As we celebrateSpike Lee’s 65th birthday on March 20, it is essential to look back on the films that have established Lee as one of the greatest directors in cinema history. Working both independently and within the studio system, Lee’s illustrious career is characterized by films that defy classification and transcend genre, promoting marginalized voices through rebellious acts of cinematic expression and intimate narratives of racial reconciliation.
From Chicago-set musical retellings of Greek mythology to Brechtian meditations on the atrocities of the warfare, Lee’s diverse body of work remains one of the most original expressions of pure cinema in the history of this medium, as his films coalesce to craft a nuanced and painfully honest portrait of America in the 20th and 21st centuries. Although it is incredibly difficult to narrow down the director’s now-five-decades-spanning filmography, this ranked list aims to elevate Spike Lee as one of the most continually vital filmmakers in American cinema by highlighting his defining career achievements alongside underrated films of equal excellence.
10. She’s Gotta Have It (1986)
While Spike Lee started his career with both temporal and budgetary constraints, the director’s debut featureShe’s Gotta Have Itnever sacrifices on distinct style or narrative sophistication. Chronicling the love quadrangle centered on the effervescent and self-assured Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns),She’s Gotta Have Itimmediately established Lee’s balanced approach to ensemble storytelling as well as the textured local vision of New York City that would characterize his cinematic output for decades to come.
9. Inside Man (2006)
With a similar approach to a genre that directors likeAlan PakulaandSidney Lumetemployed to confront both Watergate and the Vietnam era with films likeThe Parallax ViewandNetwork,Inside Manobliquely addresses the tumultuous atmosphere of post-9/11 New York City within the structure of a heist film. Mobilizing the tight structure of a crime thriller as a taut takedown of police corruption and financial manipulation,Inside Manis one of the most rewatchable films on this list because of its effortless entertainment value and multilayered suspense-driven storytelling. While many people have rightfully praised the overt post-9/11 commentary of Lee’s25th Hour,Inside Manis equally worthy of acclaim for its subtle invocation of political paranoia and social distrust, underscored by excellent performances fromDenzel Washington,Clive Owen, andJodie Foster.
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8. BlacKkKlansman (2018)
WhileInside Manapproached sociocultural strife through subtext, Lee’s Oscar-winning biopicBlacKkKlansmaneschews subtlety to make its political commentary the primary text, detailing the narrative of Ron Stallworth’s (John David Washington)infiltration of the KKK as an overt critique of systemic racism in the United States. Even as the inclusion of contemporary footage at the film’s conclusion visualizes and condemns the disturbing continuation of racial oppression in America, the most potent critique in the film is the implication of the cinematic establishment in the foundation of stereotypes and prejudices, obliterating canonized films likeThe Birth of a NationandGone with the Windfor their propagation of racist imagery and ideology. In particular, the climactic sequence that parallels a KKK initiation with a Black Power rally subverts the crosscutting of D.W. Griffith’s foundational film, restructuring cinematic grammar to decry the hatefulness of systemic racism through the elevation of Black voices. Led by revelatory performances by John David WashingtonandAdam Driver,BlacKkKlansmanis one of the most essential films from the past decade and a perfect conversation starter.
7. Mo’ Better Blues (1990)
Acting as a fictionalized semi-biography of Spike Lee’s famous musician fatherBill Lee,Mo’ Better Bluesis an expressionistic portrait of Bleek Gilliam’s (Denzel Washington) coming-of-age, showcasing artistic rivalries within a story of familial grief. Featuring original music from Bill Lee and the expert casting of Denzel Washington and the director’s sisterJoie Leeas the central lovers Bleek and Indigo, Spike Lee’s follow-up toDo the Right Thingbeautifully portrays personal narratives of artistic progression and financial hardship with equal poignancy and potency of Lee’s previous masterwork.
