7 Black-Led movies, shows and plays to watch and see this weekend

From Danielle Brooks’ new film to theater favorites, here are some Black-led projects to watch, experience, and support this weekend.

It’s Friday! And as we step into the weekend, leaving the stresses and worries of the week behind us (or at least trying to), one of the best ways to unwind and relax is by immersing yourself in a fictional world and becoming captivated by the highs and lows of someone else’s life for an hour (or hours). From movies to plays to shows, here are 7 Black-led projects you can support this weekend. 

“If I Go, Will They Miss Me?” 

Starring Danielle Brooks and J. Alphonse Nicholson, “If I Go, Will They Miss Me” is a father-son story about imagination, family, and the grace we extend to the people we love. Exploring myth, wonder, and unwavering belief, as Brooks describes, the film is one of those projects that “moves the culture and makes us better people.” 

Watch it in theaters now 

“Shifters” at Cherry Lane Theater, New York, NY

“Shifters” pulls audiences into the worlds of Dre and Des, a couple who reconnect after years apart. A powerful, electric love story about the impact of young love and memory, this play by Benedict Lombe stars Charity Bedu-Addo and Daniel Ezra, seamlessly blends culture and romance into its storytelling.

Catch it before its final show on September 20, click here to buy tickets and explore “rush ticket” options.  

“Purpose” at the Alliance Theater, Atlanta, GA

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Purpose” is currently being showcased at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, GA until September 20. Centering the Jasper family’s long-overdue reunion, the play asks what we owe our families, our communities, and ourselves through drama, humor, and more. 

Click here to buy tickets

“The Fruits of Our Labor” at Arena Stage, Washington D.C.

Described as “a powerful meditation on patriotism, identity, and what it means to carry hope for a nation still in the making,” Step Afrika’s “The Fruits of Our Labor” blends stepping, rhythm and visual imagery to tell a story of resilience and the “unfinished story of the Amerian experience.” 

Click here to buy tickets before it’s closing on November 1. 

“School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” at Manhattan Theater Club, New York, NY

Set at a Ghanaian boarding school in 1986, “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” follows Paulina, the queen bee of Aburi Girls Boarding School, as she competes for the crown of Miss Ghana. But when a new transfer student from America enters the pageant competition, the stakes become more personal. Blending humor, culture, and sharp social commentary, the play explores beauty, identity, colorism, and the complexities of girlhood.

“Midnight” at the Daryl Roth Theatre, New York, NY 

A new musical by Todrick Hall, “Midnight” is described as “an invitation to see humanity through someone else’s eyes.” Turning the question: “what if the life you inherited had belonged to someone else?” the musical explores empathy, identity, love, and redemption through a musical score that features gospel, pop, R&B, rock, folk, opera, and contemporary musical theater. 

Click here to buy tickets 

“Tank Stranger” at True Colors Theater, Atlanta, GA

Featuring “The Oval” star Kron Moore and Justen Ross, “Tank Stranger” will be showcased at True Colors Theater until October 4.  Blending Afrofuturism and  Black folklore, blurring the lines of ancestry, mythology, and destiny, the show centers the Stranger family as generations reconnect and uncover hidden truths. 

Click here to explore ticket options 

 And if you’re still ruminating on the 2026 Emmy Awards, consider diving into the shows of Black nominees if you haven’t already: “Paradise” starring Sterling K. Brown, “The Four Seasons” starring Colman Domingo, “Abbott Elementary” starring Quinta Brunson, Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and more, “Shrinking” starring Jessica Williams, “Euphoria” starring Zendaya, “The Pitt” starring Ernest Harden Jr. and “The Testaments” starring Chase Infiniti.