2 Best Movies to Watch by Quvenzhané Wallis

1. Swagger, 2023

Swagger could’ve easily been a generic sports drama about an ambitious prodigy who, against all odds and through sheer determination, makes it to the top. It is that, but it’s also so much more. Swagger offers biting commentary on race and economic realities, as well as heart-warming and relatable stories about family, love, and coming of age. It’s finely acted, with everyone from the kids and their parents to the coaches offering lived-in and realistic performances. The show is most reminiscent of the 2000 film Love & Basketball, which would make sense since the latter is directed by Swagger director Reggie Bythewood’s spouse, Gina Prince-Bythewood. Swagger and Love & Basketball have unique differences, of course, but both deeply understand and powerfully speak to the Black experience.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Caleel Harris, Isaiah R. Hill, James Bingham, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Quvenzhané Wallis, Shinelle Azoroh, Solomon Irama, Tessa Ferrer, Tristan Mack Wilds

Rating: TV-14

2. Beasts of the Southern Wild, 2012

Whether due to poverty, personal choice, or simply knowing no other way, there are people living by the river, forgoing the comforts and the cages of modern urban living. Not many films depict these communities, but seven years after Hurricane Katrina, Beasts of the Southern Wild shares a rare depiction of their lives in the outskirts. It’s a bit meandering, but it’s unique, with a folkloric feel, as the young heroine Hushpuppy full of awe towards the natural world their Cajun community is bound to, while also with a curiosity towards her missing mother and an awareness of how precarious their lives are that slowly grows through the film. Beasts of the Southern Wild is a surprising debut of a community rarely depicted.Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Actor: Dwight Henry, Gina Montana, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes, Quvenzhané Wallis
Director: Benh Zeitlin
Rating: PG-13