Bamboozled

R

Released Oct 20, 2000

2 hr. 15 min.

Comedy

Drama

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List

53%

106 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A blistering satire of network television's pitfalls and prejudices, a humorous look at how race, ratings and the pursuit of power lead to a television writer's stunning rise and tragic downfall. Pierre Delacroix, a young, Harvard-educated man, who is the sole person of color, writing for an upstart network with floundering ratings. Despite several attempts, Delacroix has yet to see any of his concepts go into production.

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Critics Consensus

Bamboozled is too heavy-handed in its satire and comes across as more messy and overwrought than biting.

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Alec B

Lee made a deliberately difficult movie here, it never moves in the directions you suspect and you have to adjust your perspective accordingly. This is something beyond satire and it deserves more serious examination.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/08/24

Full Review

Terry S

An underrated, misunderstood masterpiece by Spike Lee.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/15/23

Full Review

BowTangey -

A brilliant piece of work, despite flaws which should have sunk it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/10/23

Full Review

Steve D

I like Spike a lot but this one was a bit too dark for me.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

While the satire is impressively biting, the parts in between feel forced and messy and the film's entire tone is a bit baffling.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Derek S

Even the critics consensus at the top of this page will tell you why this film didnt get respect from the media film critics it was ''too heavy handed" for them. Well all real fans of Spikes and film in general agree that it was perfect. Sorry it was too painful to see how your people treated and portrayed African Americans for over 100 years.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/30/21

Full Review

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Spike Lee

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Damon Wayans

Pierre Delacroix

Savion Glover

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Jada Pinkett Smith

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Tommy Davidson

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Michael Rapaport

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Bamboozled: Trailer 1

2:31

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K. Austin Collins

Vanity Fair

Audacious, vibrant, unsurprisingly maligned but frequently brilliant.

Mar 23, 2020

Full Review

Richard Brody

New Yorker

Spike Lee's sharp, riotous satire, from 2000, zeroes in on the grotesque misrepresentation of blacks in American media-and their underrepresentation in the corporate offices that control it.

Oct 26, 2015

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Provocative Spike Lee movie for older teens.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 23, 2010

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Even if Lee's only intent with Bamboozled was to ignite fiery discourse about race and representation in entertainment, his film remains a rousing achievement as both art and a social prompt.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 14, 2022

Full Review

Jas Keimig

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Although the script gets away from Lee in certain parts, there are several delicious, hilarious, and thought-provoking layers to the story that continue to resonate.

Dec 9, 2021

Full Review

A.S. Hamrah

The Baffler

The initial shock of Bamboozled's blackface revival gives way to melancholic revelation, conjured from the history of cinema.

Sep 16, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

A blistering satire of network television's pitfalls and prejudices, a humorous look at how race, ratings and the pursuit of power lead to a television writer's stunning rise and tragic downfall. Pierre Delacroix, a young, Harvard-educated man, who is the sole person of color, writing for an upstart network with floundering ratings. Despite several attempts, Delacroix has yet to see any of his concepts go into production.

Director: Spike Lee
Screenwriter: Spike Lee
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, New Line Cinema
Rating: R (Strong Language|Some Violence)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 20, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 6, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.2M
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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