The WODC's 14 Days of Black Love

February may be one part month of love, but it’s all parts Black history month. So how do the Write or Die Chicks stay woke and festive at the same time? By combining them in the first installment of the WODC’s 14 Days of Black Love.

We curated a list of films to make you laugh, cry and feel the love, then, we rated them. Read on to hear Mercedes K. Milner’s thoughts on each screening.

Day 1: Sylvie’s Love (2020)

This was a charming love story that really felt true to its depicted time period, secret babies in all. We follow Sylvie (Tessa Thompson) and Robert (Nnamdi Asomugha) over the course of their lives as they come back together time and again in their separate pursuits for professional success. One problematic concept this movie leans on is picking up where one leaves off in a relationship. It made it hard to believe the connection was genuine, and not just a convenient booty call. There was also an unsurprising, yet quite disturbing, lack of communication that led to the recurring dismantling of the relationship. For example, failing to mention a pregnancy and lying about not wanting to be a family man. 

It was refreshing to see depictions of the black elite in the 1950s. However, because of the time period, I did find myself bracing for some type of racially charged showdown where someone’s life was seriously threatened, but the film only featured reserved bigotry. (You know, the kind that’s so subtle, black people are presumed not to even notice.)

7 out of 10

Day Two: Waiting to Exhale (1995)

This movie had major mom vibes, and I am here for it. I tend to find ensemble films busy, but this one felt balanced because their individual quests for love were so different and specific to their characters. Savannah (Whitney Houston) is a successful career woman looking for her missing piece, Bernadine (Angela Bassett) is a strong-willed woman struggling through an ugly divorce, Gloria (Loretta Devine) is a single mother trying to navigate the dating world as she prepares for her son to leave the nest, and Robin (Lela Rochon) is looking for her all expenses paid ticket to Stability, USA. 

I think something that works against this movie is the rampant infidelity. It happens so often that it almost feels like they’re trying to make it sexy. It’s not. And it’s not very romantic either. Props to Gloria for being a real one the entire time. She’s an easy favorite and I love her quest the most. 

6 out of 10

Day Three: What Men Want (2019)

This film may have gotten hype for being a loose adaptation of What Women Want (2000), but I went in expecting to be entertained solely because it was a Taraji P. Henson vehicle. She delivered in a way I couldn’t have expected! She plays Ali Davis, a headstrong sports agent who feels like she is constantly kept from reaching her true potential because of the boys club atmosphere at her job. That is, until she gets the ability to hear men’s thoughts. In classic Taraji fashion, her freak-out moments were the best parts of the film. My favorite? A cringe-worthy sex scene that actually looked more painful than anything else. 

Bonus points for not making every thought from a man’s mind be linked to sex. That makes this otherwise completely fantastical story grounded somewhat in reality. 

7 out of 10

Day 4: Premature (2019)

This was definitely a story far removed from my own experience at seventeen, but I did respect how raw this film was. We follow the summer romance of Ayanna (Zora Howard) and Isaiah (Joshua Boone), a pair of old souls trying to stoke the flames of a romance well beyond their years. It crashes and burns in a big way, and ultimately left me feeling unsure if I was relieved or sad for them. 

Something that made me feel particularly uncomfortable while watching was the borderline pornographic sex scenes. Not only did they feel excessive, but my stomach did turn as I remembered the age of the protagonist in those moments. Brace for impact, people.  

5 out of 10

Day 5: Malcolm & Marie (2021)

I adored this film, but I have one word to describe the relationship between Marie (Zendaya) and Malcolm (John David Washington): turbulent. The story takes place over the course of one long night and follows an argument that begins when the characters return home after the premiere screening of Malcolm’s breakout film. The back and forth between the characters span the entirety of the emotional wheel, from sardonic to empathetic. In the same way that the characters are probably a horrible match, they also seem made for one another. 

One question this film asks, in solidarity with every other black artist forced to ask the same thing, is why all black art is considered inherently political. Prior to 2020, it was something I myself hadn’t thought about and it hit me like a ton of bricks in the form of a rant by Malcolm that is upwards of ten minutes long. Well worth the watch if only for that. 

10 out of 10

Day 6: The Photograph (2020)

This movie gave me butterflies. It carries that vibe of a new crush so well, and Mae Morton (Issa Rae) and Michael Block (LaKeith Stanfield) are so charming to watch. Their story is intertwined with a recounting of the great romance of Mae’s mom in her youth. Neither love story goes the way anyone could hope or expect, but I think that speaks to how genuine this film is. 

The best aspect of this film, hands down, is the music. Both the soundtrack and original score are spectacles in themselves and I have since added every single song to my Spotify. Let your ears be romanced as much as your eyes and watch this film. 

9 out of 10

Day 7: Love Jones (1997)

This was definitely a film that was of its time. We follow the love story of Nina Mosley (Nia Long) and Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate), two aspiring artists who connect over spoken word poetry and struggle to maintain their relationship because of trust issues on both ends. There are a number of elements to the romance that I don’t think would necessarily fly in today’s day and age. Namely, Darius getting Nina’s address without consent and acting surprised that she wasn’t happy to see him on her doorstep. That’s not romantic. It’s never going to be romantic. I will call the police. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t also note the asinine amount of times Nina stood out in the Chicago rain without once worrying about that hair. Is wasting time and money something she can truly afford to do as somebody's assistant? All for the sake of trying to look carefree in front of a stalker in the rain? Girl, that hurt me deep. 

