After Google, YouTube is the most popular website in the world. It’s a great platform for video media of all types, from short films to video essays to food videos and beyond. There are even full movies on YouTube, many of which you can watch for free (with ads). But YouTube can be a little bit… challenging, let’s say. There’s a lot of broken videos and not-so-great cinema on the platform. Anybody can upload to the platform, which means it’s the Wild West as far as content goes, making it very hard to find free Black movies on YouTube worth watching.

But that’s what we’re here for.

Our affiliation with a curated Black streaming service, it’s not too much of a flex to say that we’re pretty good at picking movies. Here’s a list of free Black movies on YouTube that are actually worth watching!

Carter High

• Directed by: Arthur Muhammad
• Released: 2015
• Link: Carter High

The 2015 Black sports movie “Carter High” is based on the true story of the 1988 David W. Carter High School football team and the controversies that surrounded their 5A championship title. The team is faced with racial prejudice, a grades scandal, and the involvement of six members in an armed robbery, and the way the chaos of their lives contrasts their excellence on the field is the background for many of the movie’s central conflicts. It’s one of the most dramatic free Black movies on Youtube and features excellent sports action, partially thanks to contributions from Dallas Cowboys former defensive end (and producer) Greg Ellis.

Don’t Be A Menace To South Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood

• Directed by: Paris Barclay
• Released: 1996
• Link: “Don’t Be A Menace…”

This 1996 comedy is a send-up of all of the “street drama” movies from the 90s. You know the ones: crime flicks like “Boyz N The Hood,” “Juice,” “Menace II Society,” and “South Central.” While these films are classics, sometimes you don’t want the drama or serious violence these stories entail. The movie takes a lot of jabs at stereotypes and pokes fun at certain elements of 90s Black culture. Starring two of the Wayans brothers and produced by a third, the movie has become a cult classic since its initial release and is one of the funniest free Black movies on YouTube.

The Fighting Temptations

• Directed by: Jonathan Lynn
• Released: 2002
• Link: The Fighting Temptations

Darrin Hill, an ambitious advertising executive portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr., faces the consequences of losing both his job and his girlfriend when his excessive lies about his background and education come to light. Following these setbacks, he decides to go back to his humble hometown in Georgia to claim an inheritance from his Aunt Sally (Ann Nesby). The condition for receiving the inheritance is that he must guide the church choir to success in a gospel competition. Collaborating with his childhood friend Lilly (Beyoncé Knowles), now a talented singer, Darrin has to get the choir into shape – which is easier said than done! As you can probably guess, Beyoncé’s voice steals the show.

Good Burger

• Directed by: Brian Robbins
• Released: 1997
• Link: “Good Burger”

Fans of the 90s sitcom “Kenan and Kel” will love this movie, which stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell as Dexter and Ed, two coworkers at a fast food restaurant called Good Burger. Based on an “All That” skit, the movie features many misadventures and leans on the wonderful comedic chemistry that made Kenan and Kel such good comedy partners. The movie doesn’t lean on racial stereotypes to make its jokes, as some 90s comedies were known to do; instead, it just lets its very talented cast be funny on their own.

A Raisin In The Sun

• Directed by: Daniel Petrie
• Released: 1961
• Link: “A Raisin In The Sun”

This classic of American cinema is one of the best free Black movies on YouTube and should be required viewing for anybody interested in Black cinema. This highly praised drama revolves around the Youngers, an African-American family residing together in a Chicago apartment. After the passing of their patriarch, they grapple with deciding how to use a substantial insurance payment that is on the horizon. The movie is a showcase of contrasting perspectives on what the American Dream looks like, especially for Black families.

Sparkle

• Directed by: Salim Akil
• Released: 2012
• Link: Sparkle 

“Sparkle” is a historic musical drama that takes place against the backdrop of Detroit’s Motown music scene. It takes place in 1968, a time when the US was captivated by the rise of girl groups and the Motown sound. Despite reservations from their mother, played by Whitney Houston, the gifted sisters Delores (Tika Sumpter), Sister (Carmen Ejogo), and Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) are a musical force to be reckoned with in Detroit. Their dreams extend beyond the city limits, and with the determination of their ambitious manager (Derek Luke), they strive to achieve greatness. The movie is a remake of Joel Schumacher’s 1976 movie “Sparkle,” and all around, the remake is better. It is a bittersweet film, though, as it features Whitney Houston’s last film performance before her untimely death. One of the movie’s breakout scenes is her solo in the church choir; there won’t be a dry eye in the house as she sings “His Eye is on the Sparrow.”

Why Did I Get Married?

• Directed by: Tyler Perry
• Released: 2007
• Link: “Why Did I Get Married?”

Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married?” is a movie about how hard it can be to have a strong relationship. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Perry, Sharon Leal, Malik Yoba, Janet Jackson, Michael Jai White, Tasha Smith, among many others, the film focuses on four couples as they take an annual reunion vacation and attempt to reconnect with each other. The discovery of infidelity within one couple turns everything upside down, and leaves the remaining friends to critically assess the resilience of their own marriages. The film is Perry’s second non-Madea movie, and paints a realistic picture of how challenging relationships can be.

Looking for More Black Movies?

For more of the best Black movies you can watch online, be sure to check out the BlackOakTV catalog. These free Black movies on YouTube are only the start of your journey into Black Hollywood, and BlackOakTV has a collection of free Black movies and TV shows for you to enjoy as well. And don’t forget to keep up with the Black Content Review blog for info on the best Black content out there.