Morris From America

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2:25

Morris From America

R

Released Aug 19, 2016

1h 31m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

87 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

A 13-year-old rapper (Markees Christmas) focused on hip-hop stardom falls for a rebellious classmate (Lina Keller) after moving from the U.S. to Germany with his widowed father (Craig Robinson).

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Critics Consensus

Morris from America adds some novel narrative twists to its father-son story -- and gains added resonance thanks to a powerful performance from Craig Robinson.

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K. Austin Collins

The Ringer

[Morris] is efficient and likeable, as if by contract. But the premise gives us more to think about than the movie can handle - that would require getting its hands dirty.

Aug 10, 2017

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

While "Morris From America" trundles along familiar tracks, Hartigan's eye for detail and individuality yields enough dividends to keep the film moving tartly and congenially along.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 8, 2016

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Adam Graham

Detroit News

"Morris from America" feels thin at times. But at its best, its themes of growing up, culture gaps and the power of music take the specific and make them universal.

Rated: B-

Sep 2, 2016

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Here’s a film where the parts are better than the whole.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 14, 2023

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Vadim Rizov

Filmmaker Magazine

Morris From America is not, in its overall arc or familiar trajectory, surprising, but it is a crowdpleaser that actually pleases because of how specific it is.

Jan 18, 2023

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Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

An ironic and detached sense of machismo, a tone the movies doesn't quite pull off.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 25, 2021

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ira m

Very sensitive coming of age story in a different country from where he grew up.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/03/23

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justin w

Glad I stumbled upon this movie one night while scrolling through options on HBO. Funny, Unique and entertaining, I definitely recommend this one.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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prawnda s

it's a good movie from the parenting perspective, the problems of adolescence, being different or being bullied. i think there wasn't much of a climax to it, but i love the soundtrack, especially the big pun and busta rhymes references. i think the sexual aspects of the film felt forced both from the parental and the kid's perspective though. i was uncomfortable during any scene that sexualized children, even if it was meant to be just young people attracted to young people. plenty of adults are going to watch this in a creepy way, and i don't really think there was a long term moral or lesson to the story. with a completely revamped ending sequence of 15 minutes or so, this movie could be really great, but it just felt like it kind of ended without a conclusion.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/02/22

Full Review

Audience Member

I was very surprised to read that the director is European-American because never would I have imagined this movie was written and directed by someone that lived in Europe. First off, Craig Robinson's character is an American who played and teaches soccer in Germany. Germany has some of the best soccer teams in the world. No country in their right mind would ever hire an American to teach soccer, unless it's the women's teams because the American men's teams are that horrid. They could have given his character any of a thousand other jobs, so this right away was unbelievable. Second, the film just veers off in many weird directions which don't make sense and are left unexplained in a non-artsy way. I only kept watching hoping it gets better and it never did.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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Audience Member

Enjoyed the German perspective. Not many movies with the American line of sight. Too short and not enough context in the plot.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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nefasto r

Even if the movie does not offer anything particularly new, and the content is pretty slim, "Morris From America" is an enjoyable coming-of-age with strong performances from the young actors.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Chad Hartigan

Director

Craig Robinson

Curtis Gentry

Carla Juri

Inka

Lina Keller

Katrin

Markees Christmas

Morris Gentry

Jakub Gierszał

Per

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Morris from America: Trailer 1

2:25

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Synopsis

A 13-year-old rapper (Markees Christmas) focused on hip-hop stardom falls for a rebellious classmate (Lina Keller) after moving from the U.S. to Germany with his widowed father (Craig Robinson).

Director: Chad Hartigan
Producer: Martin Heisler, Adele Romanski, Sara Murphy, Gabriele Simon
Screenwriter: Chad Hartigan
Distributor: A24
Production Co: Lichtblick Media
Rating: R (Sexual Material|Language Throughout|Brief Nudity|Teen Drug Use and Partying)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 19, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 14, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $88.9K
Runtime: 1h 31m

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