“The on-screen crushing of Black hope was institutional… This is the story about a group of artists that changed the culture forever,” says writer, director and narrator Elvis Mitchell in the trailer for Is That Black Enough for You?!?

Featuring interviews with Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, Whoopi Goldberg and more, this documentary explores the history of Black representation in American cinema with a focus on the provocative and groundbreaking blaxploitation films of the ’70s. Produced by award-winning directors David Fincher (Fight Club, Mindhunter) and Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, The Laundromat), Is That Black Enough for You?!? highlights an era of filmmaking that shifted the limitations around Black stories and characters in Hollywood.

Release date

Is That Black Enough for You?!? premieres on Netflix Nov. 11.

Trailer

Watch the official Netflix trailer for Is That Black Enough for You?!?

Who appears in Is That Black Enough for You?!?

In addition to Jackson (Death to 2020, Pulp Fiction), Fishburne (The School for Good and Evil, What’s Love Got to Do with It?) and Goldberg (Till, Ghost), this doc also features interviews with some of the filmmakers and talent who defined the blaxploitation era. Read this guide for more info.

What is Is That Black Enough for You?!? about?

This doc looks at the blaxploitation films that arose during the ’70s. Mitchell says this era marked a significant shift from the prior representation of African Americans on-screen. He points to overtly racist caricatures in the earlier half of the 20th century and the limited opportunities for Black actors in the ’50s and early ’60s.

Mitchell posits that the civil rights movement and subsequent backlash served as a catalyst for the rise of blaxploitation films. He explains that many Black filmmakers and actors worked within the genre as a means of radical self-expression and commentary on racism and inequality in America. At the same time, Mitchell acknowledges that Hollywood capitalized on such films’ wider appeal to mainstream audiences, thus drawing criticism for exploiting Black identity. Controversy aside, Mitchell believes the blaxploitation genre was an important and necessary outlet for Black artists, which left a lasting influence on Hollywood.