The Best Jamaican Movies with Reggae Soundtracks & Rastafarianism
Jamaica is home to some of the world’s greatest beaches, exotic food, and world famous reggae music. It is also the inspiration behind many great movies about Caribbean culture, reggae music, and Rastafarianism. Because of that, we have assembled the most comprehensive list on the web of what we believe to be the greatest movies about Jamaica, reggae music, and Rastafari.
This list includes both movies and documentaries that are either filmed in Jamaica, star Jamaican actors, or in some way address the culture and concepts of reggae music and Jamaican life. Some of these movies are several decades old and were filmed on extremely low budgets in Jamaica. So their overall quality is as expected. Others are more recent releases that are a little more enjoyable for the casual viewer. Additionally, most of these films have Jamaican Patois spoken, which can be difficult to understand if you haven’t had much exposure to the language before.
Shottas (2002)
In the star studded Jamaican movie, Shottas, Ky-Mani Marley, Spragga Benz & Louie Rankin, take you on a journey in this confusing and very low budget film about Jamaican gangsters and organized crime in Kingston and Miami. After watching this movie, you may find yourself having to look up more information to find out exactly what it is about.
The plot of the movie Shottas follows two young Jamaican youths who first turn to a life of crime as young children. They go back and forth between Jamaica and the U.S. committing crimes until eventually most of the cast has been killed off.
Dancehall Queen (1997)
Dancehall Queen is a famous Jamaican film featuring Audrey Reid, alongside several other notable Jamaican stars, including Lady Saw, Beenie Man, & Carl Bradshaw. The plot of Dancehall Queen follows a street vendor who enters a dance contest in an effort to win some money and pit her enemies against each other.
Everything about the film is very 90’s, which isn’t a great selling point outside of the soundtrack, which features songs from Black Uhuru as well as dancehall legends Beenie Man and Bounty killer.
Third World Cop (1999)
Third World Cop is the late 90’s Jamaican action movie that became what is today the highest-grossing Jamaican film in box offices to this date. This is a Jamaican produced film so Jamaican Patois is spoken throughout the entire movie, which can be hard to follow for the untrained ear.
The plot of the movie takes place in Kingston, where a law enforcement officer has returned to his hometown to find that his former best friend is involved in a local organized crime ring.
The soundtrack features music by several Jamaican reggae and dancehall artists, including Beenie Man, Lady G, and Sly & Robbie.
Roots Time (2006)
Roots Time is a Jamaican film that tells the story of two Rastafarian men who drive the country side of Jamaica in their vehicle turned radio studio, selling records and preaching the words of Rastafari. Things get interesting when their radio wagon turns into an impromptu ambulance for a new friend.
Despite the film being only 15 years old, the production quality is more in line with some of the much older films on this list. Most viewers will struggle to make sense of the long drawn out dialogue between the two main characters, who speak in thick Jamaican Patois and island slang.
One Love (2003)
One Love is romantic film from the writers of The Harder They Come. The movie features Ky-Mani Marley (Shottas), Idris Elba (Yardie), and Cherine Anderson (Dancehall Queen).
When a music contest brings talent from across the island together to compete, Kassa (Ky-Mani Marley) a rasta man and musician, and Serena (Cherine Anderson) a gospel singer, fall in love. As their feelings for one another grow, they struggle to make their relationship work as the church (and her fiancee) forbid it.
One Love has a great sound track, featuring music by Bob Marley, Sean Paul, Shaggy and more.
Babylon (1980)
Babylon is a 1980’s British drama film that tells the story of the 80’s British reggae scene and the West Indian communities that inspired it.
Babylon highlights the racial tensions and police brutality that was taking place in Brixton, London during that time. From the perspective of a man named Blue (Brindsley Forde), who leads a sound system in Southwest London, viewers are shown the struggle of Jamaicans and black community members in Brixton during the early eighties.
Countryman (1982)
Countryman is cult classic Jamaican film featuring music from Bob Marley and the Wailers. The movie tells the story of a Jamaican bushman, played by Edwin Lothan, who rescues two foreigners who survived a plane crash in the sea.
He is forced to use his jungle survival skills to help himself and his new friends evade capture from a politically motivated group of soldiers. The couple learns the ways of the land and Jamaican culture along the way, as their island guardian smokes ganja, cuts fruit, and cooks fish while helping them flee for their lives.
The entire movie was filmed on site in Jamaica and has a soundtrack packed full of great 80’s reggae hits by Lee “Scratch” Perry, Bob Marley & the Wailers, Steel Pulse, Dennis Brown, and Toots & The Maytals.
The Upsetter: The Life and Music of Lee Scratch Perry (2008)
Lee Scratch Perry, better known in Jamaica as “The Upsetter” or “Pipecock Jackson” spent his lifetime as one of the greatest and most fascinating reggae record producers and personalities of all time.
The Upsetter takes a long hard look at his early life growing up in Jamaica and how he grew to become one of the most recognized names in the reggae music industry. The documentary is narrated by Benecio Del Toro, who trudges slowly through the details of this story while old video clips and footage of Lee play in the background.
The documentary provides a unique perspective on the history of reggae music from a name that not everyone outside of the reggae world knows. After hearing the songs he produced, you will quickly understand why he remains such an impactful character. And “character” is putting it lightly.
Rest in power.
Better Mus' Come (2010)
Better Mus’ Come is a Jamaican film inspired by the real historical events of the Green Bay Massacre. The film takes place in 1970’s Jamaica, where political conflict has created turmoil across the island that leads to a gray area between gangs and government.
