Summary
Black and white moviesare still an underrated film aesthetic widely seen today, done to capture unique cinematography or for artistic reasons. While you have classics like Metropolis, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, and Rebecca, black and white films of the modern era still bestow you with exceptional cinema.
Whether it be the mid-’90s, 2000s, 2010s, or even the 2020s, filmmakers continue to channel old Hollywood by creating new black and white movie masterpieces. Below are some of the best examples, from romance to horror, biopics, and even Shakespeare and Godzilla.
Jamel Debbouze, Rie Rasmussen, Gilbert Melki, and Serge Riaboukine
2005
7
74 percent (Audience Score)
Where To Stream
VOD
Angel-A is a French black and white movie from Luc Besson, the director of action and sci-fi films like Léon: The Professional, Lucy, and The Fifth Element, but this is far from his traditional route. Besson’s underrated 2005 movie is a dramedy about a man owing debts to dangerous criminals attempting to take his life before encountering a tall woman who’s seemingly an angel.
The main protagonist, André, is played by French-Moroccan actor and comedian Jamel Debbouze, who is hilarious in his portrayal, and the enigmatic Angela is played by model and actress Rie Rasmussen. The movie isn’t subtle in its hints at Angel-A’s true angelic nature, and it’s a surreal romantic comedy tale with stylish camerawork and editing.
Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, and Mozhan Navabi
2014
6.9
96 percent
Amazon Prime Video with Kino Film subscription
In a world of modern American classicvampire filmslike Sinners, Nosferatu, and Doctor Sleep, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night sets itself apart as a black and white vampire movie from Iranian American filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour. It’s a unique indie film and also one of the best of its genre.
Set in a fictional Iranian city known as Bad City and with dialogue spoken entirely in Persian, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night can be described as a soundtrack-driven genre blend of romance, Western, and vampire horror. It’s about a female vampire who stalks the streets of Bad City, and eventually kills a drug dealer and pimp named Saeed, which has lots of consequences for the rest of the story.
Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell, and Bertie Carvel
2021
7.1
93 percent
Apple TV+
Like with all of Shakespeare’s works, there have been a lot of adaptations of Macbeth, modern and classic, but now there’s a black and white version from Apple TV+and A24by director Joel Coen (precisely of the sibling duo behind Fargo and No Country for Old Men). The eponymous future Thane of Cawdor is now played by Denzel Washington, and his wife, Lady Macbeth, is Frances McDormand.
The Tragedy of Macbeth’s exquisite set design, stunning Oscar-nominated black and white cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel (Darkest Hour, Disclaimer, and Amélie), and powerful Oscar-nominated performance by Washington give new meaning to a modern masterpiece of Shakespeare. It could become your favorite version of the guilt-ridden, lust for power tragedy.
Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller
Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, and Benicio Del Toro
8
76 percent
Paramount+
Sin City is an action neo-noir film co-directed by Frank Miller in collaboration with Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino, with the central character being Mickey Rourke’s Marv, and alsofollowing multiple storylines. It’s a black and white film purposely done to place you within the graphic novel pages of Frank Miller’s Sin City comics from Dark Horse.
Marv has a heartbreaking storyline involving his dead lover, Goldie, but then there’s also the story of Jessica Alba’s Nancy, who’s being hunted by a yellow, mutated serial killer named Roark Jr., whomBruce Willis’character, Detective John Hartigan,is also after. The mood, atmosphere, and characters of Basin City are unmatched, and the black and white with minimal color helps keep you immersed.
Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, and Michael Zegen
2012
7.4
92 percent
AMC+, Tubi
Frances Ha is a fun little movie about adults figuring it out, with one of the most relatable protagonists, played by none other than future Barbie, Little Women, and Lady Bird director Greta Gerwig. Gerwig’s Frances Ha is a young woman in New York with aspirations of being a dancer and with no place to stay after breaking up with her boyfriend, and her best friend, Sophie, also deciding to move to a more upscale neighborhood.
