What happened to Black films like Soul Food?

[I love Latina women]

I hadn't watched the whole movie since the 90's when it first came out
I watched it last night on Roku
Movie is truly one of the best movies of all time
Top 5 Black film in my opinion


What happened to Black films like this?
Is it the times we're in and are the times just not like this anymore?
Or is just a lack of interest in films like this? The lack of interest to authenticity?

I don't know, but a lot of films these days seem and feel so inauthentic and lack the connection to the actual Black experience these days.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

Top 5 black film? Nah

but the explosion and depth of black media and entertainment from 85-05 will never be seen again.

One issue is multiculturalism, people rather focus on token representation on mass market shows/movies as opposed to making movies for black audiences.

studios aren’t interested in bankrolling standalone stories, it’s all about franchises and superheroes. Niche/target demographic films basically just get a direct to streaming budget (and got directly to streaming) which usually brings down production value and the quality of the creative team, or you get “teaching” black films for woke white people (blindspotting, sorry to bother you, dope, dear white people, last black man in San Francisco, moonlight).


Lastly, we used to have a circuit of black actors who were happy making black movies, working together and being black stars, but like I said, seems people rather get the token role on mass market projects than be a star for just the black community.

there’s a bit more to it, but overall the power brokers don’t seem invested in creating real black stories, black actors don’t seem to have as much desire to serve black audiences, and the way we consume media and shift in black culture (reality tv, toxic black social media, Shea butter/woke black social media) all seem to have killed the market for black stories targeted to black audiences

 

[duncanthetall]

Them movies go straight to Netflix these days

 

[Lord_nikon]

most black films are replaced with interracial,c00ns and ABC gang black movies

 

[pete clemenza]

For better or for worse things have evolved from that sort of genre. Soul Food, The Cookout, The Family Reunion, Dinner at Grandma's House type flicks a far a few in between these days. Its swirl city, gay shyt, social injustice cop killer sh*t, and hood shyt.

 

[Big Blue]

Think Like A Man was dope

 

[WaveGang]

The studios don't have the illusion of inclusion agenda no more, they don't need us. They can now sell black products to non Blacks with less thought/art/cheaper budget.

Same reason all the black shows got cancelled.

And rap has turned into the low product but maximum profit machine it is.

 

[avon barksdale]

 

[Wild self]

Because the authentic black films are now considered "discriminatory" and black actors nowadays caught the bug and rather be the token black in big budget films.

The crack era black films were an exception. Lightning in a bottle, once-in-a-lifetime thing. Studios now think those films dont deserve the silver screen treatment anymore.

 

[Neo. The Only. The One.]

They got replaced by Tyler Perry


This Christmas may have been the last true great movie of that era


One of my top 5 movies, no cooking, madea was actually a black woman, good music, dancing, no over the top family drama, was actually believable and a black family could identify with it.

I love that movie. I almost want a part 2 but I know it would be terrible so nvm

 

[The_Sheff]

Why spend money on a decent script, actors, locations, soundtrack,marketing, etc....when you can just pay Tyler Perry to crank out some shyt on the low and people will still pay to see it?

 

[Bryan Danielson]

I hadn't watched the whole movie since the 90's when it first came out
I watched it last night on Roku
Movie is truly one of the best movies of all time
Top 5 Black film in my opinion


What happened to Black films like this?
Is it the times we're in and are the times just not like this anymore?
Or is just a lack of interest in films like this? The lack of interest to authenticity?

I don't know, but a lot of films these days seem and feel so inauthentic and lack the connection to the actual Black experience these days.

The Coli killed them….

With their “Crab in a barrel” mentality and lack of support.

Too many clowns don’t wanna see shyt at face value and just wanna be over critical trolls and haters.

 

[feelosofer]

If Soul Food came out in 2020, the coli critics would have torn it apart.

With that said these movies are still being made, but they are on streamers like Netflix and low key Amazon has a really good section of Black films made recently.

 

[Zero]

If Soul Food came out in 2020, the coli critics would have torn it apart.

With that said these movies are still being made, but they are on streamers like Netflix and low key Amazon has a really good section of Black films made recently.

Like Boondocks didn't do that shyt in 2005

 

[1LurkerChick9]

I think they’re out there,but these smaller films don’t have the marketing power to be known . Money matters.

The world has changed so much culturally since then. Back in the day you’d see this movie on BET. Now the network is pretty much a laughing stock but it made black entertainment pretty accessible back in the day. Who has taken BET’s place?Now everyone uses Netflix.

I don’t think there’s a simple answer.