Not Just Holiday Cheer: 3 Black-Led Films to Lift Your Spirits This Season

 Holidays can feel… different when your family isn’t sprawling with cousins, aunts, and uncles. Maybe you’re single, childless, or your kids are older teens and young adults — like me — and the season can hit you with a little quiet, a little longing, and sometimes straight-up holiday blues.

But just because we’re a small family unit doesn’t mean we skip the joy. I still include my daughters in all the little rituals we carve out, from cozy movie nights to sipping cocoa while watching lights twinkle. We’ll still make time to see friends and enjoy the season, but we do it on our own terms.

Being a Minneapolis woman at heart, I grew up with snow, crisp air, and streets alive with winter magic. Here in Atlanta, the decorations and lights can feel a little out of place — the cold, the snow, the crisp winter energy just isn’t here. So we create our own warmth, and one way I do that is by trying new Black-led holiday films that make the season feel more human, familiar, and joyful.

Here are three new picks we’re excited to try this year:

1. Almost Christmas (Hulu) – Warm, honest family comedy with heart, perfect for a small family night in.

2. The Best Man Holiday (Hulu) – Nostalgic, emotional, and full of friendship and second chances; a reminder that love shows up in many forms.

3. Last Holiday (Tubi) – Queen Latifah living her best life on a luxurious vacation reminds us that joy is a choice and self-love is the ultimate gift.

This season, we’re pressing pause on the pressure to go “all-out festive” and instead soaking in the little moments. Curl up with your loved ones — or just yourself — sip something warm, and let these stories remind you that the holidays aren’t about how big your family is, but how full your heart can get.