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A Rage in Harlem

Play trailer Poster for A Rage in Harlem R Released May 3, 1991 1h 48m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
68% Tomatometer 37 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
After her gangster boyfriend, Slim (Badja Djola), has a shootout with the police, Imabelle (Robin Givens) flees Natchez, Miss., with his stolen gold. She ends up New York with Slim's gang in pursuit. In Harlem, she latches on to an innocent undertaker named Jackson (Forest Whitaker), who takes her in and falls in love with her. When the Mississippi mobsters finally show up, Jackson must enlist the help of his streetwise brother, Goldy (Gregory Hines), to save the girl.
A Rage in Harlem

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Critics Consensus

If it can't quite live up to its source material, A Rage in Harlem still proves a stylishly effective period thriller.

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Critics Reviews

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David Ansen Newsweek Duke keeps this tangled tale of lust and larceny bouncing with a disreputable, funloving B-movie energy that's hard to resist. Feb 6, 2018 Full Review John Hartl Seattle Times With its snazzy Elmer Bernstein score, its snappy period flavor and its all-star cast doing something completely different, A Rage in Harlem should have been much more fun than it is. Rated: 1.5/4 Jul 1, 2013 Full Review Carrie Rickey Philadelphia Inquirer Jazzy and jauntily funny. Rated: 3/4 Jul 1, 2013 Full Review tt stern-enzi Cincinnati CityBeat Bill Duke’s A Rage in Harlem finds Cincinnati boldly playing a version of New York with moxie to spare... Aug 26, 2023 Full Review Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) Givens is nothing short of spectacular. Rated: 2.5/4 May 9, 2023 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Whitaker conserves sympathy until the end, but with much visible effort. [Full review in Spanish] Dec 30, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (37) audience reviews
Audience Member Great movie love the cinematography and cast Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/22 Full Review jon c Based on the book by Chester Himes and executive produced by Forest Whitaker. Taking place in 1956 Robin Givens, Forrest Whitaker, and Danny Glover are making a rage in the big city. Givens is Immabelle involved in a gangster shooting with the police and she flees to NYC. She has a bundle of gold with her. She meets an undertaker named Jackson who falls in love with her. But eventually the gangsters catch up to Immabelle and now Jackson has to protect her with some help. Glover is Easy Money, a city gangster who also wants in on the gold. The movie is too long and Glover isn't in the movie enough. Can't really find the right tone when it comes to comedy or straight up gangster shoot em up. Still Whitaker and Givens are a nice pairing. It's a period piece involving lust and larceny that can't live up to the source material but tries its best. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Love the movie My favorite Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/22/20 Full Review Audience Member Thrills, laughs, and pathos, dished up with verve and heart, make a film that many of us still remember very affectionately. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review a.l.jude p Mare incidents sans any excitement. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A cartoony take of what a black crime film could be. More like Dick Tracy than White Heat... Uh, not the good Dick Tracy. How about Tracy Dick from "The Godson"? Made for TV quality. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews
A Rage in Harlem

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A Rage in Harlem

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Movie Info

Synopsis After her gangster boyfriend, Slim (Badja Djola), has a shootout with the police, Imabelle (Robin Givens) flees Natchez, Miss., with his stolen gold. She ends up New York with Slim's gang in pursuit. In Harlem, she latches on to an innocent undertaker named Jackson (Forest Whitaker), who takes her in and falls in love with her. When the Mississippi mobsters finally show up, Jackson must enlist the help of his streetwise brother, Goldy (Gregory Hines), to save the girl.
Director
Bill Duke
Producer
Stephen Woolley
Screenwriter
John Toles-Bey, Robert Crawford Jr.
Production Co
Miramax
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 3, 1991, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$8.8M
Runtime
1h 48m
Sound Mix
Surround