Black Panther
Released: February 16
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira
Director: Ryan Coogler (Creed)
Why it’s great: We live in a depressing world where an Afrofuturistic James Bond spy movie that crescendos to a Lord of the Rings-like battle between man and armored rhinoceroses would not get an automatic $150 million greenlight from one of the major movie studios. No, the only way that movie's getting made is if it's the 18th installment of a comic-book mega-franchise. Black Panther is part of the "Marvel Cinematic Universe," but it's the most advantageous of the bunch, sidelining Easter eggs and Avengers setup for the ravishing, robust culture of the hidden African nation of Wakanda. The movie strings together car chases, spear duels, laser shootouts, and encounters with the aforementioned rhinos, and Ryan Coogler -- backed by a brimming soundtrack of drums, chants, and Kendrick Lamar -- pulls them off. But the joy of Black Panther is the friction between history and progression, and a consequentialist logic that gives weight to the standoff against king T'Challa (Boseman) and the don't-give-a-fuck Killmonger (Jordan). Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira's as Black Panther's warrior operatives are like cherries atop the sundae, if the sundae had two scoop-sized cherries in the bowl. Did we mention this movie is a blast?
Where to see it right now: In theaters (watch the trailer)