Cooley High

PG

Released Jan 1, 1975

1h 47m

Comedy

Drama

List

89%

18 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Richard "Cochise" Morris (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs), a local basketball hero, and Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Glynn Turman), who dreams of a career in writing, are likable Chicago high school students in 1960s Chicago. They're into hanging out with friends, pretty girls and the Motown sounds so popular during the era. Each wants to make it big in his own way, but not everybody they meet is looking out for them, as they learn when a seemingly harmless outing goes awry.

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Michael F

This is a true classic and has it all from drama to comedy to racial tension. Terrific acting all around and a very well done plot that grips you through the entirety of this film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/24

Full Review

Mike F

This film is a true classic that I was fortunate enough to discover as a teenager in the early 90's and have enjoyed watching many times. Compelling dramatic story about black teens growing up in a tough Chicago neighborhood with some drizzles of comedy sprinkled in just right.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Featuring the music of Mo-Town it’s one of the early 1970s pictures that changed the landscape of black cinema Unlike many of the blaxploitation films that came out where that were fierce and over the top this one takes a more relatable approach A group of kids growing up in the Chicago projects during the 1960s just trying to survive and live their finest years even if it means cutting class parading around the city One student named Preach wants to become a successful writer, his buddy Cochise is applying for a scholarship for basketball They just have to work their way around joyriding, girls, and avoid getting tangled with street thugs Directed by Robert Townsend the film truly represents its Chicago residents about the poverty-stricken, racially oppressed, and the black identity But it gives hope that just because someone is from the hood doesn’t mean they will not be good to have a future and make a life for themselves ‘Cooley High’ speaks to the black community about of a lot of things and that’s always welcome

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

All Black cast version American Graffiti.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

dave s

Set in Chicago in 1964, Cooley High follows senior high school students Cochise (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) and Preach (Glynn Turman) as they chase girls, drink wine, and get high, all while dreaming of escaping their lives of poverty and oppression. The film has its moments, but is too often saddled with dialogue that feels forced, too many scenes that serve no purpose, and oddly murky interior shots. However, the lead characters are likeable, Turman and Hilton-Jacobs give strong performances, the Motown soundtrack is fantastic, and the final act is deeply touching. If the whole film could have been handled with the same sensitivity and finesse of the last five minutes, this could have been a great movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

dustin d

Cooley High is a forgotten classic telling the story of black youth in Chicago in 1964. I loved the action scenes, which unfolded with a frantic momentum that teetered on the edge of comical. The two main characters, Preach and Cochise, were sufficiently complicated to keep me interested and make me care about them. I would recommend this movie to anyone who's looking for something a little different.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Michael Schultz

Director

Glynn Turman

Preacher

Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs

Richard "Cochise" Morris

Garrett Morris

Mr. Mason

Cynthia Davis

Brenda

Corin Rogers

Pooter

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Chuck Bowen

Slant Magazine

Michael Schultz’s 1975 film Cooley High is the rare teenage remembrance to consider the role of money in everyday life.

Dec 21, 2022

Full Review

Time Out

Something of a disappointment.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 4/5

Nov 27, 2002

Full Review

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

while it does not shy away from the harsh realities of growing up poor and black in the inner city in the early 1960s, it does not wallow in victimhood, either, showing how its characters lead determined, vibrant lives

Rated: 3/4

Mar 27, 2023

Full Review

Aaron Neuwirth

Why So Blu

This is the sort of comedy that aims to present a particular era but uses ideas surrounding friendship and the loss of innocence that remain timeless and universal in their own way, and on a minimal budget, no less.

Rated: 4/10

Dec 19, 2022

Full Review

Kathy Fennessy

Seattle Film Blog

In some ways, Preach is a composite character standing for any young striver trying to get somewhere against seemingly insurmountable odds, trying to have fun, and trying to savor every precious detail along the way.

Dec 17, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Richard "Cochise" Morris (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs), a local basketball hero, and Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Glynn Turman), who dreams of a career in writing, are likable Chicago high school students in 1960s Chicago. They're into hanging out with friends, pretty girls and the Motown sounds so popular during the era. Each wants to make it big in his own way, but not everybody they meet is looking out for them, as they learn when a seemingly harmless outing goes awry.

Director: Michael Schultz
Producer: Samuel Z. Arkoff
Screenwriter: Eric Monte
Distributor: American International Pictures
Production Co: American International Pictures (AIP)
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 1, 1975, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 11, 2017
Runtime: 1h 47m

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