directed by: Robert Townsend, year: 1991
actors: Leon Robinson, Clifton Powell, Tico Wells, Darius McCrary

"The Five Heartbeats" is a 1991 drama-musical directed by Robert Townsend about a fictional soul group formed in the 1950s who rise to fame only to confront the conflict between artistry, friendship, and the brutal demands of the music business. Spanning decades, the film blends electrifying performances with intimate vignettes, showing how ambition, loyalty, and personal turmoil shape the band’s choices, relationships, and ultimate fate amid the changing tides of American popular music.

Motown, Musical Drama, Period Drama, Black Cinema