Happy birthday, Regina King: Academy Awardee's must-watch films
Hollywood actor-director Regina King turned 53 years old on Monday. Counted among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2019, the Academy Award winner started her film career in 1988 with the fantasy comedy film Scrooged. Since then, she has launched herself into work passionately, taking on directing, acting, and voice-acting projects. On her birthday, watch these films.
'Poetic Justice' (1993)
John Singleton's Poetic Justice co-starred Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Joe Torry, and Rose Weaver. It featured King as Iesha, the friend of the protagonist, Justice. IMDb describes it as follows, "Grieving hairdresser Justice goes on a road trip from South Central LA to Oakland on a mail truck alongside her friend and an obnoxious postal worker." You can rent it on Amazon Prime Video.
'Enemy of the State' (1998)
Enemy of the State, directed by Tony Scott, features a large ensemble—including Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Loren Dean, and Scott Caan, among others—with King in a key role. Its Rotten Tomatoes critics' consensus reads, "An entertaining, topical thriller that finds director Tony Scott on solid form and Will Smith confirming his action headliner status." The political action thriller is available on Disney+ Hotstar.
'If Beale Street Could Talk' (2018)
King's role in If Beale Street Could Talk—available to rent on Prime Video—earned her an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor). The romantic drama, directed by Barry Jenkins, is based on James Baldwin's eponymous novel. The plot reads, "A young woman embraces her pregnancy while she and her family set out to prove her childhood friend and lover innocent of a crime he didn't commit."
'The Harder They Fall' (2021)
Jeymes Samuel-helmed The Harder They Fall was released on Netflix in November 2021 (after a limited theatrical release) to glowing reviews for its storyline, direction, and cast ensemble. Starring a predominantly Black cast comprising Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Idris Elba, Delroy Lindo, RJ Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler, and Edi Gathegi, it is a story about outlaws and cowboys. King essayed the role of Trudy Smith.
