8 Best Sidney Poitier Movies

By Vlad Zakh · January 9, 2026

Drama thought provoking

Sidney Poitier broke barriers as the first Black actor to become a major Hollywood leading man, choosing roles that confronted racism head on without ever sacrificing his characters’ dignity. In the Heat of the Night enlists a Black detective to solve a murder in a hostile Mississippi town, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner tests a progressive couple’s beliefs, To Sir, with Love wins a rough London class through respect, and A Patch of Blue falls for a blind white girl. Lilies of the Field, A Raisin in the Sun, The Defiant Ones and Blackboard Jungle round out the list.

To Sir, with Love (1967) 01

To Sir, with Love (1967)

TMDB ★ 7.6

Sidney Poitier plays a new teacher at a rough London school who wins over his rebellious students through respect.

Directed by James Clavell · 1h 45m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) 02

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A progressive couple's values are tested when their daughter brings home her Black fiance to meet them.

Directed by Stanley Kramer · 1h 48m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Philo, YouTube TV, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
In the Heat of the Night (1967) 03

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

IMDb ★ 7.9 RT 96% Metacritic 76

A Black homicide detective reluctantly assists a hostile Southern police force with a murder case.

Directed by Norman Jewison · 1h 49m · Rated PG-13

Won 5 Oscars24 wins & 16 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: History Vault, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
A Patch of Blue (1965) 04

A Patch of Blue (1965)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A blind young white woman forms an unlikely friendship with a kind Black man, unaware of her family's prejudice.

Directed by Guy Green · 1h 45m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Philo · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Lilies of the Field (1963) 05

Lilies of the Field (1963)

TMDB ★ 7.4

An itinerant handyman is persuaded by a group of nuns to help them build a chapel in the desert.

Directed by Ralph Nelson · 1h 34m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
A Raisin in the Sun (1961) 06

A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A Black family in Chicago argues over how to spend an insurance windfall, amid conflicting dreams and prejudice.

Directed by Daniel Petrie · 2h 08m

Where to watch

Stream: Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
The Defiant Ones (1958) 07

The Defiant Ones (1958)

TMDB ★ 7.7

Cara Williams appears as two escaped convicts, one Black and one white, chained together, have to overcome their hatred to survive.

Directed by Stanley Kramer · 1h 36m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus · Rent or buy: Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd
Blackboard Jungle (1955) 08

Blackboard Jungle (1955)

TMDB ★ 6.9

A new teacher at a tough inner-city school struggles to reach a class of rebellious students.

Directed by Richard Brooks · 1h 41m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

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Vlad Zakh

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.