On the heels of highly anticipated Candyman remake, starring Watchmen Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and produced by modern-day Black horrormeister JordanPeele, we’ve rounded up 21 of the best Black horror movies, ranging from creepy creature features to horrifying (and at times hilarious) societal satires.
21 Best Black Horror Movies
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The classic, black-and-white Night of the Living Dead, released in 1968, shows legendary horror director George Romeroat his best, setting the tone for almost every zombie film to come afterward. The movie also made history as the first horror movie with an African-American lead in Duane Jonesas the smart, composed and heroic Ben.
Candyman (1992)
The 1992 Candymanis based on a short story called “The Forbidden” by horror writer Clive Barker, famous for creating Pinhead and the Hellraiser franchise. The film centers around the urban legend of the Candyman character, the Black son of a slave who was murdered for being romantically involved with a rich white woman, and tackles themes of poverty, racism, and discrimination in addition to being, essentially, a classic bogeyman story wrapped in a psychological thriller.
Blade
Wesley Snipeskills it as the title character in Blade, a half-human half-vampire called “The Daywalker.” The fights and action are top-notch in his battles against bloodsuckers—especially in the scene below, which closes with a quote that will crack you up (but fair warning, has some NSFW language).
Blacula
In 1780, a Nigerian prince appeals to Dracula to stop the slave trade. But Dracula, historically not that nice of a guy, instead bites the prince, transforming into a vampire with the name Blacula, and imprisons him beneath his castle—until Blacula’s escape in 1972, the year the movie takes place. Blacula star William Marshall worked with the production team to ensure that the title character was imbued with dignity and humanity rather than being reduced to a cartoonish villain. The film, which boasts a funk soundtrack and score, sparked several more Black horror films, including sequel Scream Blacula Scream.
Ma
Octavia Spenceris such a lovable presence that it’s hard to picture her as a villain, but she really sells it in Ma as a lonely middle-aged woman who parties with teens and buys them booze before things take a sinister turn. It was a deliberate play against type, the actress once explained to Variety: “These types of roles haven’t really been available to women of color. And I think it’s about time that change,” she said. “Any young actress, should she want to star in a romantic comedy, that should be available to her, if she wants to star in a horror film, that should be available to her. So, it’s exciting to play something outside of the three archetypes that people like to see me in.”
Sugar Hill (1974)
From the same studio behind Blacula, Sugar Hill tells the story of a Diana “Sugar” Hill, a Black female photographer in Houston (MarkiBey) who turns to a voodoo queen (ZaraCully) for help seeking revenge after her boyfriend, Langston, (Larry D.Johnson) is murdered by mobsters. Together, the two women raise an army of the dead to go after those responsible for Langston’s death.
Tales From the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight
A young Jada Pinkett Smith stars in Tales From the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight, and frankly, she hasn’t aged at all since. Billy Zaneis a devilishly charming villain called The Collector, who’s on the hunt for an artifact that could save humanity from evil.
Tales From the Hood
Tales From the Hoodis an urban horror anthology, featuring tales with themes of racism, drugs, domestic violence and gang violence, as well as the impacts of each on the Black community. It spawned two sequels, Tales From the Hood 2 and Tales From the Hood 3, the latter of which was released in October 2020.
Bones
Snoop Doggstars in 2001’s Bonesas Jimmy Bones, an illegal-gambling kingpin who rises from the dead to avenge himself after he’s murdered by a crooked cop. The horror-comedy, helmed by Juice and Surviving the Game director ErnestDickerson, received mixed reviews at the time of its release but has grown to be a cult favorite, thanks in large part to Snoop’s strong performance.
Ganja & Hess
Ganja & Hess stars Night of the Living Dead lead Duane Jones as anthropologist Dr. Hess Green, who studies an ancient blood-drinking African civilization called Myrthians. After his troubled assistant George stabs him with a Myrthian dagger, Green is transformed into a vampire. He seduces George’s wife, Ganja, and turns her into a vampire as well, and they embark on a blood-sucking life together. Ganja & Hess uses vampirism as a metaphor for addiction, making it a particularly poignant and heartbreaking tale of terror. Spike Leeremade the film with 2014’s Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, with certain scenes replicated shot for shot.
Bad Hair
Satirical horror comedy Bad Hair features a particularly star-studded cast, including Kelly Rowland, Lena Waithe, Jay Pharaoh, Laverne Cox, Usher, Vanessa Williams, Blair Underwoodand more. The film is a dark look at the pressures Black women face to conform to white beauty standards and the bloody, frightening toll it can take on their psyches and the community at large.
The People Under the Stairs
Wes Craven’s forgotten 1991 classic The People Under the Stairs satirizes gentrification and capitalism and acts as a microcosmic look at class warfare. The plot was loosely based on a true story, and Craven said that villains Mommy and Daddy (who you may recognize as Everett McGill and Wendy Robiefrom Twin Peaks) were intended to represent American society as a whole.
J.D.’s Revenge
Hustler J.D. Walker is killed after being wrongfully accused of murdering his sister in the 1976 film J.D.’s Revenge. His spirit goes on to possess a young college student named Isaac (Glynn Turman, recently seen in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), who drives a cab to pay his expenses. Isaac’s own identity is soon completely consumed by Walker — with deadly results. Louis Gossett Jr. co-stars.
Overlord
Nazis, zombies and gore abound in Overlord, which stars Jovan Adepo as a World War II hero who discovers some seriously sinister experiments ahead of D-Day.
Eve’s Bayou
Jurnee Smollettwas a little girl who made a big impression as the star of Eve’s Bayou alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Meagan Good. Southern mysticism, psychic powers and supernatural elements combine for a thrilling, eerier drama that was chosen for the National Film Registry.
Get Out
Jordan Peele’s first horror effort, Get Out, made massive waves when it premiered in 2017. The film tackles the “soft” racism of white liberal ignorance, as well as the lack of resources and attention given to missing Black persons and the trope of the “white savior.” Peele took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film in 2018.
Us
Lupita Nyong’ocarries Peele’s sophomore horror effort, Us, inspired by the classic Twilight Zoneepisode “Mirror Images,” which focuses on evil doppelgangers. The film tackles themes of classism, materialism and American privilege.
Def By Temptation
A fantastic soundtrack, a healthy dose of self-aware humor, Samuel L. Jackson and a succubus combine to make Def By Temptationa must-see.
Attack the Block
John Boyegaand Jodie Whittakerare among the stars of 2011’s Attack the Block, which features South London teens battling aliens that are trying to take over the planet. The comedy-horror delivers lots of laughs and scares with a diverse cast and distinctly British humor and vibe.
Beloved
Belovedis based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Toni Morrisonnovel of the same name. The psychological horror stars Danny Glover, Oprah Winfreyand Thandiwe Newton as a family haunted by the specters of slavery and sexual violence, as well as an actual poltergeist.
The Girl With All The Gifts
The Girl With All the Gifts takes place in a dystopian future in which a virus has turned most of humanity into mindless zombies called “hungries” whose only goals are to eat flesh. Some children, however, retained their ability to learn, think and believe, despite their cravings for human flesh. The film’s tension lasts throughout and introduces some unexpected, new elements to the oft-overrun zombie genre. Next, check out the 37 best horror movies on HBO Max right now!
