Shelton Jackson “Spike” Lee was born on March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia. He is an American director-producer, writer, Actor, and professor with many feathers in his cap. He’s shot many music videos, documentaries, feature films, TV movies, and written books, too. But he gained recognition because of his cinematic style and approach. His journey in cinema started in 1983, and his power has been unstoppable since then.
Lee’s portrayal of racism in America, the relations shared with the black community, crime, the urban lifestyle of an average American, and many social issues have greatly impacted and paved the way for newcomers in contemporary media.
He also created some great TV shows, which are excellent content. He’s the holder of Oscar, Emmy, and BAFTA awards, and much more. Every Cinema and TV lover should check out his filmography and TV shows. So, let’s get into the world of Shelton Jackson Lee!
12 Best Spike Lee Movies & Where to Stream
1. Do The Right Thing (1989)
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee
- Cast: Danny Aiello, Samuel L, Jackson, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee
- IMDb Ratings: 8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
- Streaming Platform: AppleTV
‘Do The Right Thing’ shows how black people are treated in the USA. For example, in Brooklyn, on the Wall of Fame of a local pizzeria, the owner only puts up pictures of famous Italian actors, which bugs Buggin’ out, as the wall symbolizes clear racism.
The ‘Do The Right Thing’ film is powerful and changes many things that have been normalized. This piece is bound to leave a strong impression on you.
2. Joe’s Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee
- Cast: Monty Ross, Horace Long, Tommy Hicks
- IMDb Ratings: 4.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
- Streaming Platform: Online
This student film made by Spike Lee for his master’s thesis was the film that showed that he was going to go on and become one of the best directors. The film doesn’t have an amateur feel to it and starts with the murder of Joe, and all the spotlight falls on his partner, Zack.
The plot is compelling, and the characters are complex, which makes it very interesting, along with a wonderful background score of Jazz given by Lee’s father. The film is inspiring and strong in every aspect.
3. Summer of Sam
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee, Michael Imperioli, Victor Colicchio
- Cast: John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Jeniffer Esposito
- IMDb Ratings: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 51%
- Streaming Platform: Online
When the dangerous killer, Son of Sam, roamed the streets of New York and ruthlessly murdered people, the people started finding ways to blame anyone who didn’t look like them or was an odd one out. But there is some dark comedy hidden in there.
The story revolves around specific people rather than the killer, showing humans’ ugly side. The movie is a warped road of social awareness and basic human nature.
4. Malcolm X (1992)
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Arnold Perl, Spike Lee
- Cast: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert Hall
- IMDb Ratings: 7.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
- Streaming Platform: Online
Malcolm X is about the heroic African American Activist Malcolm X. He stood for determination and self-pride and fought against racism and was the leader in the nation of Islam. This biography inspires a person to stand up for good and be strong.
Washington’s performance was breathtaking which is why he deserved the Academy Award for Best Actor. The power emitted by Malcolm himself was truly shown in the movie. The movie certainly did justice to the powerful Hero.
5. He Got Game
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee
- Cast: Ray Allen, Denzel Washington, Rosario Dawson
- IMDb Ratings: 6.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
- Streaming Platform: Hulu, Prime Video
This story, about a convicted father and a star basketball player, is not as intense as other Spike lee movies; rather, it is desolating and tragic. The movie has more visuals and metaphorical scenes rather than unnecessary dialogue for the viewers to understand.
There’s not too much Drama or sentimental stuff. It has a big ending and a powerful confrontation. All in all, this movie will move you.
6. School Daze
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee
- Cast: Spike Lee, Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito
- IMDb Ratings: 6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 56%
- Streaming Platform: SlingTv
This musical gives you a glimpse of a white-chartered, black community college. There are some very interesting characters with their own lives to lead; Dap, a student who wants to lead in the student rallies as an activist, there’s half-pint, Dap’s cousin who is all about parties in the frat house, and Julian, leader of the biggest fraternity in the campus.
The movie’s satire was on point, so the then-political scenario was rendered incredibly, not to say it gave us a glimpse of reality. The jazz tunes which play in between are incredible. The movie is fun, incredible, and revolutionary.
7. Miracle at St. Anna
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: James McBride
- Cast: Omar Benson Miller, Laz Alonso, Valentina Cervi
- IMDb Ratings: 6.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 33%
- Streaming Platform: Hulu
Miracle at St. Anna is a thunderous war movie about four soldiers from the all-black division stuck behind the enemy lines while going after a helpless Italian boy. The performance is stellar, and the intensity is through the roof. The action scenes are impressive and greatly executed.
This movie played a huge role in showing the major contribution of the black division in the war, as little attention was given. Along with the brutality of war, the movie has a huge heart, as Lee himself has said about St. Anna, “a lyrical, mystical story of love and compassion.”
