When we find ourselves wondering if a certain film is "good," we often end up on Rotten Tomatoes to see its percentage rating as a starting point. The website has a lot of influence on the film industry, as recently pointed out by M. Night Shyamalan. The popular film and TV website also compiles "best of" lists, and that includes Black cinema. In honor of Black History Month, we took a closer look at this particular list. After all, there are countless films that have honored the historic month.

Black cinema is typically defined as movies that are centered on African American stories and characters, or — as in the case of Oscar-nominated films like Black Panther — were made by Black filmmakers and embraced by African American audiences. The 12 films below are narrowed down from Rotten Tomatoes' list, starting with the highest-ranked films that earned their spots from at least 100 critics' reviews.

1 Selma (2014) — 99%

With a Rotten Tomatoes critics' rating of 99% based on 315 reviews, Selma was produced by Oprah Winfrey and follows with a close lens the discrimination that was still rampant in certain areas despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregating the South. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Despite violent opposition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his followers pressed forward on an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, and their efforts culminated with President Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

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2 The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020) — 99%

With a 99% critics rating based on 135 reviews, The Forty-Year-Old Version is a clever play on the title of that infamous Steve Carell comedy, for starters. This new "version" follows Radha, a down-on-her-luck New York playwright desperate for a breakthrough before that infamous age of 40. Reinventing herself as rapper RadhaMUSPrime, she vacillates between the worlds of hip-hop and theater to find her true voice. The monochrome, laugh-out-loud Netflix film features stellar supporting turns by familiar faces, but it is Radha Blank who steals the show. We hope to see more from her down the line.

3 Miss Juneteenth (2020) — 99%

With a critics' rating of 99% based on 115 reviews, Miss Juneteenth follows Turquoise Jones (Nicole Beharie), a single mother in a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas. She is the former winner of the local Miss Juneteenth pageant, which offers full scholarship to a historically Black college. She enters her 15-year-old daughter, Kai (Alexis Chikaeze) in the same pageant — despite her daughter's obvious lack of enthusiasm. The film is graced with knockout performances and won awards at South by Southwest, the BlackStar Film Festival, and the National Board of Review.

4 Get Out (2017) — 98%

Jordan Peele rightfully got the Oscar for this gem that has a 98% critics' rating based on 403 reviews. Most of us know this unique tale by heart: in Get Out, Chris Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, so she invites him for a weekend getaway with Missy (Catherine Keener) and Dean (Bradley Whitford). At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries leads him to a truth that he never could have imagined.

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5 Moonlight (2016) — 98%

Remember that infamous Oscars ceremony where Moonlight's Best Picture trophy was temporarily (and incorrectly) snatched up by the La La Land folks? With a 98% critics' rating based on 398 reviews, Moonlight was correctly named Best Picture that year, thanks to director Barry Jenkins and a stellar, Oscar-winning cast. The screen adaptation of a groundbreaking play offers a compelling look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young Black man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to manhood is guided by the kindness, support, and love of the community that helps raise him.

6 One Night in Miami... (2020) — 98%

With such an instant crowd-pleaser like Regina King's directorial hit, it's no wonder One Night in Miami... has a 98% rating based on 344 critic reviews. On one incredible night in 1964, four icons of sports, music, and activism gathered to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. When underdog Cassius Clay, soon to be called Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), defeats heavyweight champion Sonny Liston at the Miami Convention Hall, Clay memorialized the event with three of his friends: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Oscar nominee Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge). The end result is thought-provoking and very entertaining.

7 Till (2022) — 98%

Till is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till Mobley's relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, who in 1955 was brutally lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. The awards-caliber film currently has a 98% Rotten Tomatoes rating based on 172 reviews. In Mamie's poignant journey of grief turned to action, we see the universal power of a mother's ability to change the world. Folks were disappointed to see she wasn't Oscar-nominated for the role, but we see a bright future for star Danielle Deadwyler.

8 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) — 97%

Very impressive and deserving that Into the Spider-Verse has a 97% rating thanks to 396 critic reviews. It took home an Academy Award, after all. The unique storyline follows Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales as he suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world. Featuring a stacked cast of A-listers voicing the layered characters, it's no surprise Into the Spider-Verse has a sequel in the works.

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9 Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) — 97%

This Oscar-winning stunner garnered a 97% critics' rating based on 350 reviews. It follows FBI informant William O'Neal (Oscar-nominee LaKeith Stanfield) as he infiltrates the Illinois Black Panther Party and is tasked with keeping tabs on their charismatic leader, Chairman Fred Hampton (Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya). A career thief, O'Neal revels in the danger of manipulating both his comrades and his handler, Special Agent Roy Mitchell (a knockout Jesse Plemons). Hampton's political prowess grows just as he's falling in love with fellow revolutionary Deborah Johnson (the excellent Dominique Fishback). Meanwhile, a battle wages for O'Neal's soul. Judas and the Black Messiah will make you weep, in a good way, and will surely be re-watched for generations.

10 Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) — 97%

The late, great Chadwick Boseman was arguably snubbed from a Best Actor Academy Award following this wildly entertaining screen adaptation of a hit play. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom rightfully gained a 97% rating based on 314 critic reviews. We watch as tensions and temperatures rise at a Chicago music studio in 1927 when fiery, fearless blues' singer Ma Rainey (now-EGOT winner Viola Davis) joins her band for a recording session. Boseman's character is infuriating to watch, but the actor's performance is magnetic to the bone.

11 Dolemite Is My Name (2019) — 97%

Standing at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 236 critics' reviews, Dolemite Is My Name follows performer Rudy Ray Moore (Eddie Murphy) as he develops an outrageous character named Dolemite. The film is a hilarious and heartfelt ride as "Dolemite" becomes an underground sensation and star of a kung-fu, anti-establisment film that could make or break Moore. Featuring stellar supporting tuns by Wesley Snipes and more, Dolemite is a great way to see the iconic Eddie Murphy back in action.

12 The Hate U Give (2018) — 97%

The Hate U Give is a thought-provoking character study that has a 97% critics' rating thanks to 227 reviews. Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly Black neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy, mostly white prep school that she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is soon shattered when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer. Facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and decide to stand up for what's right. It's a contemplative film that will make you think about the society we currently live in.