Black Women with Free Spirits: A Netflix Recommendation

Picture this. It's movie night. You've been waiting to sit back, relax and watch some new interesting movies, but as soon as you hear the music from the Netlfix app blare from your tv, your mind goes blank. "Where do I begin to look?'' you ask yourself. You try to remember any commercials or recent conversations on a new show but still can't figure out what to watch.

Suddenly, you have a flashback of your favorite TV shows, such as Proud Family, True Jackson VP, and ThatsSoRaven. Those shows had representation but also showed the mindset of a black female artist.

This is something I usually experience when I go on Netflix. I always loved nature, traveling, and being myself. I love the idea of expressing who I was and finding myself, but there weren't a lot of movies with that perspective.

That is until now.

I sat down and watched 3 movies with different perspectives of powerful, black characters who want to pursue not only their originality but be happier in their lives, doing what they love.

(And yes, I actually decided to sit down, watch 3 movies, and write about it. Talk about dedication, amirite?)

Without further ado, lemme introduce to you the first movie recommendation.

Juanita (2019)

Juanita. A film brought to life from Sheila Williams' book "Dancing On The Edge Of The Roof." This film is so heartwarming, full of laughs, and can tear you up within minutes. This movie is about a single mother who decides to travel to Butte, Montana, for a fresh start.

We all have that feeling when you're so fed up with the constant routine of your life and wanna get away from it all. This movie allows you not only to get to know Juanita but travel with her and escape.

This film shows a beautiful array of characters with different ethnic backgrounds, personalities but still portrays peace and love.

One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when they go to a powwow and serve people attending food. The reason why I love this scene is that you get a look inside Indigenous culture. The chanting, the energy, is a rush and is a scene I always look forward to. Not a lot of movies portray a cast as fluid as this. From LGBTQ representation to Indigenous representation, this movie steps outside the norms of typical road trip movies. We get to see the character grow and be confident in who she is.

Why I recommend this movie:

This is a very emotional film, and the way it ends makes you smile.

Now I'm not going to spoil this movie, but this movie is too good to regret watching. Something I feel like the audience can relate to Juanita also because of her moments when she daydreams. You can see at the beginning of the movie, she daydreams in almost every scene she's in, but after coming to Butte, she daydreams less and lives at the moment, something that I observed watching this movie. We see her make new friends, reconnect with her children, and even fall in love. Definitely recommend.

40-Year-Old Version (2020)

Have you ever dreamed of doing something you love and do whatever it takes to make that dream true? Well, imagine being a high school drama teacher with a sudden aspiration to be a rapper. That's what happens to Radha, our protagonist, which is inspired by Radha Blank. Blank directed and screenplays this movie, which is not only a true story but a story filled with inspiration to "Just Do It" like Nike.

As soon as the movie starts, it shows Radha's neighbors and friends, as she shares with them her ideas of her starting a rap career. This particular scene is very nostalgic to me, mainly because it reminds me very much of " She's Gotta Have It," a film written and produced by Spike Lee. The movie is black and white and shows particular scenes, like the one I explained, which shows his works' inspiration.

It also shows examples of gentrification, micro-aggressions, toxic masculinity, and depression, which made me relate more to the film, not only as a black woman but as a woman in this day and age. These dark tones in the film also allow us to see the character deal with losing a loved one.

A big reason this film is a new fave is that even though it's inspiring, it's a different outlook, this time, from a perspective of a black woman in her 40's having a "mid-life" crisis. I honestly don't even wanna call it a mid-life crisis. This bold idea of her starting a rap career is a growth process for the character, as we see her break out of her shell.

Why I recommend it:

This film shows that it doesn't matter how old you are, that you are never too old to fall in love, follow your dreams and find yourself. I absolutely loved this film. It also teaches to trust the process, even if it's scary, or unrealistic to some people.

She's Gotta Have It (1986)

This film is one of my favorites, simply because this is a character I can most relate to. Nola Darling is a young artist with an open relationship with 3 men, and the movie shows her lovers and an inside of her life. A black and white film with only a few scenes in color shows the characters' traits and personalities, bringing color to the screen without showing any form of color.

This film is also very ahead of its time for its uniqueness and shows an example of a woman who wants to be free-spirited and not be committed to a person.

The show digs deep into the character more but shows her in the present time, as a pansexual woman with an open relationship with 3 men and 1 woman. Opal, one of the characters from the film, the show, is openly expressive to Nola and clarifies to the audience that she's gay. In the 1980s, being apart of the LGBTQ communtity wasn't as well-known and accepted (and still isn't), but the relationship doesn't grow as much in the movie as it does in the show.

It presents that the character is strong-willed, confident, and in touch with her creative side. This movie is ahead of its time.

Why I recommend it:

This movie allows us to see the main character but through the eyes of her lovers or friends. And every experience with Nola is different, making this film more funny, relatable, and incredible.

These 3 movies, with 3 different female leads, hold the most spontaneous stories. It can be a great suggestion to black women who grew up watching black female leads being their best selves in their own way.