4 out of 10

Day 8: Guava Island (2019)

This film stood apart from all the others because the main love depicted in the film wasn’t romantic. It was more about the love of heritage and where one comes from. I liked that. The story follows Deni Maroon (Donald Glover) as he tries to reestablish the love and pride of Guava Island with a festival that is actively opposed by the island’s employer (or slave driver, if we’re being honest). 

My main criticism is the entirely underwhelming use of Rhianna’s talent as a co-star of the film. She honestly felt like a beautiful prop, which is unfortunate because I think there was definitely room for collaboration on at least some of the songs. Instead, we got what at times felt like a prolonged, mash-up music video for a slew of Childish Gambino songs. 

8 out of 10

Day 9: Small Axe - Lovers Rock (2020)

This was another unconventional love story, focused more on the love of music than the actual connection of the characters. We follow Martha (Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn) and Franklyn (Michael Ward) over the course of one night at a party. I had never even heard of the lovers rock genre of music prior to this film, but it almost became another character in the romance. The visuals really emphasized touch and song as a form of deep connection for everyone at the party. 

The only thing that got to me was the amount of time spent on scenes that were just covering the dance sequences. There’s a lot to be said through nuance, but often it felt like the nuance got lost in the persistent bumping and grinding on the dancefloor. 

8 out of 10

Day 10: Jumping the Broom (2011)

I think this film thought it was being more groundbreaking than it actually was. We follow a bride and groom over the course of their turbulent wedding weekend with family drama stemming from class divides. I didn’t feel much of a connection between the lovers, Sabrina Watson (Paula Patton) and Jason Taylor (Laz Alonso), but that could be because they hardly seemed to actually know each other. There were far too many conflicts for the sake of convenience, namely the secret baby swap plot. Also, can we take a moment to scoff at the caricature of the bumbling white woman? Her character felt like it was meant to be there for comic relief, but I found her completely unnecessary and extremely annoying.

I wish this movie had focused more on the jumping the broom aspect. Despite it being the name of the movie, it kind of felt like a footnote. Which is a shame, because all of the other plot points just felt like they got in the way of what could have been a decent story. 

3 out of 10

Day 11: If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

This movie has so much power behind it, it’s jarring. We follow Tish Rivers (Kiki Layne) through her pregnancy as she struggles to clear the name of her partner Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James) after he is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. There is a beautiful pairing of love and sorrow in this film, we are taken back in time to see the romance blossom and develop only to be transported back to the ugly present day where the two characters are forced to be separated. 

WARNING: You may bawl like a baby. But, after that, you may also want to protest the disparities of the black male in America. Just saying. 

10 out of 10

Day 12: The Incredible Jessica James (2017)

This movie honestly charmed the pants off of me. We follow aspiring playwright and self-proclaimed cocoa queen, Jessica James (Jessica Williams), as she navigates a weird rebound relationship while trying to get over the loss of the possible love of her life (jury is still out on that one). This character has swiftly become #GOALS for me. She is extremely honest and unapologetic in all aspects of her life and that’s not something we always get to see with black female characters. 

Quick shoutout to LaKeith Stanfield for being a welcome surprise as the earnest ex-boyfriend, even during those savage dream sequences where he was made to seem like an asshole. 

LaKeith, you can walk your cute, tiny dog in my neighborhood anytime. 

10 out of 10

Day 13 - GALENTINE’S DAY: Seriously Single (2020)

This movie made younger me feel called out. Dineo (Fulu Mugovhani) turns to her best friend Noni (Tumi Morake) when she’s thwarted in love for the thousandth time and wants to be single. Or at least, she wants to try. But her fear of being alone ultimately shifts her plans and puts her in a relationship she can’t trust. Fear of being alone isn’t a new concept, but this film was a snapshot of the ugly side of desperation through the lens of social media. There’s a lot to cringe about but in a good way. 

One thing to note, this film is South African and there are a few cultural concepts that surprised me. Namely, the idea that a man would never want to marry a woman who had her own place because she wouldn’t seem dependent enough to be a wife? It was troubling, but it was also coming from Dineo’s mother so there’s not too much stake to be put into it. Still jarring, though. 

8 out of 10

Day 14 - VALENTINE’S DAY: Queen & Slim (2019)

I think there are a lot of people that will look at this film and think it’s Bonnie & Clyde, but Black. And I think they’re right, but to a far greater level than they realize. Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Slim (Daniel Kaluuya) are forced into being outlaws when their first date takes a turn for the worst after a traffic stop altercation leads to the death of a police officer. If Bonnie & Clyde were black, I think this would be their narrative. They would be faced with the same adversities as Black people and the community support would come from a place of empathy, instead of celebrity. 

I think this film was a fantastic display of a few things: the ongoing dispute surrounding injustice by the police, the repercussions of a national movement that strays too far from initial intention, and the emotional fragility and rawness of love. Watch it and cry, cry, cry. 

10 out of 10