The Harder They Fall battled its way to the top of the African American Film Critics Association’s list of the top 10 films of the year.
The Western stars Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Regina King, Zazie Beetz and LaKeith Stanfield as historical Black figures Rufus Buck, Nat Love, Trudy Smith, Stagecoach Mary and Cherokee Bill, respectively. The Netflix release is produced by Jeymes Samuel, rap mogul Jay-Z, James Lassiter and Lawrence Bender. Samuel also directed the film and co-wrote the script alongside Boaz Yakin.
Related Story: Halle Berry Gets Emotional About Hollywood Overlooking Black Women: ‘I See You’ (Video)
Other films making AAFCAs’ top ten list include King Richard, Passing, and House of Gucci.
“Selections for this year’s Top 10 speak to history’s importance in informing who we are, as a people and as a community,” AAFCA president and co-founder Gil Robertson said in a statement Wednesday. “Although our top film The Harder They Fall from Netflix is a fictionalized Western, it introduced the world to an incredible array of real-life Black cowboys and cowgirls who helped to transform the West, prompting many to discover the prominent role Black people played in that storied chapter of American history that has long been a Hollywood go-to genre.”
The critics group will reveal the full list of winners in 15 competitive categories for the 13th Annual AAFCA Awards on Jan. 17, 2022. An in-person celebration in Los Angeles will follow on March 2.
Below is the full list of AAFCA’s Top 10 Films of 2021:
The Harder They Fall
King Richard
Respect
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Passing
Belfast
Who We Are
House of Gucci
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story
