Black Tea (2025): Cast, Ratings & Box Office
Black Tea is a 2025 romantic drama directed by Abderrahmane Sissako, starring Nina Melo as Aya, Michael Chang and Wei Huang. It runs 1 hour 50 minutes and earned $524,357 worldwide on a $6.4 million budget. Critics gave it 52 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.2/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 50m (110 min)
- Director
- Abderrahmane Sissako
- Original language
-
Chinese
- Studio
- Cinéfrance Studios
- Budget
- $6.4M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Black Tea About?
The premise of Black Tea without spoilers.
Aya leaves the Ivory Coast and moves to Guangzhou, China, following a decision to call off her wedding. She finds work at a tea boutique in the vibrant "Chocolate City" district, a place where African and Chinese cultures intersect. There, she's hired by Cai, the tea shop's owner, and he begins to introduce her to the secrets of tea ceremonies.
Black Tea Themes & Keywords
· 9 tags- guangzhou china
- f rated
- ivory coast
- two word title
- color in title
- love
- racism
- wedding
- interracial romance
Black Tea Cast & Characters
Nina Melo leads the cast as Aya, with Michael Chang as Li-Ben and Wei Huang as Wen. Directed by Abderrahmane Sissako; 20 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Abderrahmane Sissako
- Nina Melo as Aya
- Michael Chang as Li-Ben
- Wei Huang as Wen
- Ke-Xi Wu as Ying
Also Starring in Black Tea
· 16 more- Han Chang Cal
- Isabelle Kabano Vivi
- Pei-Jen Yu Mei
- Zhi-Ying Zhu Douyue
- Wei-Hua Chiang La mère de Mei
- Emery Gahuranyi Trésor
- Bernard Mlandvo Mhlanga Korka
- Veronique Bailey Touli
- Franck Pycardhy Toussaint
- Odo Marie La soeur d'Aya
- Ghislaine Kanga La femme du couple afro-chinois
- Roger Pégard Le maire
- Chuang-Cheng Tao Le père de Ying
- Yu-Wen Fan La mère de Ying
- Cheikh Ahmed Kenkou L'acheteur arabe
- Wen-Kuei Chiu Tao, le policier
Black Tea Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Black Tea 52 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.2/10. Our Echo Score gives it 54/100, strongest in sensory experience (75) and weakest in rewatch factor (35).
Black Tea Echo Score Breakdown
Black Tea delivers a visually engaging but narratively uneven experience. The film’s warm imagery and cohesive aesthetic exercise provide a compelling entry point, yet its pacing and character development often feel tentative or fragmented. Critics applaud the rich visual textures and soothing tone, even as they highlight a lack of sustained engagement and emotional depth. The film’s gentle yet meandering approach yields moments of quiet reflection, but it ultimately struggles to cohere into a fully satisfying cinematic statement. Overall, Black Tea offers pleasing craft but limits its broader impact.
Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.
- Art & Craft 70
The film’s visual design and direction provide a consistently appealing aesthetic exercise. In terms of cinematography, the film envelops viewers in warm, carefully composed imagery and an understated color palette. Production design and editing maintain a measured rhythm that suits the director’s intentions. Overall, the art and craft strike a pleasing tone despite occasional ambitions that feel overly eclectic.
- Character & Emotion 45
The performances deliver moments of genuine warmth but struggle to achieve deeper emotional resonance. When it comes to character depth, the portrayal of relationships offers some nuanced warmth yet often feels underdeveloped, with subplots lacking sufficient focus. Acting is competent but chemistry at times falls short of selling the central bonds. In sum, the character dimension remains uneven and occasionally detached.
- Story & Flow 45
The narrative exhibits a gentle approach that can feel tentative. In terms of plot coherence and pacing, the film unfolds with a languid tempo that some may find soothing, while others perceive a lack of forward momentum. Originality is evident in its thematic ambitions, yet several story threads feel undercooked. Overall, the story and flow deliver moments of reflection but often lack sustained engagement.
- Sensory Experience 75
The film’s sensory experience is one of its stronger elements. In terms of score and sound design, the soundtrack and ambient sounds support the warm atmosphere without overwhelming the visuals. The visual style maintains cohesion through rich textures and soft color schemes, reinforcing the intended mood. Taken together, the sensory design succeeds in enveloping viewers even when other aspects falter.
- Rewatch Factor 35
The film shows limited replay value due to its even pacing and subdued dramatic stakes. In terms of rewatch factor, the gentle unfolding of the narrative and absence of striking revelations reduce the incentive for subsequent viewings. While the warm imagery remains pleasant on a second go, the uneven emotional depth and slow momentum hinder lasting appeal. Overall, the rewatch factor feels modest at best.
-
IMDb 5.2 /10
787 votes
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 52 Metascore
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 60% User score
See on TMDB
Black Tea Box Office & Budget
Black Tea grossed $524,357 worldwide on a $6.4 million budget, 8% of what it cost.
Worldwide gross
$524.4K
8% of its budget back
- International
- $524.4K
- Budget
- $6.4M
Black Tea Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 featurette.
- Featurette Abderrahmane Sissako and Kessen Tall on Black Tea | New York African Film Festival 2025
Cars in Black Tea
1 car on screen: the Chrysler Pacifica.
-
Chrysler Pacifica Important role
Black Tea Also Known As
12 alternative titles, including “The Perfumed Hill” and “芳香嶺”.
- Also known as
-
- The Perfumed Hill
- 芳香嶺
- 以愛之茗
- 블랙 티
- Чёрный чай
- Té negro
- Siyah Çay
- תה שחור
- A tea illata
- 以爱之茗
- 香山情緣
- Black Tea - O Aroma do Amor
Seen Black Tea?
Movies Like Black Tea
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Bitter Tea of General Yen, Eat a Bowl of Tea and Black Coffee.
Black Tea FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, post-credit scenes and language of Black Tea, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Black Tea?
Black Tea runs 1 hour 50 minutes (110 minutes).
When was Black Tea released?
Black Tea was released on May 9, 2025.
Who directed Black Tea?
Black Tea was directed by Abderrahmane Sissako.
More films by Abderrahmane Sissako Who is in the cast of Black Tea?
Black Tea stars Nina Melo as Aya, Michael Chang as Li-Ben and Wei Huang as Wen, among 20 credited actors.
How much did Black Tea make at the box office?
Black Tea grossed $524,357 worldwide on a budget of $6.4 million.
How is Black Tea rated?
Black Tea has 5.2/10 on IMDb, 52 on Metacritic and 60% on TMDB.
Does Black Tea have a post-credit scene?
No. Black Tea has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Black Tea in?
The original language of Black Tea is Chinese.
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