentine’s Day in 2006, we'd say the Wayne Wang-directed offering is as good a pick as any romance movie to revisit this time of year.

15. ‘Queen & Slim’

Queen & Slim were our Black Bonnie and Clyde of the late 2010s. Since not everyone is looking for a super lovey-dovey movie to watch on Valentine’s Day, the Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith-led film delivers a good amount of action instead. A young couple goes on the run after killing a police officer, and they don’t leave — though tragically — without taking viewers along for the ride.