With the sprawling three-hour epic Malcolm X turning 30 this year, it’s time for cinephiles to look back on the work of one of America’s boldest directors: Spike Lee.
Loud, proud, and highly affronting, the work of Spike Lee is unabashedly his, tackling the issues he cares about in a head-on and direct fashion. His movies often discuss themes of racism and race relations, with particular focus placed on the black struggle, and he makes his points clear with a capital ‘C’. With a whole slew of movies under his belt, it’s a good time to reflect on his legacy, and these ten movies are his best, according to Letterboxd.
He Got Game (1998) – 3.6/5
A basketball movie for the ages, He Got Game is led by Spike Lee regular Denzel Washington. The plot follows a father, played by Washington, who struggles to convince his son to get into college, in order for him to get a shorter prison sentence.
Dealing with a myriad of complex social and political issues, this is typical Spike Lee fare. Not to downgrade the picture. Spike Lee is a masterful director, demonstrating his skill with actors and his undeniable style. He Got Game may be one of his lesser-discussed works, but fans of Lee should be sure to check it out.
Mo’ Better Blues (1990) – 3.6/5
A picture that highlights Spike’s love of music, particularly historically-Black music, Mo’ Better Blues follows the life of Bleek Gillian, a promising but arrogant trumpeter. Driven by his obsession with music and crippled by indecision, Bleek finds his world crumbling around him…
Mo’ Better Blues is a beautiful movie, not just visually, but also in terms of character. While Lee’s directorial thumbprint is certainly easy to spot, his knack for writing memorable characters must be acknowledged. The movie is a fast-paced and very funny character study, and it stands up there with any movies about musicians.
Get On The Bus (1996) – 3.6/5
A drama in which the majority of the conflict takes place in its titular location, Get On The Bus tracks the evolution of a group of men, all from diverse backgrounds, who board a bus to attend the Million-Man March.
A stark and deliberately provocative drama, Spike Lee’s intention with Get On The Bus is brazenly clear: make the viewer confront their biases, and think for themselves. What could be a shallow movie about racism becomes much more, thanks to Spike’s careful consideration of each side’s viewpoints, showing him to be both thoughtful and fair.
Inside Man (2006) – 3.6/5
While seemingly out-of-place in Lee’s filmography, Inside Man does not lack a directorial vision. The plot follows a detective faced with charges of corruption, who enters negotiations with a masked gang who have taken over a Manhattan bank.
Sure, Inside Man is a studio picture, but that doesn’t make it any less worthwhile. On the contrary. It’s a ridiculously entertaining thriller, boasting an all-star cast and enough moments to get the pulse pounding. A genre picture of the finest order, Inside Man is a perfect watch for family movie night.
Bamboozled (2000) – 3.7/5
A satire that boasts an ingenious (yet totally ridiculous) premise, Bamboozled follows a TV producer who feels dejected after his sitcom pitch gets rejected. With the hopes of being fired, he pitches a 21st century minstrel show, only for the show to succeed.
A searingly-effective critique of racism and the normality of certain attitudes in the American mindset, Bamboozled is, at once, both entertaining and disquieting, hilarious and deeply uncomfortable. It’s a film only Spike Lee could’ve made, which is the greatest compliment a director could be bestowed.
25th Hour (2002) – 3.8/5
A drama that opens in New York in the days following 9/11, 25th Hour follows Monty Brogan, a convicted drug dealer about to begin a 7-year sentence. With his last day of freedom, he decides to spend time with those closest to him, preparing them for his absence.
Starring Edward Norton in one of his best movies, 25th Hour is a high-class drama, with terrific performances and a careful, precise direction from Lee. It’s a painful story of regret and the hope for redemption, and the characters are all deeply believable. For fans of more low-key dramas, or those unacquainted with Spike’s work, this is a great place to start.
Crooklyn (1994) – 3.8/5
With a fantastically-snappy title like Crooklyn, how could it not be great?! The movie, which is semi-autobiographical in nature, follows a family living in 1970s Brooklyn: a school-teacher, her stubborn husband, who is a jazz musician, and their five kids.
Bursting with life from the off, Crooklyn is a vibrant coming-of-age tale, one that’s right up there with the best of them (2014’s Boyhood, 1993’s Dazed And Confused, etc.). It’s an authentic look back at life in the ’70s, with Spike clearly taking many moments from his own life and inserting them into the movie.
BlacKkKlansman (2018) – 3.9/5
Starring John David Washington and Scorsese’s “finest actor of his generation,” Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman tracks a real-life operation to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan. Spearheading this operation, an African-American officer and his Jewish colleague.
BlacKkKlansman is one of Spike’s most pointed and most confrontational works. It’s also, according to Letterboxd, one of his best. The movie has a pitch-perfect blend of drama and comedy, and the script is full of clever little moments. While the ending may leave audiences uncomfortable, maybe even angry, this only goes to show the effectiveness of the picture.
Malcolm X (1992) – 4.1/5
A biopic of epic proportions, Malcolm X could be seen as Spike Lee’s magnum-opus. The movie tracks its titular character, portrayed by Denzel Washington, as he struggled for black liberation; the movie also follows his rise as a leader of the Nation Of Islam.
While no doubt a controversial figure, and his ideology leaves many with a lot of questions, there is little denying the impressiveness of this biopic. Spike Lee directs with a mastery of his craft, shaping the life of this vital historical figure into as accessible a picture as he can. For a 3-hour movie, not one second feels wasted.
Do The Right Thing (1989) – 4.3/5
Arguably his most well-known movie, his sophomore feature, Do The Right Thing, is what made him a name worth remembering. The plot follows a Brooklyn pizzeria owner, Salvatore Fragione, whose pizzeria wall becomes a symbol of racism in a black neighborhood.
Widely acclaimed upon release, Do The Right Thing is rightly hailed as a masterpiece of not just so-called “Black cinema,” but of cinema as a whole. It showcases all of Spike Lee’s strengths: unforgettable characters, mastery of visual storytelling, and a total lack of shame for who he is. Movie lovers: this is a must-watch!
