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Low key, these 9 Netflix movies made me cry while I was high AF
When you’re shmacked and watching a beautiful Netflix flick, it’s hard to keep your stoned emotions bottled up. If you truly respect the art form of film, you’ll understand this even more.
Sometimes all it takes is a fat Backwood to recognize cinematic brilliance and find a real-life connection to the film you’re watching in order to shed that one tear of artistic respect.
In fact, only real thugs cry. So, don’t judge me based on the fact that I had shed one tear while chilling dolo and watching all 9 of these films. I was in my feels alright.
If you’re interested in unlocking your stony emotions, we suggest you grab a bag of your favorite strand (sativa is highly recommended), cop a pack of Russian Cream Backwoods, flex a couple of fat blunts and indulge in these 9 flicks that made me cry while I was high AF.
Side note: If you want to watch the flick immediately just click on the movie title.
1. First Match
There is nothing better than seeing a strong teenage black woman grow into something great and unlock her true potential. That’s exactly what First Match looks to accomplish.
The coming of age drama tells the story of Monique (played by Elvire Emanuelle), a girl who looks to impress her father, who was recently released from prison, by joining the boy’s wrestling squad at her high school.
First Match screams femme empowerment. Director and writer of the Netflix film, Olivia Newman definitely knew exactly what she was doing. She’s a big-time feminist and actually holds a degree in feminist studies from Vassar and a Master’s in screenwriting and directing from Columbia.
What’s even better? Newman’s crew for this flick was made up of 60 percent women. Hopefully, we’ll see even more films like this surface as women gain more respect across all forms of art in Hollywood. One phrase to look out for this year – “inclusion rider”
Tear Shed Effect: Cloudy Eyes
2. Dayveon
Dayveon is visually tingling. Watch as director and writer of the film, Amman Abbasi, takes viewers on a ride through Arkansas from the perspective of Dayveon (played by Devin Blackmon), a young man who has recently lost his brother to gang violence.
The loss of his brother leaves Dayveon without guidance and he falls into the same path his brother did and gets jumped into the Bloods. The question is how far will he go to impress his new family?
Tears Shed Effect: That one teardrop cry
3. Imperial Dreams
Being Black in America is brolic as fuck. Fuggedaboutit if you’re a Black man who happens to be an ex-convict. There’s literally no hope for you. Especially if you’re forced to return home to the hopeless environment you came from.
Imperial Dreams highlights exactly that — an ex-gangster’s struggle between doing what’s right for his son or taking the easy way out and going back to what he knows best — the streets.
Directed and written by Malik Vittal, Imperial Dreams tells the tale of Bambi (played by John Boyega) and his kid son Dayton. The two try and navigate Watts, LA and survive in an environment riddled with societal obstacles.
Tear Shed Effect: Straight up sobbing yo
4. Before the Flood
This documentary moved me more than any other climate change doc I’ve ever seen. It scared the shit out of me as an American living in a country that is one of the largest contributors to global warming.
Directed by Fisher Stevens, Before the Flood is a three-year journey, touching every corner of the globe, trying to find out if it is too late for us, as a global community, if there is anything we can do to reverse the most catastrophic problem mankind has ever faced. In the words of Leonardo Dicaprio, who stars in and narrates the doc, the goal of this film was to,
“Try and make a modern-day film about climate change. I’ve been studying this issue for the past 15 years, I’ve been watching it very closely. What’s incredibly terrifying is that things are happening way ahead of the scientific projections, 15 or 20 years ago.”
Tear Shed Effect: Those angry activist type tears
5. Gook
Gook will leave you speechless as the many plot twists will leave you trying to figure out why situations like these depicted in the movie actually happen amongst real human beings everyday.
Directed, written by, and starring Justin Chon, Gook tells the story of two Korean-American brothers who struggle to keep their late father’s shoe store afloat during a very controversial time period — a predominantly African-American LA community during the 1992 Rodney King Riots.
The two brothers, Eli (Justin Chon) and Daniel (David So), deal with racism on the regular from neighborhood Blacks and Hispanics. Their kid friend who’s an 11-year-old African-American girl named Kamilla (played by Simone Baker) endures the racial tension in the neighborhood with them.
Crazy how this one turned out.
Tear Shed Effect: Waterworks
6. 6 Balloons
For anyone that has had to deal with a family member or friend who was or is addicted to drugs, 6 Balloons is going to hit your emotions like a ton of bricks. This is a great film for America right now which from shore to shore is dealing with an opiate epidemic that is out of control.
Watch as director of the film Marja-Lewis Ryan brings to life the story of Katie (played by Abbi Jacobson), who tries to prevent her brother Seth (played by Dave Franco) from relapsing, all while trying to make sure her boyfriend’s birthday is a success.
Straight up, 6 Balloons is masterful at capturing the thin line between what it means to actually help a drug addict and enable one.
Tear Shed Effect: Tears of pity
7. Roxanne Roxanne
Written and directed by Michael Larnell and producers Forest Whitaker and Pharrell Williams, Roxanne, Roxanne is an amazing biopic featuring the most feared Queensbridge MC, Roxanne Shanté (played by Chanté Adams).
Watch as Roxanne takes part in an evolutionary part of rap music’s timeline in NYC during the 80s. She attempts to climb the rap ladder all while struggling with her very tough mother Peggy (played by Nia Long), growing up fast in the projects, raising her son, and dealing with an abusive baby daddy named Cross (played by Mahersala Ali).
A lot of empowering scenes in this flick. Roxanne, Roxanne will definitely get you inspired to push through whatever you’re dealing with emotionally.
Tear Shed Effect: That relieving kind of cry
8. Burning Sands
The sheer frustration of watching these pledges go thru hell just to prove that they belong will get you tight enough to shed a tear. Directed by Gerard McMurray, Burning Sands tells the story of tradition gone too far.
Watch as five young Black men endure the braziest abusive hazing you’ll ever see while pledging Lambda Lambda Phi fraternity at the HBU Frederick Douglass University. The question is – ‘How far will you go to keep tradition?’
Tear Shed Effect: Balled fists angry cry
9. Pariah
This is definitely a throwback. Released in 2011, Pariah, tells the story of a teenage Black girl named Alike (played by Adepero Oduye) growing up in BK who comes to terms with her sexuality as a lesbian. The sad part is that her mom won’t approve.
Director Dee Rees does a great job of capturing the struggles of coming out in a Black family. It doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation is you will relate to this powerful flick. Everyone has had trouble explaining their life choices to their loved ones so, Pariah is definitely one for the books.
Tear Shed Effect: Why won’t they just accept you for who you are type cry.
Hopefully, this Netflix list will leave its mark and you don’t accidentally put out the blunt by getting a tear on the Backwood cherry.
Cry slow homie, you’ll be aight.