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Always Outnumbered

Play trailer Poster for Always Outnumbered R 1998 1h 48m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 2 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Socrates Fortlow (Laurence Fishburne) has just finished a stint in prison and settles into a new life in Los Angeles. Determined to live on the straight and narrow, Socrates looks for work but finds himself competing with younger, stronger men for menial jobs. He befriends his elderly neighbor, Right Burke (Bill Cobbs), and tries to help Darryl (Daniel Williams), a young boy in danger of ending up in prison. Socrates also starts a relationship with Iula (Natalie Cole) that quickly turns serious.

Critics Reviews

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Matthew Gilbert Boston Globe HBO came through with ''Always Outnumbered,'' which featured a coolly graceful performance by Laurence Fishburne as a heroic ex-convict. Sep 12, 2018 Full Review John Leonard New York Magazine/Vulture Fishburne stands up well under the weight of all this symbolism. He is abetted in his dialogue with corrupted Platonic ideals by a crafty Cobbs, an exasperated Cole, a super-respectable Tyson, and Bill Nunn and Laurie Metcalf. Feb 1, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Pretty standard stuff mostly, with a few highlights. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Socrates Fortlow is a hero not by super power but by being the change He wishes to see in the World. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member If you like slow movies, then this one is for you Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Mr.Fortlow needs his rest. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member wasnt terrible, just didnt really ring true for me. lots of race over tones that i couldnt identify with and bill dukes wasnt in it nearly enough. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member A realistic and more darker movie, that show us it's no fun to be black in america, while all the rappers just glorifying that state of mind, while this movie does not have any rap-music, it's reaplaced with smooth sad jazz. It's really bring the message through, when after Boyz N the Hood I just remembered how cool the song in the closing credits was. I just wish it was longer, or least released as a theather movie, insted of a HBO movie, It's so underrated. The thing I didn't like about this movie is that the dialogs and the shots are to long. Overrall Always Outnumbered is a movie that was worth watching. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Always Outnumbered

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Cast & Crew

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Michael Apted

Director

Laurence Fishburne

Socrates Fortlow

Bill Cobbs

Right Burke

Natalie Cole

Iula Brown

Laurie Metcalf

Halley Grimes

Bill Nunn

Howard M'Shalla
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Always Outnumbered

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Movie Info

Synopsis Socrates Fortlow (Laurence Fishburne) has just finished a stint in prison and settles into a new life in Los Angeles. Determined to live on the straight and narrow, Socrates looks for work but finds himself competing with younger, stronger men for menial jobs. He befriends his elderly neighbor, Right Burke (Bill Cobbs), and tries to help Darryl (Daniel Williams), a young boy in danger of ending up in prison. Socrates also starts a relationship with Iula (Natalie Cole) that quickly turns serious.
Director
Michael Apted
Producer
Anne-Marie Mackay, Jonathan Ker
Rating
R, TV-MA (V|L)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Jan 16, 2007
Runtime
1h 48m