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Bamboozled

Play trailer 2:31 Poster for Bamboozled R 2000 2h 15m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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53% Tomatometer 107 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
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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Bamboozled

Bamboozled

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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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Critics Reviews

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K. Austin Collins Vanity Fair 03/23/2020
Audacious, vibrant, unsurprisingly maligned but frequently brilliant. Go to Full Review Richard Brody The New Yorker 10/26/2015
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. Go to Full Review Nell Minow Common Sense Media 09/23/2010
4/5
Provocative Spike Lee movie for older teens. Go to Full Review KT Mahe For Your Reference Podcast 02/18/2025
4.5/5
Bamboozled exists to serve as a reminder that the message will always be raw with Spike Lee and he is the King of Satire. Go to Full Review Oti For Your Reference Podcast 02/18/2025
4/5
Bamboozled starts bold & fearless, delivering a sharp satirical punch. Spike Lee crafts a rightfully polarising, vital commentary on race & media. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 02/14/2022
4/4
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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Carlos I @carlosFibarra Feb 6 Spike Lee’s Bamboozled remains a searing, unapologetic look at the exploitation of Black identity in media, proving that, at times, it’s a biting satire, as usual with Lee. The film’s visual style and provocative premise are undeniably bold and intellectually stimulating. However, it has a tendency to get a little heavy-handed in spots, to the point it gets a bit corny, occasionally sacrificing nuanced character development for blunt-force messaging. See more Stephen C @bob25009 07/22/2025 Funny in 2.25 hours. See more ryan not maia T @RT32861954 07/06/2024 This movie was one of the most disturbing ones that I have watched. The ending still scares me. Still love the movie and it has a strong message. See more Alec B @Alec97 01/08/2024 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. See more Terry S @RT73770697 05/15/2023 An underrated, misunderstood masterpiece by Spike Lee. See more BowTangey - @BowTangey 03/10/2023 A brilliant piece of work, despite flaws which should have sunk it. See more Read all reviews
Bamboozled

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Cast & Crew

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Spike Lee

Director

Damon Wayans

Pierre Delacroix

Savion Glover

Manray

Jada Pinkett Smith

Sloan Hopkins

Tommy Davidson

Womack

Michael Rapaport

Dunwitty

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Bamboozled

Bamboozled: Trailer 1 Bamboozled: Trailer 1 2:31 View more videos
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Bamboozled

Tommy Davidson (left) and Savion Glover. Michael Rapaport. Director Spike Lee (left) and Damon Wayans on the set. Damon Wayans. Savion Glover (center). Savion Glover (left) and Jada Pinkett Smith. Tommy Davidson (left) and Savion Glover. Tommy Davidson (left) and Damon Wayans. Jada Pinkett Smith (left) and Damon Wayans. Jada Pinkett Smith. View more photos

Movie Info

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
Producer
Spike Lee, Jon Kilik
Screenwriter
Spike Lee
Distributor
New Line Cinema
Production Co
New Line Cinema, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
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
Runtime
2h 15m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)