It’s officially holiday season, meaning it’s an appropriate time to have the tree up and start planning the winter festivities. A popular pastime during the most wonderful time of the year is watching Christmas movies in a cozy environment with treats. However, that does not require a complete Hallmark-dependency. To ensure that, here are 10 Black holiday movies for the season.
- The Preacher’s Wife (1996)
This 1996 film starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston is actually a remake of 1947’s The Bishop’s Wife. The storyline involves an angel named Dudley who’s trying to save a preacher’s marriage and church, but ends up falling for his wife.
- Friday After Next (2002)
Friday After Next is the third installment of the Friday franchise. In this Christmas themed movie, Craig (Ice Cube) and Day-Day (Mike Epps) are hunting down an evil Santa that’s stolen their gifts and rent money.
- The Perfect Holiday (2007)
While Home Alone is a cult classic, The Perfect Holiday has a similar type of nostalgia. This film, starring Gabrielle Union and Morris Chestnut, follows a single mom of three whose daughter wishes for her to find her dream husband. Meanwhile, her two sons do everything in their power to deter the man.
- This Christmas (2007)
This Christmas is easily one of the most notable Black Christmas movies. The cult classic starring Loretta Devine, Idris Elba, Lauren London, and more follows a family gathering of diverse personalities filled with drama and laughter. Often deemed a “heartfelt dramedy,” it’s also praised for its portrayal of a Black family.
- Marry Me for Christmas (2013)
In Marry Me for Christmas, a woman brings her co-worker home for the holidays to pretend to be her fiance. This decision comes from pressure from her loved ones to get married as well as comparison to her cousins who already are. The film is a lighthearted approach to shedding light on one of the societal pressures women face as they get older.
- The Best Man Holiday (2013)
This 2013 film is another Black holiday classic. The Best Man Holiday is a sequel to 1999’s The Best Man featuring the original cast with Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Terrence Howard, Nia Long, and more. The film follows a group of friends from college reuniting for Christmas, which can’t happen without some jokes or tearful moments.
- Almost Christmas (2016)
Almost Christmas is a 2016 film about a widower gathering his children for the first Christmas celebration without their matriarch. This film is full of ups and downs with loss, the strength of a family unit, and of course some comedy. The cast is composed of D.C. Young Fly, Mo’Nique, Danny Glover, Omar Epps and more.
- Merry Liddle Christmas (2019)
Kelly Rowland made her TV production debut with Merry Liddle Christmas in 2019. The film follows a woman’s holiday with her hectic family, who all prompt her to confide in her neighbor. She later falls in love with him and establishes enough of a foundation for three sequels.
- Jingle Jangle (2020)
Jingle Jangle is a bit more animated than the previous films on this list. It follows the story of a famous toy maker whose apprentice stole his famous invention. Later on, the toy maker’s granddaughter tries to right this past wrong.
- Our Christmas Journey (2021)
Last but not least, Our Christmas Journey wraps up this holiday list. This film stars Holly Robinson Pete as a mother who’s trying to let go as her autistic son attends an away program for people with cognitive challenges. Our Christmas Journey made Nik Sanchez the first autistic actor to play a lead autistic character.