All Hail the Queen
As a child of the 90s, I’ve always been aware of who Queen Latifah is. Though she started her career off as a rapper, that wasn’t what I knew her as. In fact I was in my teens before I knew a song of hers besides the Living Single theme song. I knew Queen Latifah the actress.
When people talk about Queen Latifah’s acting career I feel like there’s a lot of emphases on her comedic roles but one of the exciting things about her filmography is how diverse it is. She’s done a lot of comedies, but she’s also done several dramatic roles (and done them well). She’s co-starred in musicals, one even garnering her an Oscar nomination, been in heist films and is now starring in a crime drama. If you can think it, I feel like I’ve seen her play the role at some point growing up.
I didn’t just grow up watching her act. I grew up watching her fall in love. My favorite era of Queen Latifah’s filmography is her romcom era. She’s fallen in love while believing she had a short time left on earth, fell in love with her client while working as a physical therapist and has even fallen in love while running from the police. God willing, one day we’ll be able to see her in a romcom were she falls for a woman.
Last year for Valentines Day, I made a Letterboxd list of romcoms and romance films that star two protagonist of color and highlighted ten that you could find streaming. I’ve continued to grow the list over the past year so here’s another set of ten of the films you can find streaming.
Tanna | Martin Butler, Bentley Dean
Raised in a culture were marriages are arranged, a young couple balks at tradition and decides to marry for love.
Where to watch: Tubi
Just Wright | Sanaa Hamri
A physical therapist dreams come true when she’s hired by an NBA star. Things become complicated when she begins to develop feelings for him.
Where to watch: Tubi, Prime
The Beauty Inside | Baik
Woo-jin has a secret. Everyday he wakes up in the body of someone else. He’s come to terms with his condition but things complicate for him when he begins to develop a crush.
Where to watch: Tubi
Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom | Patrik-Ian Polk
A couple’s relationship is put to the test when they travel with their friends to Martha’s Vineyard to get married.
Where to watch: Vimeo
Los Fuertes (The Strong Ones) | Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo
Lucas unexpectedly falls in love with a local boatswain while visiting his sister.
Where to watch: Tubi
The Daughter of Dawn | Norbert A. Myles
A silent film from 1920 that features a cast entirely made up of members of the Comanche and Kiowa tribes, it’s the story of a Kiowa woman and her lover.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel
Dakan (Destiny) | Mohamed Camara
The first West African film to deal with homosexulaity, the film follows the romance of Manga and Sory - two 20 soemthing year old men.
Where to watch: Kanopy
Signature Move | Jennifer Reeder
When Zaynab, a muslim Lesbian, falls in love with Alma, a Mexican woman, she begins to heal her relationship with her recently widowed mother.
Where to watch: Paramount+
Contracorriente (Undertow) | Javier Fuentes-León
When his male lover passes a way, a married father struggles with how to his lover’s memory without outing himself.
Where to watch: Tubi
Maldeamores (Lovesick) | Carlos Ruíz Ruíz, Mariem Pérez Riera
The ironies of love are told through three stories: one about a young boy, one about a hostage situation and one about an elderly couple in a love triangle.
Where to watch: Vimeo
Upcoming Releases 🎥
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - 2/17
Unlocked - 2/17 (Netflix)
Return to Seoul - 2/17
The First Step - 2/17
Lamaya’s Poem - 2/21
The Strays - 2/22 (Netflix)
Die Hart: The Movie - 2/24
Bruiser - 2/24 (Hulu), you can watch the short it’s based on here
God’s Time - 2/24