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Imperial Dreams

Play trailer 1:58 Poster for Imperial Dreams Released Oct 1, 2016 1h 27m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A reformed gangster's devotion to his family is tested when he is released from prison and returns to his old neighborhood.
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Imperial Dreams

Critics Reviews

View All (13) Critics Reviews
Shadow and Act Staff Shadow and Act With rich storytelling, fine acting, and captivating cinematography and score by Flying Lotus, the movie is a cinematic achievement. Sep 13, 2022 Full Review Inkoo Kang MTV Like the similarly quiet and thrumming Moonlight, Imperial is most affecting as an internal portrait of a young black man's struggle to embrace softness when the world tells him he has to be hard to survive. Feb 6, 2017 Full Review Richard Brody New Yorker Malik Vitthal's first feature gives rich dramatic life to a piercingly analytical view of the American way of incarceration. Apr 18, 2016 Full Review Bernard Boo Way Too Indie More than any other gang movie in recent memory, Imperial Dreams sidesteps cliches and carves out a place of its own next to the best films in the genre. Rated: 8/10 Mar 22, 2019 Full Review Noah Welsh Film Inquiry Imperial Dreams does not have the buzzing beats or flashing lights of most L.A. stories. Because of this, its characters feel real and its payoffs are gripping. Feb 23, 2017 Full Review Renee Schonfeld Common Sense Media Dark yet inspiring tale has cursing, violence, drugs. Rated: 4/5 Feb 14, 2017 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member It's slow. We get it. It's not backed by mega-money, nor is it all loud action and screaming drama. We get that too... That's what makes it more real. It's layered with a number of issues facing people leaving prison. Boyega is cast so well for the lead role, and delivers a believable character, struggling to do the right thing when everything around him is pulling him to do wrong Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Imperial Dreams is deep and poignant and very often hard to watch. John Boyega was awesome. The story makes you think hard about your life and how sometimes you're fortunate to simply have what you have. It brought me to tears Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Wow this movie was powerful. It showed the struggle of a returning citizen trying to get away from the trappings of his old life, so he could make a better life for his son. He wants out so much but the prison of poverty, discrimination, and his past continue to place roadblocks in front of him. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/09/19 Full Review Audience Member Una leccion de vida, es el drama en el que nos sumerge el director Malik Booth, Una trama contundente es un retrato de supervivencia en el ghetto ,que el actor Jonh Boyega Logra concretar de manera acertada. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member was so captivated that I didn't know it was the end until the credits rolled through. and It left me wondering did he get his story published? Did he get his son? how did his brother get the money to continue school? I absolutely loved this movie though! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Great acting. Slow movie. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Imperial Dreams

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis A reformed gangster's devotion to his family is tested when he is released from prison and returns to his old neighborhood.
Director
Malik Vitthal
Producer
Jonathan Schwartz, Andrea Sperling, Katherine Fairfax Wright
Screenwriter
Malik Vitthal, Ismet Prcic
Production Co
Super Crispy Entertainment, Sam Spiegel International Film Lab
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 1, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 23, 2017
Runtime
1h 27m
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