Just in time for both Valentine’s Day and Black History Month comes a romance story suffused with the melancholy of Seventies New York. Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of the James Baldwin novel combines beautiful warm colors with an aching score by Nicholas Britell, which plays throughout stunning performances by Kiki Layne, Stephan James, and Brian Tyree Henry. (If you don’t get emotionally K.O.’d by his monologue, IDK what your deal is.) This exploration of state-enforced racism often touches on difficult topics but never loses its thrumming heart – the beat of which stays in your head long after credits roll. – James Scott
