Overview:
Black Twitter has been praising the recent films and series, Sinners and Forever, for their storytelling, soundtracks, and Black-led productions. The films and series have grossed over $300 million and have been renewed for more seasons. While Hollywood has been criticized for canceling Black shows, these two productions have shown that Black stories can be told without trauma porn. The success of these productions highlights the importance of listening to audiences and investing in Black talent.
If anyone has learned anything in Black entertainment, Black Twitter has the ultimate power of gatekeeping. By the time mainstream audiences discovered Tyler Perry, he had already become a bona fide superstar in the eyes of Black Twitter, despite his sometimes controversial subject matter. Conversely, Black Twitter was also a force behind the #TGIT dominance from the brain of Shonda Rhimes. Even when OWN was dipping a toe into dramatic fare through shows like “Queen Sugar” and “Greenleaf,” Black Twitter was there to bless the productions that resonated.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Ryan Coogler film Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan and Wunmi Mosaku, and Netflix’s “Forever,” the Mara Brock Akil adaptation starring Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr., have taken Black Twitter and the world by storm.
Sinners touches on Black spirituality, vampires, and horror, utilizing the common theme of music to move the film along. The film has grossed over $300 million, no doubt the result of pairing a star-studded cast with an incredible score. Not to mention the film’s highlight of showcasing the finest pair of Jordans ever lusted after in Michael B. Jordan’s dual portrayal of twins Smoke and Stack.
On the streaming side, veteran showrunner Akil reimagined the coming-of-age love story based on Judy Blume’s book, “Forever.” The film is canon to the 1975 novel, only with a Black cast. Lovie Simone, known for her role as Zora in “Greenleaf,” plays the witty, big dreamer Keisha, who falls for her childhood friend, the awkward yet playful Justin, played by Michael Cooper Jr.
Both pieces of media have left Black audiences reeling from their excellent storytelling and impressive command of plot.. People have been raving about the soundtracks, the acting, and most importantly, the fact that these are Black-led productions. Not an easy feat for a film or series to accomplish, especially in 2025. So as a result people have flooded social media timelines with their praises for the pieces of Black entertainment.
X user @artbecomesyou wrote, “Just watched #SinnersMovie and omg what a masterpiece. The blues song that turned into a timeline medley of other musical genres was my fave scene. Absolutely blown away. The story, the music, the characters, cinematography were captivating. BRAVO Ryan Coogler. Another user X user, @AshleyShyMiller tweeted, “I’m definitely, going back to see this movie again. Showing how music is such an intricate part of the black experience/ life since the very beginning, was the part I loved the most #Sinners.
And the series “Forever” has also been receiving its own praise from the app.
@KoolKidDave announced, “I’ll go on record and say #ForeverNetflix is probably the best show with a predominantly black cast since Insecure that’s a tall order but a show that showcase black people just existing that doesn’t feel contrived pretentious. User @_Jaiiden_ added “I just finished #ForeveronNetflix and damn I’m crying. I must’ve said “this is such a good show” 50 times but wow it really is. Netflix act like you know and renew it for 4 more seasons.” (Forever has been renewed for a second season)
So, what does this show Hollywood?
In short, it shows that Hollywood can truly bank on Black talent without trauma porn productions that are mainly designed to make white people feel like they “know” the struggle. While Hollywood has tried to show that they are more progressive, in all actuality, this gross overcompensation usually falls flat.
Moreover, too often, Black shows or shows with Black leads are cancelled after less than four seasons.
For instance, “Unprisoned,” “Harlem,” “Run the World,” “Our Kind of People,” and most recently, “Poppa’s House” and “The Equalizer” have all been cancelled.
For too long, influential Hollywood executives have gotten away with the wrongful cancellation of these shows with actual character development and real storylines, when other shows lack even the simple knock-knock joke that makes you laugh. If that weren’t enough, these executives also pride themselves on using the same tired old Black stereotypes of trauma without an actual plot.
However, Coogler and Akil have proved that they don’t need to rely on the excessive grief and the plight of Black people to make memorable and talked-about shows and films. They can use plots, with great actors, and symbolism to create something meaningful. To develop authentic stories that make us laugh and relate to characters.
If entertainment is more for the audience than anything else, it would be beneficial for all parties involved to listen to the audiences that are consuming the media. Specifically, maybe Hollywood executives could gain more money if they listened to Black Twitter. After all, we are the ones who consume the forms of entertainment to escape reality, so it would be nice to have a say in what is going on in theaters or streaming platforms.
So maybe Hollywood should just bet on Black more often.
