Valentine’s Day may be in the rearview mirror, but that doesn’t mean romance has to end, especially when you consider my favorite romance movie of the last quarter-century is now in the Max streaming library — Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Love & Basketball. I’d go so far as to say that it’s even better than some of the most popular films of the genre (including The Notebook and Fifty Shades of Grey).
For those of you who aren’t as familiar, Love & Basketball follows the epic romance of Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) and Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) from young teens into adulthood. As they go through highs and plenty of lows, and even when the pair aren’t together, they find themselves forever connected through their mutual adoration of basketball. And if you haven’t guessed, Monica and Quincy’s love for the sport is a beautifully crafted metaphor for their feelings for each other.
To date, despite all of the remarkable work both Lathan and Epps have done in Hollywood over the years (like the Best Man films and series for Lathan, and House for Epps), Love & Basketball will forever be their standout work in my eyes. Even though this is a Hollywood production, the actors do a fantastic job of capturing how complicated it can be to figure out love with another human being. Between reflecting the level of difficulty required to being vulnerable with another person, the balancing act of selfish ambition and sacrificial compromise, the requirement of forgiveness and just the overall patience it requires to pursue a happily ever after, under Prince-Bythewood’s direction, Lathan and Epps deserve all the rave reviews.
It’s also worth noting that beyond Lathan and Epps, the movie sees pretty memorable performances from Hollywood legends Alfre Woodard and Debbi Morgan, some appearances from Regina Hall and Gabrielle Union and Kyla Pratt taking on the role of a young Monica.
If you still need a little nudge to check out this gem of a movie, then perhaps knowing it’s Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 85% score (with WTW even naming it one of the best Black movies of the last 25 years) will help. Additionally, you can check out a trailer for Love & Basketball below.
Again, Love & Basketball is now streaming on Max. So whether you’re interested in watching for the first time or eager to watch it again as the movie celebrates a quarter of a century, you’ll need a subscription to the streaming platform. With a subscription, you'll also have access to other content such as the recently raved-about Luther: Never Too Much and The White Lotus season 3.
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