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Civil Brand

Play trailer Poster for Civil Brand R Released Aug 22, 2003 1h 35m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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16% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Things are tough at Whitehead Correctional Institute, a notorious women's prison. The inmates include Lil' Mamma (Lark Voorhies), a pregnant teen, and Nikki (N'Bushe Wright), the queen bee of Whitehead. The inmates are under the supervision of abusive warden Dease (Clifton Powell), who forces them to endure hours of hard labor, from which he profits. Eventually, the women band together and reach out to part-time prison guard Michael (Mos Def), a law student, who helps them fight for reform.
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Civil Brand

Critics Reviews

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Elizabeth Weitzman New York Daily News It's impossible to ignore the strain of misogyny that taints the movie. Rated: 1.5/4 Oct 16, 2003 Full Review V.A. Musetto New York Post Barnette, a veteran TV director, means this as an expos of prison abuse and exploitation, but the film is too simplistic and derivative to succeed. Rated: 1/4 Oct 10, 2003 Full Review Tom Long Detroit News Artistically, its heavy-handed clumsiness undercuts its goals. Rated: D Oct 10, 2003 Full Review Todd Gilchrist FilmStew.com Wildly uneven, rife with a virtual checklist of human tragedies that build to easy emotional crescendos but fail to engage the audience well enough to evoke any meaning. Dec 15, 2003 Full Review Bob Campbell Newark Star-Ledger It's guilty of gross B-movie meltdown, but mitigating circumstances include honest anger and a scattering of vivid scenes. Oct 13, 2003 Full Review Jonathan W. Hickman Entertainment Insiders This is a film about the abuses of privatization and presents a negative view of what might happen if corporate America gets control of the business of corrections. Rated: 3/4 Oct 11, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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thiago s Filme bacaninha, o roteiro é mais ou menos, as cenas são bacaninhas, o elenco é mais ou menos, e alguns ajudam a melhorar o filme, a história é boa, mas o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e mais relevantes. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 04/18/25 Full Review StephenPaul C The greatest 01 hour: and 35 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Crime kicks a**!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/26/23 Full Review Audience Member it's a really awesome movie , i loved it . Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member LLLLOOOVVVEEE IIIITTTT Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member I feel like this if u going do all of this abuse it need to be shut down flat out a captain literally killed someone child Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE ABOUT THE VIOLENCE BEING COMMITTED AGAINST WOMEN IN PRISON, A TRUE SORY Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Civil Brand

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Cast & Crew

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Neema Barnette

Director

Yasiin Bey

Michael Meadows

N'Bushe Wright

Nikki Barnes

Monica Calhoun

Wet

Da Brat

Sabrina

Clifton Powell

Captain Dease

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Civil Brand

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Movie Info

Synopsis Things are tough at Whitehead Correctional Institute, a notorious women's prison. The inmates include Lil' Mamma (Lark Voorhies), a pregnant teen, and Nikki (N'Bushe Wright), the queen bee of Whitehead. The inmates are under the supervision of abusive warden Dease (Clifton Powell), who forces them to endure hours of hard labor, from which he profits. Eventually, the women band together and reach out to part-time prison guard Michael (Mos Def), a law student, who helps them fight for reform.
Director
Neema Barnette
Producer
Neema Barnette, Carl Petragal
Screenwriter
Joyce Lewis, Joyce Lewis, Preston A. Whitmore II, Preston A. Whitmore II
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Production Co
Mandalay Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 22, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 7, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$243.3K
Runtime
1h 35m
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