Better Mus’ Come received awards at both the 2012 American Black Film Festival and the 2014 Black Real Awards.
While a dramatization of the actual events, the movie serves as an important reminder of Jamaica’s troubled history with corruption in government.
Cool Runnings (1993)
Cool Runnings is an American Disney original sports comedy classic film that tells the true story of a team of Jamaican bobsledders who overcome every obstacle in their way to compete in the olympics.
The movie stars Canadian actor John Candy, who plays the role of the disgraced bobsled coach who takes interest in the team and ultimately leads them to their victory.
The film does have some good laughs and, while no Jamaican actors actually made an appearance, the movie at least vaguely exposed the early 90’s Disney family movie crowd to the idea of Jamaica and cultural differences.
Reincarnated (2012)
Reincarnated is a documentary film that follows the journey of the one and only, Snoop Dog, as he embarks on a midlife crisis trip to Jamaican to discover his rasta roots and record an all reggae music album of his own under his new name and rasta identity, “Snoop Lion.”
The good news is that the documentary was in fact filmed in Jamaica. There are some brief appearances made by real Jamaican reggae artists. And the album he produced (Reincarnated) has several tracks on it that aren’t half bad.
The bad news is that his sudden and brief proclamation of Rastafari was considered pretty tone deaf within the Rasta community. And the fact that he didn’t stick with Rastafarianism, reggae music, or the name “Snoop Lion” for more than a year, only exasperated those feelings.
It probably didn’t help either that the documentary was released the same year as the award winning Marley documentary.
Marley (2012)
Marley is the most complete and thorough documentary about the life and career of reggae music legend, Bob Marley. This documentary tells the story of Bob from the perspective of his friends and family as well as insights from various other music historians and biographers.
The film is directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) and features interviews with Rita Marley, Ziggy Marley, Bunny Wailer, Jimmy Cliff, and more.
Much to the satisfaction of ganja loving reggae fans everyone, the two and half hour long documentary debuted in theaters on 4/20.
The documentary was very well received among reggae fans and casual movie goers alike, containing plenty of live footage and interviews with Bob, and of course, a fantastic soundtrack of his greatest tunes.
Sprinter (2018)
The movie Sprinter is said to closely mirror the life of Jamaican olympic runner, Usain Bolt, who stars in the movie as himself. With Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith as executive producers, the film was an Audience Award Winner at both the 2018 and 2019 American Black Film Festivals and received several additional awards and recognitions.
The plot of the movie follows a Jamaican teenager who is struggling with his home life due to his father and older brother while his mother is living illegally in the US.
Inspired by Usain Bolt, he hopes that track-and-field will be his ticket out as well and reunite him with his mother.
Wah Do Dem (2009)
Wah Do Dem is a great movie about Jamaica that explores the culture of the island from the unusual perspective of a young American tourist.
In the movie Wah Do Dem, we follow a college aged kid from Brooklynn, who after winning tickets for a Caribbean cruise, has found himself stranded on the island. At first he is enjoying himself before he is promptly robbed of all of his possessions and is forced to set out on foot to the American embassy in Kingston. Along the way, he encounters Rastas, gangsters, dancehalls, and more, and is left with an impression of Jamaica that is bitter sweet.
The movie stars Sean Bones with a brief appearance by Carl Bradshaw (The Harder They Come.) The movie was filmed in Jamaica and has many great scenes set against pristine beaches and the Jamaican countryside.
The Harder They Come (1972)
The Harder They Come is a 1970’s Jamaican film starring Jimmy Cliff as a young country boy who comes to the city and finds himself struggling to make ends meet. After recording a hit record that still earns him nothing, he decides that the only way to get the fame and fortune he is after is to become Jamaica’s most wanted killer.
The film has a fantastic sound track of classic reggae music, including songs by The Melodians, Desmond Dekker, Toots and the Maytals, and of course, Jimmy Cliff.
Despite the age of this movie, it still holds strong as a great work of Jamaican cinema. The Harder They Come was directed by Perry Henzell, a white Jamaican, and the movie was Jamaica’s first feature film.
Yardie (2019)
Yardie is the directorial debut of British actor and DJ, Idris Elba, who’s Jamaican connection comes from his experience growing up in London’s West Indian community.
The movie follows a young man named Dennis, who has grown a lot since witnessing the murder of his reggae loving rastafarian uncle, “Jerry Dread,” who’s only crime was promoting peace in the ghetto. Now Dennis is working for the very same gangsters his uncle tried to unite and is sent to London to deliver drugs to another Jamaican dealer.
Things get heated when he botches the deal and strikes out on his own. As he is chased around 70’s London, he finds several people from his past, including his childhood sweetheart, his daughter, and the man who killed his uncle.
The soundtrack for the movie Yardie is full of great tracks from the London dancehalls of this time, and features songs by Dennis Brown, Yellowman, Black Uhuru, The Abyssinians, Max Romeo, and more.
Rockers (1978)
There will never be a greater cinematic depiction of Jamaican life, rasta people, and reggae music, than there is in the movie Rockers. Rockers stars many of the era’s greatest reggae artists, including Burning Spear, Leroy “Horsemouth” Wallace, Big Youth, Gregory Isaacs, Jacob Miller, and Kiddus I.
The original movie concept was for a documentary, but it blossomed into what would become a reggae music cult classic.
The plot of the movie Rockers follows a rasta man named “Horsemouth” who drums for a band called Burning Spear. After buying a bike to start his own businesses selling records to sound systems, the bike is soon stolen from him and he has to risk life and limb to get it back.
The movie Rockers has the best reggae music soundtrack of any movie ever made.
