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A Rage in Harlem

Play trailer Poster for A Rage in Harlem R 1991 1h 48m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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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

What to Know

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 02/06/2018
Duke keeps this tangled tale of lust and larceny bouncing with a disreputable, funloving B-movie energy that's hard to resist. Go to Full Review John Hartl Seattle Times 07/01/2013
1.5/4
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. Go to Full Review Carrie Rickey Philadelphia Inquirer 07/01/2013
3/4
Jazzy and jauntily funny. Go to Full Review tt stern-enzi Cincinnati CityBeat 08/26/2023
Bill Duke’s A Rage in Harlem finds Cincinnati boldly playing a version of New York with moxie to spare... Go to Full Review Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) 05/09/2023
2.5/4
Givens is nothing short of spectacular. Go to Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 12/30/2022
Whitaker conserves sympathy until the end, but with much visible effort. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert T. @Tizz59 Sep 28 Wildly entertaining and an awesome cast! See more 09/03/2021 Great movie love the cinematography and cast See more jon c 05/03/2021 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. See more 11/22/2017 Love the movie My favorite See more 05/27/2014 Thrills, laughs, and pathos, dished up with verve and heart, make a film that many of us still remember very affectionately. See more a.l.jude p @judebd 03/30/2013 Mare incidents sans any excitement. See more Read all reviews
A Rage in Harlem

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Cast & Crew

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Bill Duke

Director

Forest Whitaker

Jackson

Gregory Hines

Goldy

Robin Givens

Imabelle

Zakes Mokae

Big Kathy

Danny Glover

Easy Money

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A Rage in Harlem

A Rage in Harlem (1991) A Rage in Harlem (1991) A Rage in Harlem (1991) View more photos

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