8. Chi Raq
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee, Kevin Willmott
- Cast: Teyonah Parris, Wesley Snipes, John Cusack
- IMDb Ratings: 5.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
- Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime
“Chi Raq” is slang used in Chicago about places that are like war zones. Lysistrata inspired Shelton Lee by Aristophanes, a Greek play for laughs. The movie, despite its controversial name, is funny and quite strong. It’s a coming-of-age musical about violence, lust, humans, desires, guns, and war. The movie has two extremes, from terrifying to spiritually lifting; it’s a roller coaster in the dark.
The female representation in the Lysistrata organization is banging and unstoppable, and it gives the movie a lot of personality. This is a brilliant movie with humor, political agendas, and dialogues, which a person won’t regret watching.
9. Jungle Fever
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee
- Cast: Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson
- IMDb Ratings: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
- Streaming Platform: Online
Spike Lee enters the world of romance with this one. Albeit the movie might be twisted in terms of love because there are some scandals involved; it’s about a black architect falling in love with a white secretary. “Jungle fever” is the favored term to define this attraction.
The characters have a very stereotypical background which makes them very relatable, and the humor is present quite avidly throughout. The movie has crackhead energy, literally, and it has stellar performances by everyone from the wonderful cast. So, there are zero reasons not to watch this movie!
10 Mo’ Better Blues 1990
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer:
- Cast: Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, Joie Lee
- IMDb Ratings: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
- Streaming Platform: Online
This Musical Drama had saxophones, trumpets, Harlem Blues, and Jazz, a tightly packed entertainment with great music. There’s a tangy love triangle among bleak, a trumpeter, Indigo, a teacher, and a sensual singer Clarke. There’s a business stand-off between Bleak and Shadow, sax player, one wants to keep Giant in the band and one, doesn’t. Mo’ Better Blues has all the flavors a good film needs film with a lot of energy. This beautifully executed film has to be on everyone’s musical list, for sure. Dive into the world of city jazz!
11. Inside Man (2006)
Inside Man subtly addresses the turbulent atmosphere of post-9/11 New York City within the framework of a heist movie, taking a similar approach to a genre that directors like Alan Pakula and Sidney Lumet employed to confront Watergate and the Vietnam era with movies like The Parallax View and Network.
It is one of the most rewatchable movies on this list, thanks to its effortless entertainment value and multilayered suspense-driven storytelling, mobilizes the tight structure of a crime thriller as a taut takedown of police corruption and financial manipulation.
12. BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Lee’s Oscar-winning biopic BlacKkKlansman, which details Ron Stallworth’s (John David Washington) infiltration of the KKK as an overt critique of systemic racism in the United States, differs from Inside Man in that it forgoes subtext to make its political commentary the primary text.
10 Best Spike Lee TV Shows & Where to Stream
1. She’s Gotta Have It
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee
- Cast: DeWanda Wise, Anthony Wise, Cleo Anthony
- IMDb Ratings: 6.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 77%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
From his 1986 feature film with the same name comes this two seasons comedy series. Lee, the creator and executive producer of the show, managed to be accurate with his character depictions and storyline.
The plot revolves around Nora Darling, an artist, learning to manage her actual self along with three of her lovers. The series has too much love, albeit a bit messy. The show is about honesty, loyalty, and being true to yourself. “She’s Gotta Have It” is an experience that should be lived.
2. Spike Lee’s Lil Joints
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee
- Cast: Kobe Bryant, Tamika Catchings, Stephon Marbury
- IMDb Ratings: 2.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes:
- Streaming Platform: AppleTV
Shelton Jackson Lee created this Television Program to tell the world stories about some African American individuals’ grit, strength, and passion. There are five episodes in Volume 1, with tales of NBA players, activists, hockey players, and much more.
The show is inspiring beyond words and gives an insight into their worlds, challenges, and struggles.
ESPN made a one-hour TV movie by collaborating with Spike Lee’s Lil joint, calling it “2 Fists Up”. These stories were given a chance to be heard because of Lee.
3. Shark
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Ian Biederman
- Cast: James Wood, Danielle Panabaker, Sophina Brown
- IMDb Ratings: 8.0/10
- Rotten Tomatoes:
- Streaming Platform: Online/CBS
These 38 episodes of tv shows are about a corrupt lawyer, Sebastian Stark, who only worked for money and name until he frees a murderer who goes on to kill someone else. With that guilt, Stark changes his sides and starts fighting for the good, which might be a problem for him and others. The premise is high on the moral compass.
The performances by the actors are stellar in both seasons, unfortunately, the show was discontinued after two seasons. However, this legal Drama is exciting at every turn and won’t be a lullaby.
