10 Best Black & White Films Of The 21st Century (So Far)

10. Mank (2020)

David Fincher's Mank stars Gary Oldman as Herman J. Mankiewicz, an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who's been selected to write the script for Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. Herman takes a long time to write the script, much to the discomfort of Welles and some producers. Additionally, Herman's non-linear story and controversial content within the script doesn't ease anyone's concerns.

Fincher takes a fascinating look inside the politics and studio drama of the late 1930s and early 1940s, giving viewers a taste of the era. The decision to shoot in black and white allowed the film to have a more nostalgic quality that placed audiences more firmly within the period in which the story takes place. In many ways, it feels more real than it would have, had it been photographed in color.

The monochromatic images do more than transport viewers back in time, they also serve to stun moviegoers with their beauty. The remarkable work cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt did on Mank earned him a well-deserved Academy Award for Best Cinematography.