Besides the fact that we have high hopes for July looking a lot different than the past three months, we’re also in anticipation of all the fire flicks appearing on Netflix.
This month a few classic Black films, such as Ali, This Christmas and Shaft, along with the new Omar Epps and Nia Long thriller we’ve been waiting for all year—Fatal Affair—have been added to the rotation on the popular streaming platform.
Below, check out the must-sees dropping on Netflix in July.
WATCH: Catch Up On What You Missed at ESSENCE Festival 2020 – Virtual Edition
01
Double Platinum — July 1
Diana Ross and Brandy?! It’s safe to say that this film is iconic. This 1999 classic is about an up-and-coming vocalist (played by Diana Ross) who leaves her daughter (Brandy) behind in pursuit of her career. Twenty years later, the singing star looks to rekindle the relationship, and of course, it’s met with challenges.
02
Shaft — July 1
The original bad mutha—shut your mouth!—drops this month on Netflix. The original Shaft movie, which made its way to theaters in 1971, is a cult phenomenon and a Black classic. Richard Roundtree plays John Shaft, a street-smart private eye who knows how to take care of business—and the ladies! (Roundtree reprised the role in the recent remake with Samuel L. Jackson and Jesse T. Usher.) The film is arguably the blaxploitation movement’s defining film, and its immense popularity in 1971 led to a subgenre of Shaft spin-offs.
03
Ali — July 1
Who can forget Will Smith’s amazing performance in this biopic of Muhammad Ali? It was arguably the role that defined Smith’s career as a leading man. The film follows Ali’s story starting in 1964, right after Cassius Clay won his Olympic gold medal. The movie depicts his journey into Muhammad Ali and what a powerful symbol he was Black folks—which is especially powerful in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
04
This Christmas — July 1
Netflix is bringing us Christmas in July! Having their first family reunion in four years, the Whitfields are in for a holiday they won’t forget. When secrets come to life, they have to count on the magic of Christmas to make things right.
05
I Am Not Your Negro — July 3
As we all tap into our collective Black power, there’s no better time than now to dig into the mastery of James Baldwin. I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into Black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights Movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, it explores the continued peril America faces from institutionalized racism.
06
Fatal Affair — July 16
What do you get when you have Nia Long and Omar Epps in the same film? A much-anticipated summer thriller, of course. In this film, Nia Long’s character tries to mend her marriage with her husband, Marcus (Stephen Bishop), after a brief encounter with an old friend, David (Omar Epps), only to find that David is more dangerous and unstable than she’d realized. Sound familiar?
07
Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance
Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance (ESPN) wins outstanding documentary or non fiction series
08
The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion — 7/22
The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion takes a look at the journeys of fashion architect Misa Hylton and designer April Walker, among others, who grabbed a foothold in hip-hop fashion and never let go. The film focuses on the marks these talented women, Dapper Dan and Kerby Jean-Raymond have made in the fashion world, from iconic looks styled in influential music videos to their global cultural impact.