The struggling Frances continues to chase her dreams of dance while now living with two guy friends she met through Sophie, Lev and Benji, who form a bond with each other. The writing, editing, and performances make the film enjoyable, and it’s a fun nod to French New Wave cinema. Frances running and dancing through the New York streets to Bowie is iconic and a vibe in itself.
Maxim Gaudette, Karine Vanasse, Evelyne Brochu, and Sebastien Huberdeau
2009
7.2
88 percent
Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Plex
Before his sci-fi blockbusters like Blade Runner: 2049 and the Dune series,Denis Villeneuvedirected the most powerful and tragic film of his career, 2009’s Polytechnique. It depicts the real-life mass shooting that occurred on Jun 08, 2025, at Canada’s Polytechnique Montréal university, which claimed the lives of 14 innocent women, targeted by the actions of a misogynist.
Denis Villeneuve handled this harrowing and traumatic event masterfully with the writing and direction, giving you the points of view of the killer and the students to show the full scale of the tragedy, while filming everything in black and white and honoring all those who were senselessly killed. It is tough to watch, but Polytechnique has a strong and everlasting message against misogyny.
Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman, and Logan Hawkes
2019
90 percent
HBO Max
Robert Eggersis a master of atmospheric horror, but he achieved his ultimate best with The Lighthouse, which was shot in black and white and also uses a square aspect ratio of 1.19:1. The story is weird, artful, and thought-provoking, featuring the sole duo performances of Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, who were both equally intense and humorous as their characters.
The Lighthouse examines the mundanity of two lighthouse keepers, Ephraim Winslow and Thomas Wake, who will remain stuck on the island through a storm. The overall mood and isolation feel akin to The Shining, with Pattinson’s Winslow and Dafoe’s Wake slowly losing their sanity, and there’s lots of symbolism, as well as references to paintingsand Greek mythology.
Johnny Depp, Sarah Jessica Parker, Bill Murray, and Martin Landau
1994
7.8
WhileTim Burtonis well-known for Beetlejuice, Batman, and Dark Shadows, Ed Wood remains one of his most underrated films, which is also his second Johnny Depp collaboration after Edward Scissorhands, and arguably Depp’s best performance. Before Tommy Wiseau, there was Ed Wood, a Hollywood disaster artist legendwith B-horror productionsoften starring monster actor Bela Lugosi.
To put Ed Wood in the classic era of one of his films, Burton shot the biopic in black and white. Ed Wood chronicles the creative and personal life of the embattled filmmaker, whose vision for original monster movies often resulted in box office nightmares, but never stopped him from creating. The movie also explores Ed Wood’s love for drag.
Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Munetaka Aoki, and Hidetaka Yoshioka
2024
7.7
99 percent
Netflix
While Warner Bros. is continuing with its Godzilla monsterverse series, Japan also came out with a new original Godzilla entry in 2023 with a more emotional story, called Godzilla Minus One. It was then also re-released in black and white, so you could experience the Oscar-winning film like a classic Godzilla movie made by Ishirô Honda.
Godzilla Minus One sees the titular monster emerge after the Second World War due to nuclear explosions, rising from the water to unleash its usual destruction on Japan, with the military also after it. The main protagonist is a former fighter pilot named Koichi Shikishima, who becomes a minesweeper and must soon help end the giant creature. ButGodzilla is stronger than ever.
Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, and Caroline Goodall
1993
9
98 percent
The modern black and white masterpiece remainsSteven Spielberg’sSchindler’s List, one of the most impactful films about the Holocaust that also won Best Picture. Based on the book by Thomas Keneally, the film tells the story of German industrialist Oskar Schindler, who, despite his ties to the Nazi Party, helped save the lives of over a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust.
Liam Neeson, typically known for his action movie roles, is amazing here as Oskar Schindler, delivering a moving performance and one of his best in a dramatic role that earned him an Oscar nomination. Neeson also stars opposite Ralph Fiennes, who plays the ruthless Nazi Amon Goeth, and he too was nominated for an Oscar.
