Black or White
A grieving grandfather and a child’s paternal relatives clash over custody, forcing two loving families to confront race, grief, and their own blind spots.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- earnest
- emotionally charged
- reflective evening
- family drama night
What critics said
Critics found the performances and racial themes worthwhile but considered the film overly didactic and formulaic in its treatment of difficult material.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Elliot and Rowena's fight over Eloise turns a guardianship dispute into a confrontation over interracial family identity.
Both grandparents love Eloise and act from sincere but imperfect convictions, complicating the custody conflict.
The film combines grief, custody conflict, and family reconciliation through the experiences of grandparents and a young granddaughter.
The two families confront their differing assumptions about race while claiming to act in Eloise's best interests.
Films like Black or White, and why
Losing Isaiah
shared interracial family conflict, custody dispute, and earnest social-issue drama
The Judge
shared courtroom-adjacent family drama focused on race, guardianship, and competing ideas of parental responsibility
A Family Thing
shared emotionally direct drama about family bonds, prejudice, and forgiveness
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
shared interracial relationship tensions and humanist examination of racial assumptions
Movie Details
- Director
- Mike Binder
- Release Date
- 2015-01-30
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (368)
Cast
- Kevin Costner
- Jillian Estell
- Octavia Spencer
- Jennifer Ehle
- Mpho Koaho
- Bill Burr
- Bertha Bindewald
- André Holland
- Anthony Mackie
- Paula Newsome
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Darkroom
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Black or White about?
- A grieving grandfather and a child’s paternal relatives clash over custody, forcing two loving families to confront race, grief, and their own blind spots.
- What is Black or White like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black or White as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Black or White violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Black or White.
- What did critics think of Black or White?
- Critics found the performances and racial themes worthwhile but considered the film overly didactic and formulaic in its treatment of difficult material.
- Which films are like Black or White?
- Films with a similar feel include Losing Isaiah, The Judge, A Family Thing, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
- How long is Black or White?
- Black or White runs 121 minutes.
- Where can I watch Black or White?
- In United States, Black or White streams on Darkroom.