4. Miracle’s Boys
- Director: Spike Lee, Ernest Dickerson, Neema Barnette, Bill Duke, and LeVar Burton
- Writers: Kevin Arkadie, Stephen Langford, Dawn Urbont
- Cast: Pooch Hall, Sean Nelson, Julito McCullum
- IMDb Ratings: 5.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
- Streaming Platform: Online
The mini-series has one season in which Spike Lee directed three episodes. It’s about two young boys with their older brother who must learn to fend for themselves after their parent’s death. The series takes us to the three kids’ hardships and how different their life is.
A novel written by Jacqueline Woodson inspires the series. The entire setting is situated in one place, Harlem. Miracle’s Boys is one of those shows which is real, fun and has a lot of Drama.
5. Sucker Free City (TV Movie)
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Alex Tse
- Cast: Anthony Mackie, Ben Crowley, Ken Leung
- IMDb Ratings: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
- Streaming Platform: Online
This 2-hour long story in the cable network follows three men from different walks of life, with their lifestyles, who get sucked into the world of crimes. There are black, white, and Asian characters who are relatable and different which adds to the fun of this TV movie.
Much to everyone’s dismay, Showtime didn’t pick this series up for a proper series, and hence, the only thing people got was this film curated specially for Television. The direction and cinematography are commendable and act as cherries on top of this beautiful sundae.
6. Rodney King
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Roger Guenveur Smith
- Cast: Roger Guenveur Smith
- IMDb Ratings: 5.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
- Streaming Platform: Netflix
Rodney King lived as an author and activist and faced Police Brutality. Although he was arrested for Drunk Driving, the ruthless beatings he took from the Los Angeles Police department got the people very angry, and his story was on every news channel, radio, and paper.
Rodney King, 2017 is a one-man show as it’s written and performed by Smith and directed by Lee. The show is Smith enacting Rodney King and depicting his life story with voice changes and role-plays.
7. When The Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee, Wendell Pierce, Kanye West, Sheila Nevins
- Cast: Terence Blanchard, Wendell Pierce
- IMDb Ratings: 8.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
- Streaming Platform: HBO
Spike Lee was known to be a good director-producer. Being a director means portraying a tragic, dramatic, scary story with so much beauty and tidiness that the viewer starts feeling the emotions shown on the screen or imagining the heartbreak. This is a documentary or a TV film of four acts about the aftermath of hurricane Katrina which shook New Orleans.
The background score used some noteworthy musicians, and the lyrics were appropriate in every sense. There were still photographs and victims talking about the flood and how they would go from this. The documentary is touching.
8. Kobe Doin’ Work
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee
- Cast: Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom
- IMDb Ratings: 6.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 57%
- Streaming Platform: ESPN
Spike Lee and 30 cameras following the legendary player in the basketball world, Kobe Bryant. A 255-minute documentary shows the world the life of Bryant during his 2007-2008 lakers time. “Mamba Mentality “is something we have only heard of, but in this TV movie, we see his discipline, passion, mamba mentality, and way with life and basketball. This is easily one of the best sports documentaries and a great tribute to the champion.
9. Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off the Wall
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Spike Lee
- Cast: Michael Jackson, The Weeknd, Kobe Bryant, John Legend
- IMDb Ratings: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
- Streaming Platform: Online
Michael Jackson, King of Pop, has had one long journey to get to this title, and this documentary covers all that and more. After directing a film on his life called “Bad 25”, this footage found documentary talks about the challenges, struggles, and achievements of MJ. In addition, a line of great singers and rappers share the experiences they’ve shared with him or lessons they’ve learned from him.
Spike lee studied MJ and his greatness to create the whole documentary. He got Jackson’s music and persona in the light rather than the various controversies he was entangled with as a sign of respect and to truly show what Michael Jackson stood for. With this documentary, the world saw how this child star from Indiana became this universal icon.
10. Katt Williams: Priceless: Afterlife
- Director: Spike Lee
- Writer: Katt Williams
- Cast: Katt Williams
- IMDb Ratings: 6.2/10
- Streaming Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Micah Sierra “Katt” Williams is an American comedian, who is loud, a total firecracker, and insanely witty. Williams’ comedy special, which was aired on TV and directed by Spike Lee, is about a lot of bold subjects like homophobia, drugs, and all that Jazz. It has pretty big laughs.
Spike Lee’s films, or joints, as he calls them are revolutionary and path breaking. From inspirational to dark comedy, he has covered it all, all this while staying true to his authentic style. Every project he is part of is known to have a hidden meaning or agenda behind it which makes it a masterpiece. Spike Lee movies and TV shows are something any cinema lover would cherish.
