Learning about pieces of history through film is important, especially when it comes to tumultuous times in our past. Movies like The Help are perfect examples, as the film dives into the civil rights movement of the 1960s in Mississippi. An aspiring author decides to write a book detailing the African American maids’ point of view of the white families in her town, which brings to light the trials these women have to deal with every day. If you enjoy movies that bring to light different aspects of African American struggles, or how they overcome these struggles, check out these six movies like The Help.
6. Self Made (2020)
Sixth on our list of movies like The Help is Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker. Based on the biography by A’Lelia Bundles, the limited series tells the inspiring story of African American entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker. She was able to build a haircare empire that made her America’s first female self-made millionaire, however, she also had to contend with several obstacles before reaching that point.
–IMDb score: 7.3
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5. Marshall (2017)
Next up for movies like The Help is Marshall, starring the late Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall. Set in 1940, Marshall was a young lawyer for the NAACP who defended innocent African Americans from unjust indictments in court. One of his more difficult cases is featured in the film, where Marshall has to team up with insurance lawyer Sam Friedman and gets forbidden to speak in court by a bigoted judge. The pair must navigate prejudice and a daunting case to prove their client’s innocence, and show the power of the future Supreme Court Justice.
–IMDb score: 7.3
4. The Banker (2020)
Earning the fourth spot on our movies like The Help list is The Banker, starring Anthony Mackie alongside Samuel L. Jackson. Two revolutionary businessmen, Bernard Garrett (Mackie) and Joe Morris (Jackson), plan to take on the racist environment of the 1960s in a cunning way. The pair train a working-class white man to pose as the head of the business empire while Garrett and Morris are the janitor and chauffeur. As the three find success, they also draw the attention of the federal government.
–IMDb score: 7.3
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3. Just Mercy (2019)
Jumping into the top three movies like The Help is Just Mercy with Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson. Recently graduated from Harvard, young lawyer Bryan Stevenson has his pick of lucrative jobs but instead travels to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned with local advocate Eva Ansley. In the following years, Stevenson becomes entangled not only in cases but also in a labyrinth of political and racial problems that often are stacked against him.
–IMDb score: 7.6
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2. I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
Our second selection for movies like The Help is I Am Not Your Negro, based on the unfinished James Baldwin novel Remember This House. The film explores the unfinished manuscript, telling the story of race in modern America and a personal account of the lives and assassinations of three civil rights heroes: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.
–IMDb score: 7.9
1. Green Book (2018)
Last but not least, on our movies like The Help list is Green Book. Two unlikely characters find common ground in the film, which is set in 1962. Italian-American bouncer Frank Vallelonga finds work driving for African-American classical pianist Don Shirley. Though the pair have vastly different personalities, they both follow “The Negro Motorist Green Book” as they journey into the Deep South. As the pair encounters injustices and racism, they each grow respect for each other’s talents and a friendship that will change their lives.
–IMDb score: 8.2
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