Barry Jenkins has always served offbeat stories to the audience. His visuals are rich and evocative, centered on the characters and their internal struggles. Think bold colors, expressive lighting, long takes, close-up compositions, and a dynamic camera that mirrors the film’s emotional pulse.
Making his directorial debut with Medicine for Melancholy in 2008, Jenkins’ movies portray communities with authenticity, emphasize tender, often unspoken connections, and highlight the beauty of struggles.
In this article, we have compiled the best Barry Jenkins movies that have garnered critical acclaim for their emotional resonance and technical mastery.
7 Best Barry Jenkins Movies
1. Moonlight (2016)
Adapted from Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, Jenkins’, Moonlight follows a young boy, Chiron (Ashton Sanders). Raised by a drug-addicted mother, Chiron navigates racism, homophobia, and rigid expectations of masculinity. The film intricately and compassionately portrays his journey toward self-acceptance.
Jenkins employs brilliant, luminous colors, paired with expressive cinematography, to transform Miami into a reflection of Chiron’s internal state. The visual language is evidently focused on intimacy, often relying on close-ups and diegetic sound to bring viewers emotionally closer to Chiron. Moonlight won an Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017.
2. Medicine for Melancholy (2008)
Can a one-night stand bring two people emotionally together? Find out in Medicine for Melancholy as Micah (Wyatt Cenac) and Jo (Tracy Heggins), two individuals who have a one-night stand, spend the next day together exploring San Francisco, their identities, and each other’s differences.
The film also explores crucial themes like what it means to be black in a rapidly gentrifying, predominantly white city.
Jenkins sticks to restraint in his visual language. He opts for muted colors and natural light, keeping anair of fog all over the city, mirroring the characters’ mental unclarity about their choices. The dialogue is realistic and organic, with banter transforming into intense moments seamlessly.
3. If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
If Beale Street Could Talk centres on Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James), who are set to begin their married life, when Fonny, despite having an alibi, gets incarcerated after being falsely accused of sexual assault by a Puerto Rican woman. In the meantime, Tish discovers that she is pregnant. The narrative unfolds non-linearly, jumping between past and present, as Tish and her family fight to prove Fonny’s innocence before the baby is born.
Jenkins employs lush, saturated colors with picturesque visuals to evoke mood and emotion. James Laxton, the cinematographer, notably uses yellows to underscore the warmth and bond between characters, despite adversities. Jenkins uses deliberate pacing to enhance visual lyricism.
4. The Underground Railroad (2021)
Based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Underground Railroad is a 10-part mini-series that reimagines the story of American slavery by blending historical drama with magical realism.
The narrative follows Cora Randall (Thuso Mbedu), an enslaved woman on the Randall plantation in 19th-century Georgia who escapes through the Underground Railroad to seek a new life, all while being relentlessly pursued by slave catcher Ridgeway.
The Underground Railroad explores the putrid legacy of racism and how oppression adapts over time, through Cora’s encounters, as she travels, visiting different states. Jenkins focuses on creating both beauty and horror, using bold color palettes with expressive camera movement that heightens the emotional impact.
5. My Josephine (2003)
My Josephine is a poignant short film by Jenkins, which mirrors the fraught climate for immigrants in post-9/11 America, while telling a tale of love. The film centers on Aadid, an Arab immigrant (Basel Hamdan), and his co-worker Adela (Saba Shariat).
Aadid harbours quiet affection for Adela, to whom he refers as his “Josephine,” drawing a parallel to Napoleon’s beloved wife. The story sprawls over their interactions, washing, folding, and dancing with American flags that they wash for free at night.
The film’s strength lies in its minimalism. Jenkins creates a visually poetic atmosphere using soft lighting and picturesque compositions, and a muted color palette, reflecting the gray times.
6. Tall Enough (2009)
Another visceral Jenkins short film, Tall Enough, follows a young interracial couple — an African American Woman (Crystal Cotton) and a Chinese American man (Stephen Lin) — as they spend a quiet Saturday together in Brooklyn.
Jenkins employs naturalistic dialogue, with the couple discussing family, past relationships, and ambitions, to explore the dynamics of interracial relationships, touching on cultural perceptions, stereotypes, and the unique challenges and joys of their marital relationship.
7. A Young Couple (2009)
This is a 13-minute documentary short film that follows real-life couple John and Jenn as they navigate living together in San Francisco.
Throughout the narrative, you can see Jenkins gently interviewing them, prompting candid reflections on their relationship. Jenkins doesn’t focus on romance. Rather, he lingers on their shared silences and moments of vulnerability, allowing viewers to get a view of what a real partnership looks like. He follows an observational style and deliberate pacing to let the story flow in its own way, avoiding any form of dramatic embellishment.
Which is your favorite Barry Jenkins Movie?
