Black Panther
Overall Rating: ★★★ 1/2
Pop Culture Footprint: Massive; a watershed moment for representation in blockbuster cinema and one of the MCU’s most culturally significant entries
Rewatchability: 3.5/5 — strongest for its performances and themes rather than its action
Makes You Think: About legacy, responsibility and what powerful nations owe to the marginalized
Conversation Starter: Absolutely — from Killmonger’s ideology to Wakanda’s isolationism
Holds Up: Yes; its cultural weight and performances remain potent
Where I’d Place It: Upper-tier MCU. Not my personal favorite superhero film, but unquestionably essential
★★★ 1/2
#96 – Black Panther (2018)
From The New York Times: The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century
Directed by Ryan Coogler
There are Marvel movies and then there is Black Panther.
Whether you’re an MCU devotee or someone who’s felt franchise fatigue creeping in, it’s hard to deny the impact these films have had on 21st-century cinema. For years, they were the only movies reliably pulling massive audiences into theaters. And yet Black Panther felt different from the moment it arrived. This wasn’t just another chapter in a sprawling cinematic universe. It was a cultural event. “Wakanda Forever” became a rallying cry that transcended the screen, embedding itself into everyday language and pop culture.
Revisiting the film now, it’s easy to see why.
The story follows T’Challa, portrayed with quiet strength by the late Chadwick Boseman, as he returns to the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda after his father’s death. Wakanda, rich in the rare metal vibranium, has concealed its power from the rest of the world, presenting itself as a struggling nation while thriving in secret. When Erik Killmonger, played with intensity and conviction by Michael B. Jordan, arrives with a personal claim to the throne, the conflict becomes more than physical. It becomes philosophical.
At its core, Black Panther is about responsibility. What does a powerful nation owe to the oppressed beyond its borders? Is isolation protection or cowardice? These questions elevate the film beyond standard superhero fare. Coogler uses the framework of a blockbuster to explore legacy, identity and generational trauma, and he does so without sacrificing momentum.
That said, I’ve never completely latched onto Black Panther in the way many others have. The Marvel films, almost by design, share a visual and tonal consistency. Even when directors leave their fingerprints on the material, the shared-universe machine hums in the background. I sometimes find it difficult to separate an individual entry from that larger ecosystem, and Black Panther isn’t entirely immune to that gravitational pull.
Where the film truly excels for me is not in its action but in its character work. The action sequences are competent and occasionally thrilling, yet they rarely grip me the way the conversations do. The CGI-heavy finale, particularly moments like the rhino charge, slightly dull the emotional edge the film builds so carefully. But the scenes between T’Challa and Killmonger? That’s where the movie finds its pulse.
Killmonger remains one of the MCU’s most compelling antagonists because his anger is rooted in real pain. His worldview is extreme, but it’s not incoherent. When he reveals the scars marking each life he’s taken, it’s a chilling, unforgettable image—both a badge of honor and a visible manifestation of trauma. Jordan brings a vulnerability beneath the rage that makes the character impossible to dismiss as a simple villain.
Boseman, meanwhile, anchors the film with grace and dignity. Knowing what we know now, his performance carries added weight. He doesn’t overplay T’Challa’s authority; instead, he leads with restraint, allowing doubt and growth to shape his arc. This film stands as a testament to his presence—calm, commanding and deeply human.
The supporting cast only strengthens the foundation. Angela Bassett exudes regal composure. Lupita Nyong’o balances warmth and conviction. Letitia Wright injects humor and brilliance without ever slipping into caricature. The Dora Milaje are fierce without being reduced to spectacle. One of the film’s quiet triumphs is its portrayal of strong black women in positions of power, intellect and leadership without exaggeration or stereotype. Their strength feels organic, lived-in and earned.
Even if Black Panther doesn’t land in my personal top five superhero films, it comfortably sits in the upper tier of the genre. Its story, themes and cultural resonance elevate it beyond being “just another MCU entry.” The impact it had, and continues to have, makes its inclusion on this list not only understandable but necessary.
In the end, Black Panther may not overwhelm me in the way some blockbusters do, but it lingers in a different way. Not because of its spectacle, but because of its ideas. It asks what leadership looks like. It challenges isolation. And it imagines a world where power is paired with purpose.
That vision alone makes it one of the defining films of its era.
