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Spike Lee is one of the world’s most renowned directors. His movies are genre-bending and unique; he’s often credited with creating the “double dolly shot” and incorporating numerous fourth wall breaks and musical influences in his features.
Lee’s movies aren’t only relevant because of his directing trademarks; he often tackles Black issues and oppression Black people have faced throughout history. Fans of Spike Lee may have a tough time finding movies of a similar style or topic, but some could evoke a very Lee-like charm.
10 ‘Tokyo Tribe’ (Shion Sono, 2014)
Did anyone ever imagine they wanted a Japanese hip-hop musical? Sion Sono (often Shion Sono) did. This poet-turned-director has some bizarre features but often falls on the list of the most influential Japanese filmmakers. Sono embraces and combines oddity with man’s inner desires and isn’t afraid to make waves with controversial choices.
Tokyo Tribe is a hip-hop musical about post-apocalyptic Tokyo where people live divided into tribes. The dialogue is mostly rapping, and the Japanese language rings smoothly, although getting used to it is awkward at first. This could remind viewers of Spike Lee because it emphasizes music and subculture, and has stunning tracking shots. Other than that, it’s insane (in a good way).
9 ‘Kung Fu Hustle’ (Stephen Chow, 2004)
Ensemble action comedy Kung Fu Hustle is one of Stephen Chow‘s masterpieces. This director is also the lead of the film, in which he portrays Sing, as a prospect for a gang. He wishes to join the Axe Gang, which rules over one small town in the 1940s.
However, the neighborhood/apartment complex that Sing inevitably leads the Axe Gang to is riddled with kung fu professionals in hiding. Although they seem ordinary, they’re masters of the trade and can take on any enemy. Kung Fu Hustle is clever, witty, and amazingly choreographed. It also has an amusing opening sequence, which could easily evoke Spike Lee.
8 ‘Funny Games’ (Michael Haneke, 2007)
Funny Games is incredibly popular among movie buffs, but it’s heavily underrated among wider audiences. Perhaps Michael Haneke‘s unusual style of storytelling deters people from the point, or it could be the copious amounts of gratuitous violence. This tense and terrifying thriller is one of the best cinema has to offer.
The movie is especially interesting as the tension comes from a lot of fourth-wall breaks. Michael Pitt especially dominates the screen, where he often turns to the audience. Many of Spike Lee’s characters talk to the camera directly, although perhaps not as creepily as Pitt does in Funny Games.
7 ‘Victoria’ (Sebastian Schipper, 2015)
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Victoria is, sadly, rarely discussed since it debuted in 2015. This German/Spanish film swept award shows when it came out, but it was released almost under the radar in cinemas. For movie buffs, this is one of the films with the most amazing tracking shots out there – although the entire movie was made in one single take.
Laia Costa plays Victoria, a young Spanish girl who recently moved to Berlin. After attending a party, she enters a café and meets Sonne (Frederick Lau). The two have incredible chemistry, but Sonne’s friends involve them in actions beyond Victoria’s imagination. Spike Lee fans would appreciate not just the tracking shots, but the sudden yet foreshadowed escalation, including raw performances.
6 ‘Athena’ (Romain Gavras, 2022)
Athena is the most recent addition on the list, and it has so much that Spike Lee would depict – tracking shots, stories of inequality and police brutality, and violent escalations. Athena was superbly delivered by Romain Gavras and stars the acclaimed actor Dali Benssalah (who international audiences may know from No Time To Die).
The movie opens with preparations for a riot; the police have brutally murdered a 13-year-old boy, and his brother Karim wants justice and vengeance. At times, the movie depicts both sides of the conflict, from Karim’s brother feeling conflicted about his actions, to the SWAT officer who ends up alone in the middle of the rioters’ lair.
5 ‘Dead Presidents’ (Albert & Allen Hughes, 1995)
Dead Presidents is a star-studded movie that isn’t talked about enough. Larenz Tate stars as a Vietnam War veteran who comes back to the US, looking to establish himself after a traumatic wartime event. Next to him, there are Chris Tucker, Keith David, and Bookem Woodbine, among many others.
The themes of war and trauma may remind viewers of Lee’s Da 5 Bloods. Chris Tucker delivers a performance of his career in this movie, which, despite being a heist flick in theme, is more so a poignant study of the involvement of young Black men in the Vietnam War.
4 ‘Higher Learning’ (John Singleton, 1995)
John Singleton‘s Higher Learning is a stellar ensemble cast feature, led by Omar Epps, Michael Rappaport, and Regina King, among many others. The story revolves around college students at the Columbus University campus, and their struggles against adversity of many kinds, pitting numerous contrasting topics against each other.
Despite all trouble, the most obvious and compelling issue in the movie is racism. The Black students’ struggle isn’t depicted as one-sided, though. Singleton showed individuals struggling within society and themselves. Spike Lee’s movies often introduce numerous characters, and Higher Learning might remind viewers of his features.
3 ‘Mean Streets’ (Martin Scorsese, 1973)
Spike Lee listed Martin Scorsese‘s Mean Streets as one of the must-watch films for filmmakers, but interestingly enough, a lot of the movie has a Spike Lee feel to it. Mean Streets is also, almost undoubtedly, Scorsese’s most underrated movie. Maybe because it’s one of his earliest films, besides Boxcar Bertha and Who’s That Knocking At My Door.
Still, Mean Streets is a film masterclass. Harvey Keitel and Robert de Niro play cousins Charlie and Johnny. Charlie is a devout Catholic, but he seems to always find himself solving his cousin Johnny’s problems. He’s keen on helping Johnny get out of trouble, but often gets dragged in himself. This movie had a small budget, but some of the best handheld camera shots film has ever seen.
2 ‘I Am Cuba’ (Mikhail Kalotozov, 1964)
I Am Cuba, often known as Soy Cuba, is a masterful depiction of social layers during the late 1950s in Cuba. Four stories unite into one – an American-led casino and hotel in Havana, a farmer burning his sugar cane fields, students rioting at Havana University, and farmers uniting with rebels against bombing in the mountains.
The final shots of the film depict the announcement of the Revolution. The contrast between the vignettes is emphasized with POV directing. Most of the camera movement is at the actors’ level and rarely pans away from them. Viewers get the feeling of being there, even during the long tracking shot in which the cameramen pass the camera to each other to create one long scene.
1 ‘Small Axe’ anthology (Steve McQueen, 2020)
Small Axe is a Steve McQueen triumph – it elevates his directing style, tackles historical racial issues, and depicts real-life characters that fought for equality between the 1970s and 1980s in London. This anthology could rather be considered a series, but all five stories have a movie-length duration and speak volumes as standalone features.
The first movie is Mangrove, which follows the Mangrove Nine – a group of Black men that clashed with the police, and the first trial in which the police were tried for racially motivated violence. The second is an emotional and ingenious story of an all-night party titled Lovers Rock; The third, Red, White, and Blue, stars John Boyega as Leroy Logan, one of the first Black officers in the Metropolitan Police. Alex Wheatle portrays the life of the famous poet of the same name, from growing up in foster care to finding his footing in Brixton. Finally, Education is about subtle yet painfully evident segregation in schools. All the movies are intertwined with some real-life footage of rioting, protests, and powerful stands for equality by Black residents of London.
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