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Gridlock'd

R Released Jan 29, 1997 1h 31m Drama List
88% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Jazz musicians -- and heroin addicts -- Spoon (Tupac Shakur) and Stretch (Tim Roth) decide to get clean after their friend and bandmate Cookie (Thandie Newton) overdoses when she tries heroin for the first time. As they attempt to enter a detoxification program, however, they encounter a series of bureaucratic roadblocks. Worse, they are being hunted by both the police and drug dealers. Struggling with withdrawal, Spoon and Stretch reflect on the moments that led up to their predicament.

Critics Reviews

View All (34) Critics Reviews
Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: B Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Todd McCarthy Variety An engaging look at a mangy day in the lives of two junkies trying to kick, Gridlock'd would have been a good mid-level B.O. performer even without the interest surrounding it, due to the recent death of co-star Tupac Shakur. May 2, 2008 Full Review Derek Adams Time Out The film has a fairly uninteresting narrative motor in its thriller subplot, but hits on an edgy black comic tone for Stretch and Spoon's increasingly pained dealings with the unsympathetic representatives of authority. Feb 9, 2006 Full Review Mal Vincent The Virginian-Pilot Gridlock'd is a major social comedy waiting to happen. Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 10, 2022 Full Review Malcolm Johnson Hartford Courant Hall shows taste and humor as a filmmaker, and he is fortunate to have three leads who bring quirkiness and style to his film. Rated: 3/5 Apr 16, 2018 Full Review Film4 A dark, effective satire about drug addiction that offers laughs as well as savage criticism of the US approach to dealing with users. May 2, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (318) audience reviews
Audience Member Tim Roth and the late Tupac; what are they to do when in gridlock? Well when you're addicted to drugs it's hard to break away Spoon and Stretch are heroin addicts as well as jazz musicians Their friend Cookie sadly overdoses around new years so it seems like a wake up call But even entering a detoxification program a few roadblocks present themselves Spoon and Stretch are also part of a man hunt by the authorities and drug dealers How did they end up here to begin with? The film scales back to their smallest steps going downward This actually did bring me back to 'Trainspotting' It moves slow that's for sure but shows how much of a struggle it is to go cold Turkey given how dependent these two guys are on what they've been taking Things get more chaotic as the day goes on for Spoon and Stretch with crazy blind people to loose dogs A lot of humor and humanism director Vondie Curtis Hall injects into a chase flick of two people kicking it Despite a few narrative setbacks Tupac and Roth bounce off one another collectively Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/24 Full Review 849D W Love the plot. Enjoy the tunes. About adult beings that lost the way in life. Very misunderstood in search of how to be found. Literally the 4th Oscar Pac was robbed of. 1st. being Juice. 2. Poetic Justice. 3rd Above the Rim. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Tim Roth and the late Tupac; what are they to do when in gridlock? Well when you're addicted to drugs it's hard to break away Spoon and Stretch are heroin addicts as well as jazz musicians Their friend Cookie sadly overdoses around new years so it seems like a wake up call But even entering a detoxification program a few roadblocks present themselves Spoon and Stretch are also part of a man hunt by the authorities and drug dealers How did they end up here to begin with? The film scales back to their smallest steps going downward This actually did bring me back to 'Trainspotting' It moves slow that's for sure but shows how much of a struggle it is to go cold Turkey given how dependent these two guys are on what they've been taking Things get more chaotic as the day goes on for Spoon and Stretch with crazy blind people to loose dogs A lot of humor and humanism director Vondie Curtis Hall injects into a chase flick of two people kicking it Despite a few narrative setbacks Tupac and Roth bounce off one another collectively Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Gostei, não é meu tipo de comédia preferida, mas tem um que de humor negro, critica social rasa, Tupac e Lucy Liu (apenas em uma pontinha), bobinho e engraçadinho... Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member its been a while since i dont feel like this movie made me feel. Fuckin awesome Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review a.l.jude p An allrounder within the realms of movie making. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Gridlock'd

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Cast & Crew

Return to Paradise 70% 74% Return to Paradise Jude 81% 73% Jude No Looking Back 36% 64% No Looking Back Panther 25% 75% Panther S.F.W. 12% 49% S.F.W. Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Jazz musicians -- and heroin addicts -- Spoon (Tupac Shakur) and Stretch (Tim Roth) decide to get clean after their friend and bandmate Cookie (Thandie Newton) overdoses when she tries heroin for the first time. As they attempt to enter a detoxification program, however, they encounter a series of bureaucratic roadblocks. Worse, they are being hunted by both the police and drug dealers. Struggling with withdrawal, Spoon and Stretch reflect on the moments that led up to their predicament.
Director
Vondie Curtis-Hall
Producer
Paul Webster, Damian Jones, Erica Huggins
Screenwriter
Vondie Curtis-Hall
Distributor
Polygram, Gramercy Pictures
Production Co
Interscope Communications, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Def Pictures, Dragon Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 29, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.5M
Runtime
1h 31m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Digital