Naked Acts

Naked Acts is a 1996 American drama film written and directed by Bridgett M. Davis.

Synopsis

A young actress who just landed a part in her first movie. However it requires her to perform a nude scene, which she does not want to do due to an insecurity stemming from her mother's career in Blaxploitation films.

Cast

Jake-Ann Jones as Cicely
Patricia DeArcy as Lydia Love
John McKie as Marcel Brown
Ron Cephas Jones as Joel
Renee Cox as Diana

Release

The film had trouble finding a distributor when it was first made, so director Bridgett M. Davis distributed it herself. It would later see a distribution via Milestone films and Kino Lorber. The movie was released on Blu-ray Feb 18, 2025.

Reception

Unpon the re-release Richard Brody of the New Yorker praised the movies themes, saying "it boldly embodies grand archetypes and underexplored legacies of Black cinema". It was included in the 2001 book The 50 Most Influential Black Films by S. Torriano Berry.