16 Essential Black-and-White Movies of the 21st Century

16 Essential Black-and-White Movies of the 21st Century

Black-and-white movies might seem old-fashioned, but many amazing films still choose this classic style today. Directors use black-and-white photography to create special moods, focus on emotions, and tell stories in powerful ways. Modern black-and-white films prove that color isn’t always needed to make audiences laugh, cry, or feel amazed.

1. The Artist (2011)

Silent movies were huge in the 1920s, but nobody expected one to win Best Picture in 2011. This French film tells the story of a silent movie star who struggles when talking pictures take over Hollywood. The main character, George Valentin, watches his career disappear while a young actress named Peppy Miller becomes the new star.

Director Michel Hazanavicius created something magical by bringing back the silent movie style. The film uses almost no spoken words, relying on music, facial expressions, and body language to tell its story. Audiences discovered that movies don’t need constant talking to be entertaining.

The Artist won five Academy Awards and proved that old-fashioned filmmaking still works today. Jean Dujardin’s performance as the fading star is both funny and heartbreaking, showing how hard change can be for anyone.

2. Roma (2018)

Alfonso Cuarón’s masterpiece takes viewers to 1970s Mexico City, following Cleo, a domestic worker caring for a middle-class family. The story unfolds through Cleo’s eyes as she deals with personal struggles while the family she works for faces their own problems. Political unrest in Mexico creates a backdrop of tension and uncertainty.

Shot entirely in black-and-white, the film captures memories like old family photographs. Cuarón based the story on his own childhood, making every detail feel real and personal. The camera moves smoothly through houses and streets, creating beautiful scenes that feel like poetry.

Yalitza Aparicio gives an amazing performance as Cleo, showing strength and kindness even during difficult times. The movie won three Academy Awards and shows how ordinary people live extraordinary lives filled with love, loss, and hope.

3. Mank (2020)

Gary Oldman transforms into Herman Mankiewicz, the troubled writer who helped create “Citizen Kane,” one of the greatest movies ever made. Set in 1940s Hollywood, the story shows how Mank wrote the famous script while dealing with drinking problems and political arguments. The film reveals the real-life inspiration behind the fictional Charles Foster Kane.

Director David Fincher chose black-and-white photography to match the look of classic Hollywood films. Every scene feels like stepping back in time, with perfect costumes, sets, and lighting. The movie explores how writers and studios worked together during Hollywood’s golden age.

Oldman’s performance brings Mank to life as a witty but self-destructive genius who could write brilliant dialogue even while struggling with personal demons.

4. Belfast (2021)

Kenneth Branagh’s love letter to his childhood shows Belfast, Ireland, through the eyes of nine-year-old Buddy during the late 1960s. Religious conflicts tear apart the neighborhood where Buddy lives, forcing families to make impossible choices about staying or leaving. The boy watches his world change as violence spreads through streets that once felt safe.

Black-and-white photography makes the story feel like looking through old family albums filled with precious memories. Jude Hill plays Buddy with natural charm, showing how children see big problems through innocent eyes. The film balances serious topics with moments of joy, music, and family love.

Caitríona Balfe and Jamie Dornan play Buddy’s parents, showing how regular people face extraordinary challenges. The movie earned multiple Academy Award nominations and reminds viewers that home isn’t just a place but the people who make you feel loved and protected during difficult times.

5. Frances Ha (2012)

Greta Gerwig stars as Frances, a 27-year-old dancer living in New York City who can’t quite figure out her life. She’s not really poor, but she’s definitely not rich, and she’s not exactly happy but not completely sad either. Frances jumps between apartments, jobs, and relationships while trying to become the person she wants to be.

The black-and-white style makes Frances feel like a character from classic French films about young people finding themselves. Director Noah Baumbach captures the awkwardness of being almost thirty and still feeling lost. The movie shows how hard it is to be an adult when you still feel like a kid inside.

Gerwig’s performance is honest and funny, showing someone who makes mistakes but never gives up on her dreams. The film perfectly captures what it’s like to live in an expensive city while chasing goals that might never come true.

6. The Lighthouse (2019)

Two lighthouse keepers slowly go crazy while trapped on a remote island during a storm. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe give intense performances as men who start as coworkers but become enemies when isolation and alcohol mess with their minds. Strange things happen on the island that might be real or might be hallucinations.

