A Rage in Harlem

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A Rage in Harlem

R

1991

1h 48m

Crime

Drama

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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.

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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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

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

Jazzy and jauntily funny.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 1, 2013

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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

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Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Givens is nothing short of spectacular.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 9, 2023

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Whitaker conserves sympathy until the end, but with much visible effort. [Full review in Spanish]

Dec 30, 2022

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Robert T.

Wildly entertaining and an awesome cast!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/28/25

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Audience Member

Great movie love the cinematography and cast

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/22

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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

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Audience Member

Love the movie My favorite

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/22/20

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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

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a.l.jude p

Mare incidents sans any excitement.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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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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71%

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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