2012·Drama·2h 5m
7.0
★
When his mom deposits him at the Red Hook housing project in Brooklyn to spend the summer with the grandfather he’s never met, young Flik may as well have landed on Mars. Fresh from his cushy life in Atlanta, he’s bored and friendless, and his strict grandfather, Enoch, a firebrand preacher, is bent on getting him to accept Jesus Christ as his personal savior. Only Chazz, the feisty girl from church, provides a diversion from the drudgery. As hot summer simmers and Sunday mornings brim with Enoch’s operatic sermons, things turn anything but dull as people’s conflicting agendas collide.
Directed by Spike Lee
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Clarke Peters
Da Good Bishop Enoch Rouse
Nate Parker
Box
Thomas Jefferson Byrd
Deacon Zee
Toni Lysaith
Chazz Morningstar
Jules Brown
Flik Royale
Heather Simms
Sister Sharon Morningstar
Quincy Tyler Bernstine
Hazel
De'Adre Aziza
Colleen Royale
Kimberly Hébert Gregory
Sister Sweet
Colman Domingo
Blessing Rowe
Spike Lee
Mr. Mookie
Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Detective Flood
Crew
Spike Lee
Director
James McBride
Screenplay
Spike Lee
Screenplay
Bruce Hornsby
Original Music Composer
Spike Lee
Producer
Judith Hill
Songs
Emilio Sosa
Costume Design
Randall Balsmeyer
Title Designer
Popular Reviews
22 reviews
Brady Hawkins
4.0★ · 01/03/26
A film that works once it actually gets to its main point. This honestly could’ve been cut in half and worked way better.
Cinematography is super shaky to start off but gets better as the film goes.
The kids acting was terrible but Clarke Peter’s and Colman Domingo absolutely kill it.
I think the main theme of this movie is important and is done very well but it takes way too long to actually get there.
Now all in all this is a perfectly fine movie but it really pisses me off because it had potential and was actually able to be very well off if it had tapped that potential and it’s crazy tok because it’s also such a relevant, beautiful, and impactful theme that I would’ve appreciated to actually be nice wrapped up but it wasn’t. The hard part is the boringness and bad acting in the first 3/4s of the film. The last 1/4 of this film brings it from a 1/2 star to what it is now so I guess that’s impressive and shows how good it could have been. Either way I think it’s not good and bad most of the way through so I can’t put it too high.
Cinematography is super shaky to start off but gets better as the film goes.
The kids acting was terrible but Clarke Peter’s and Colman Domingo absolutely kill it.
I think the main theme of this movie is important and is done very well but it takes way too long to actually get there.
Now all in all this is a perfectly fine movie but it really pisses me off because it had potential and was actually able to be very well off if it had tapped that potential and it’s crazy tok because it’s also such a relevant, beautiful, and impactful theme that I would’ve appreciated to actually be nice wrapped up but it wasn’t. The hard part is the boringness and bad acting in the first 3/4s of the film. The last 1/4 of this film brings it from a 1/2 star to what it is now so I guess that’s impressive and shows how good it could have been. Either way I think it’s not good and bad most of the way through so I can’t put it too high.
A film that works once it actually gets to its main point. This honestly could’ve been cut in half and worked way better.
Cinematography is super shaky to start off but gets better as the film goes.
The kids acting was terrible but Clarke Peter’s and Colman Domingo absolutely kill it.
I think the main theme of this movie is important and is done very well but it takes way too long to actually get there.
Now all in all this is a perfectly fine movie but it really pisses me off because it had potential and was actually able to be very well off if it had tapped that potential and it’s crazy tok because it’s also such a relevant, beautiful, and impactful theme that I would’ve appreciated to actually be nice wrapped up but it wasn’t. The hard part is the boringness and bad acting in the first 3/4s of the film. The last 1/4 of this film brings it from a 1/2 star to what it is now so I guess that’s impressive and shows how good it could have been. Either way I think it’s not good and bad most of the way through so I can’t put it too high.
Cinematography is super shaky to start off but gets better as the film goes.
The kids acting was terrible but Clarke Peter’s and Colman Domingo absolutely kill it.
I think the main theme of this movie is important and is done very well but it takes way too long to actually get there.
Now all in all this is a perfectly fine movie but it really pisses me off because it had potential and was actually able to be very well off if it had tapped that potential and it’s crazy tok because it’s also such a relevant, beautiful, and impactful theme that I would’ve appreciated to actually be nice wrapped up but it wasn’t. The hard part is the boringness and bad acting in the first 3/4s of the film. The last 1/4 of this film brings it from a 1/2 star to what it is now so I guess that’s impressive and shows how good it could have been. Either way I think it’s not good and bad most of the way through so I can’t put it too high.
Nickel
3.0★ · 01/03/26
Spike this ain’t it.
In conclusion, first film of the film club what a start.
In conclusion, first film of the film club what a start.
Spike this ain’t it.
In conclusion, first film of the film club what a start.
In conclusion, first film of the film club what a start.
Ayden Bradburn
8.3★ · 05/12/25
Honestly more people need to respect and watch more spike Lee movies this is an absolute gem.
Honestly more people need to respect and watch more spike Lee movies this is an absolute gem.
Gabriel Silva
3.7★ · 02/09/24
With this instalment of his Chronicles of Brooklyn series, Spike Lee used a more guerilla filmmaking approach, locations being shot on a lot of the time without others knowing, which leaves his child actors high and dry, not getting enough direction. Apparently he did scout for them from local drama classes, but from the end result, more time was definitely needed to get them up to chops with the adult cast, who is also much more interesting than the child stars. The usual Lee flair falls flat due to how fragmented everything feels, as if it cannot decide what characters and relationships should be the main focus. It's a shame, because the themes that are being explored are interesting, especially when put up against one another. Gentrification, technology, modernization, liberty, etc. They all slot in nicely with one another but are not given the grace and style I typically expect from a Spike Lee joint
With this instalment of his Chronicles of Brooklyn series, Spike Lee used a more guerilla filmmaking approach, locations being shot on a lot of the time without others knowing, which leaves his child actors high and dry, not getting enough direction. Apparently he did scout for them from local drama classes, but from the end result, more time was definitely needed to get them up to chops with the adult cast, who is also much more interesting than the child stars. The usual Lee flair falls flat due to how fragmented everything feels, as if it cannot decide what characters and relationships should be the main focus. It's a shame, because the themes that are being explored are interesting, especially when put up against one another. Gentrification, technology, modernization, liberty, etc. They all slot in nicely with one another but are not given the grace and style I typically expect from a Spike Lee joint
Rj Onnagan
7.1★ · 02/08/24
religious trauma as it’s finest
religious trauma as it’s finest