Director Robert Eggers shot the film in a square format that makes viewers feel trapped alongside the characters. The black-and-white photography creates a nightmarish atmosphere where reality and madness blend together. Foghorns, crashing waves, and seagull cries create constant noise that drives the men toward insanity.

The movie uses old-fashioned dialogue that sounds like it came from the 1890s, making everything feel authentic and strange. Both actors deliver powerhouse performances that show how loneliness and fear can turn ordinary people into monsters. The film is weird, scary, and unforgettable.

7. Control (2007)

Sam Riley plays Ian Curtis, the lead singer of Joy Division, a band that helped create modern alternative rock music. Set in late 1970s England, the film shows how Curtis struggled with epilepsy, depression, and fame while creating some of the most influential songs in rock history. His personal life fell apart as his music career took off.

Director Anton Corbijn, who was a famous music photographer, brings the punk rock era to life with stunning black-and-white visuals. The film captures the gray, industrial atmosphere of northern England where Joy Division formed. Concert scenes pulse with energy, showing why the band’s music still matters today.

Riley’s performance shows Curtis as both a talented artist and a troubled young man who couldn’t handle success. The movie doesn’t glamorize rock star life but shows how mental illness and pressure can destroy even the most gifted people. It’s a sad but beautiful tribute to a musician gone too soon.

8. The Man Who Wasn’t There (2001)

Billy Bob Thornton plays Ed Crane, a quiet barber in 1940s California who gets involved in blackmail and murder. Ed rarely speaks but observes everything around him, including his wife’s affair and various schemes that promise easy money. The Coen Brothers create a film noir story filled with ordinary people doing extraordinary bad things.

Shot in color but converted to black-and-white, the film looks like classic detective movies from the 1940s. Every scene is carefully lit to create shadows and mystery, making even normal situations feel dangerous. The barbershop becomes a place where secrets are shared and plans are made.

Thornton’s performance is mostly silent, but his face shows everything Ed thinks and feels. The movie moves slowly, building tension through small details and quiet conversations. It proves that modern filmmakers can still create great film noir stories that feel both old-fashioned and completely original.

9. Sin City (2005)

Frank Miller’s graphic novels come to life in this violent, stylized crime story set in Basin City, a place where corrupt cops, dangerous women, and tough guys fight for survival. The film tells three connected stories about people trying to do right in a city where wrong usually wins. Each character faces impossible choices between revenge and justice.

Directors Robert Rodriguez and Miller created a unique visual style that looks exactly like comic book pages. Most scenes are black-and-white with splashes of bright color for blood, eyes, or clothing. The technique makes everything feel like a living graphic novel where reality follows comic book rules.

Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, and Clive Owen lead a cast of characters who speak in tough, noir-style dialogue. The movie is extremely violent but also visually beautiful, creating a world that’s both horrible and fascinating. It proved that comic book movies could be more than just superhero stories.

10. Malcolm & Marie (2021)

A filmmaker and his girlfriend spend one night arguing after returning from his movie premiere, revealing deep problems in their relationship. Malcolm feels proud of his success, but Marie feels ignored and unappreciated, leading to heated discussions about love, art, and respect. Their conversation moves from the kitchen to the bedroom to the bathroom as emotions explode.

John David Washington and Zendaya carry the entire film with just their performances and dialogue. Shot during the pandemic with a tiny crew, the movie proves that great filmmaking doesn’t need big budgets or special effects. The black-and-white photography makes their faces and emotions the focus of every scene.

The film shows how couples can love each other but still hurt each other through selfishness and misunderstanding. Both characters make good points and bad choices, making viewers think about their own relationships. It’s intense, uncomfortable, and completely honest about how complicated love can be.

11. Embrace of the Serpent (2015)

An Amazonian shaman helps two different explorers find a sacred plant during two time periods, forty years apart. The first explorer arrives in the early 1900s, and the second comes in the 1940s, but the shaman remains connected to both journeys. The film shows how contact with outsiders changed indigenous cultures in South America.

Colombian director Ciro Guerra shot the film in the Amazon rainforest, creating stunning black-and-white images of rivers, trees, and wildlife. The movie moves like the flowing river, taking time to show the beauty and mystery of the jungle. Indigenous actors speak in their native languages, making the story feel authentic and respectful.

