African American Film Critics name Top 10 Films of 2021: ‘The Harder They Fall,’ ‘Passing,’ ‘West Side Story’ and more

The Harder They Fall headlined the African American Film Critics Association’s annual list of the top 10 films of the year.  The film, directed by Jeymes Samuel, and produced by rap mogul Jay-Z, stars Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Regina King, Zazie Beetz and LaKeith Stanfield portraying historical Black figures Rufus Buck, Nat Love, Trudy Smith, Stagecoach Mary and Cherokee Bill, respectively.

“Selections for this year’s Top 10 speak to history’s importance in informing who we are, as a people and as a community,” said AAFCA president and co-founder Gil Robertson.  “Although our top film ‘The Harder They Fall’ from Netflix is a fictionalized Western, it introduced the world to an incredible array of real-life Black cowboys and cowgirls who helped to transform the West, prompting many to discover the prominent role Black people played in that storied chapter of American history that has long been a Hollywood go-to genre.”

“With Richard Williams in King Richard and Aretha Franklin in Respect, you get an examination of two figures who have left an indelible mark on society and world culture. Mr. Williams, through the cultivation of the talent of his daughters, Venus and Serena, has forever transformed tennis. Their success has become a door-opener by which others can enter a sport that has historically been very closed to them,” Robertson continued. “Obviously not enough can be said about Ms. Aretha Franklin who shaped and transformed the world through her music. These films, along with the rest of AAFCA’s Top 10 films of 2021, celebrate culture, history and history-makers. AAFCA is thrilled to recognize their contributions to cinema.”

The full list of AAFCA’S Top 10 Films of 2021:

1. The Harder They Fall
2. King Richard
3. Respect
4. The Tragedy of Macbeth
5. Passing
6. Belfast
7. Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America
8. House of Gucci
9. The Power of the Dog
10. West Side Story

As previously announced, AAFCA will reveal winners of the 13th Annual AAFCA Awards honoring outstanding achievement in film in 15 competitive categories on Jan. 17, 2022. An in-person celebration in Los Angeles will follow on March 2. 

Established in 2003, AAFCA is the premiere body of Black film critics in the world, actively reviewing film and television, with a particular emphasis on entertainment that includes the Black experience and storytellers from the African Diaspora. The organization’s primary mission is to cultivate understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contributions of African descended talent to cinematic and television culture – from the artistic and technical legends of the past to the still unimagined breakthroughs of future generations.  AAFCA members are a geographically diverse cross-section of journalists, covering all genres of the cinematic arts, while representing multiple mediums – including print, TV, radio broadcast and digital. Collectively, they reach a worldwide audience in excess of 100 million. As a non-profit organization, AAFCA is committed to numerous educational and philanthropic efforts, particularly those that foster and celebrate diversity and inclusion. For more information on AAFCA and its programs visit http://AAFCA.com

Photo: David Lee/Netflix