BLACK WATCH: ‘Uptown Saturday Night' & ‘One Battle After Another'

A new year, a new Black Watch. It’s a fresh year, but there is still way too much content to consume, and we’re here to help you sort out the best of the best, with familiar faces and proper representation.

Our latest Black Watch includes a classic Black film that we’ll big up Sidney Poitier for (naturally) and just deal with the disgraced co-star’s problematic history in real life, not the character. We’re also showing support for Teyana Taylor off GP. That doesn’t mean you should neglect that Sinners was officially that deal, though.

Uptown Saturday Night – Tubi

Hip-Hop heads of a certain age will readily find names like Silky Slim, Madame Zenobia or Geechie Dan (yes, that’s Harry Belafonte) at least vaguely familiar. It’s because of the 1974 classic Uptown Saturday Night, starring Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. Their performance is electric, and extra special since it’s the former who was also in the director’s chair. Movies this much fun, with this much heart and with so much Black excellence is a rare breed. Get familiar with this classic that brought sophisticated class, and comedy, to the Blaxploitation era.

Stream Uptown Saturday Night on Hulu. — Alvin aqua Blanco

One Battle After Another – HBO Max

Despite the growing wave of negative thinkpieces on social media, One Battle After Another is still worth carving out two and a half hours to watch—especially if it was good enough to earn Teyana Taylor a Golden Globe. The Leonardo DiCaprio-led feature casts him as a washed-up, alcoholic revolutionary who embarks on a chaotic journey to find his daughter, played by impressive Hollywood newbie Chase Infiniti. But with Sean “Do You Like Black Girls?” Penn also hunting her, a bizarre Black comedy ensues with some help from Benicio del Toro and Regina Hall, rounding out the cast.

Stream One Battle After Another on HBO now. — Bruce Goodwin II