The film explores themes of colonization, spirituality, and environmental destruction without preaching to audiences. It shows how indigenous wisdom about plants and nature was often ignored or stolen by outsiders. The movie is both a beautiful adventure and a sad reminder of what the world has lost.

12. The French Dispatch (2021)

Wes Anderson creates a love letter to journalism through stories from a fictional American magazine published in France. The film tells three main stories: an art exhibition in prison, student protests, and a kidnapping case. Each story shows different types of reporting, from art criticism to political coverage to food writing.

Anderson’s signature visual style shines in black-and-white, with perfectly symmetrical shots and detailed sets that look like dollhouses. The movie switches between color and black-and-white to separate different time periods and story types. Every frame is carefully composed like a photograph or magazine illustration.

The cast includes Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and Frances McDormand as writers and editors who take their work seriously. The film celebrates the craft of writing and the importance of good journalism in understanding the world. It’s both funny and touching, showing how stories connect people across cultures and time.

13. I, Olga Hepnarova (2016)

Based on a true story, this Czech film follows a young woman who feels rejected by society and plans a terrible revenge. Olga struggles with loneliness, mental illness, and anger toward a world that seems to ignore her pain. The movie shows her daily life leading up to a tragic event that shocked an entire country.

Michalina Olszańska gives a powerful performance as Olga, showing someone who feels completely alone even when surrounded by people. The black-and-white photography creates a cold, isolated atmosphere that matches Olga’s emotional state. The film moves slowly, building tension through small moments and quiet scenes.

The movie doesn’t excuse Olga’s actions but tries to understand how someone becomes so desperate and angry. It explores themes of mental health, social isolation, and how society treats people who are different. The film is disturbing but important, showing how ignored pain can lead to terrible consequences.

14. The Giver (2014)

In a future society where emotions and memories have been erased, a young man named Jonas discovers what humanity has lost. He receives memories from The Giver, an old man who holds all the experiences from before their colorless world existed. Jonas learns about love, pain, war, and joy for the first time in his life.

The film starts in black-and-white to show the emotionless society, then gradually adds color as Jonas gains memories and feelings. This visual technique helps viewers understand how the characters experience their world. Jeff Bridges plays The Giver as a wise but sad man carrying the weight of human history.

Based on Lois Lowry’s popular novel, the movie explores what makes life worth living. It asks whether safety is more important than freedom, and whether pain is the price of happiness. The film shows young people that questioning authority and thinking for yourself are important parts of growing up.

15. Rat Fever (2012)

This Brazilian film tells the strange story of Zizo, a young man who becomes famous after accidentally killing a rat during a pop concert. The incident turns him into an unlikely celebrity in a city obsessed with fame and social media. Zizo struggles to understand his sudden popularity while dealing with reporters, fans, and people who want to use him.

Director Claudio Assis creates a surreal black-and-white world where nothing makes complete sense, just like real life sometimes feels. The movie mixes comedy with serious social commentary about how media creates celebrities from ordinary events. The film feels like a fever dream where weird things happen for no clear reason.

The story shows how quickly someone can become famous in the modern world, and how that fame can be both exciting and dangerous. It explores Brazilian culture and social media obsession through bizarre situations that somehow feel familiar. The movie is weird, funny, and surprisingly deep about human nature and modern society.

16. The Painted Bird (2019)

A young boy wanders through Eastern Europe during World War II, encountering various people who show him both cruelty and kindness. Based on Jerzy Kosiński’s controversial novel, the film follows the child as he tries to survive in a world torn apart by war and hatred. Each person he meets teaches him something different about human nature.

Czech director Václav Marhoul creates beautiful but disturbing black-and-white images that show the contrast between natural beauty and human ugliness. The movie is nearly three hours long and doesn’t shy away from showing how terrible people can be to each other. The cinematography makes even horrible scenes look like classical paintings.

The film sparked controversy for its graphic content, but supporters argue it shows important truths about war and survival. Petr Kotlár plays the boy with remarkable maturity, carrying the entire film through his expressions and actions. It’s a difficult but powerful movie about how children adapt to impossible situations.