6. Bamboozled (2000)
Possibly the most divisive motion picture in a filmography full of elegantly provocative entries,Bamboozledis a shot-on-video satire of both the continued propagation of Black stereotypes and exploitation of Black artists by the entertainment industry. When producer Pierre Delacroix’s (Damon Wayans) intentionally subversive pitch for a minstrel show is greenlit by racist studio executives, Delacroix and his fellow artists must face the fallout of the show’s nationwide popularity, leading to psychological and violent fallout for the protagonists. Through the film’s subversive visualization of caricature and utilization of an early digital aesthetic, Lee’s scathing film aims to unsettle the viewer at every level through his implication of the audience in propagating the stereotypes seen on-screen. AlthoughBamboozledis not an easy watch, it is an essential work of satire that remains as effective as ever.
5. Crooklyn (1994)
IfBamboozledis Spike Lee’s most biting film,Crooklynis the director’s most tender work. Expanding beyond the semi-biographical character study inMo’ Better Blues,Crooklyntakes an autobiographical ensemble approach to the director’s life, which Lee co-wrote with his siblings. Imbued with a bittersweet nostalgia and sense of child-like wonder,Crooklynplays out like peering into someone’s most formative memories, setting it apart as one of the most poignant and family friendly films in Lee’s body of work.
4. Clockers (1995)
Perhaps the most underrated and underseen Spike Lee film,Clockersis the director’s bold adaptation ofRichard Price’s crime mystery novel, as well as a playful homage toAkira Kurosawa’s foundational filmRashomon. Unraveling the mysterious murder of drug dealer Darryl Adams from multiple perspectives,Clockersfunctions equally as a meditation on the nature of truth and a reflection on the ethics of investigative policing. Featuring an incredible cast led by a nuanced turn fromHarvey Keitel,as well as the best Spike Lee soundtrack this side ofDo the Right Thing,Clockersis overdue for a reappraisal as one of the director’s most inventive works.
3. He Got Game (1995)
He Got Gameis a family drama of biblical proportions anchored by an excellent leading performance from Denzel Washington. Washington’s Jake Shuttlesworth is a powerhouse of righteous anger and generational guilt as a desperate father attempting to convince his son to play college basketball in exchange for a shorter prison sentence. While the plot ofHe Got Gamehas the potential to slip into preachy sentimentality and overwrought melodrama on several occasions, Denzel’s subtle balance between fury and regret reveal the intelligence at the center of this under discussed Spike Lee joint. In particular, the flashback sequences of Jake’s intense coaching of his son, Jesus, see Washington avoid caricature through genuine naturalism while navigating a sophisticated on-screen space of moral murkiness.
2. Malcolm X (1992)
Perhaps the greatest biographical performance in cinema history, Denzel’s indelible turn as the titular historical figure setsMalcolm Xapart as an epic act of cinematic portraiture, capturing the complexities of the Civil Rights icon across three hours of screen time. Inhabiting nearly every scene of the three-and-a-half-hour historical epic with equal conviction, Denzel grounded the mythic historical figure within a dynamic humanity, illuminating the significance of his life and death through a strong physical presence and nuanced emotional expression. Beyond Denzel’s lead performance,Malcolm Xis a masterclass in historical filmmaking, as Spike Lee expertly adapts the icon’s autobiography into one of the most powerful films of the 1990s.
1. Do the Right Thing (1989)
It is impossible to understate the endless impact ofDo the Right Thingon the American film industry. Spike Lee’s masterpiece paved the way for the rise of independent filmmaking in the 1990s and opened the door for greater opportunities for Black auteurs in Hollywood. Set in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn on the hottest day of the year,Do the Right Thingillustrates late-1980s America in microcosm, emphasizing the racial strife in a community on the cusp of gentrification. Culminating in the tragic death of a gentle giant named Radio Raheem at the hands of the police,Do the Right Thingis as essential in its sociopolitical critique and as devastating in its cultural relevancy as it was when the film was released in 1989. Established as a cinematic classic and an essential text in the history of race relations in the twentieth century,Do the Right Thingis a transcendent masterpiece by one of America’s greatest cinematic voices and one of the most pivotal films in the history of the medium.
