A multiview backlight, multiview display, and method of multiview backlight operation include micro-slit multibeam elements configured to provide emitted light having directional light beams with directions corresponding to view directions of a multiview image. The multiview backlight includes a light guide configured to guide light and an array of the micro-slit multibeam elements, each micro-slit multibeam element including a plurality of micro-slit sub-elements and being configured to reflectively scatter out a portion of the guided light as the emitted light. Each micro-slit sub-element of the micro-slit sub-element plurality includes a sloped reflective sidewall having a slope angle tilted away from the propagation direction of the guided light. The multiview display includes the multiview backlight and an array of light valves to modulate the directional light beams to provide the multiview image.