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Red Hook Summer

R Released Aug 10, 2012 2h 1m Drama List
57% Tomatometer 65 Reviews 34% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A well-to-do Atlanta teen (Jules Brown) documents a summer spent in the Brooklyn housing projects with his devout grandfather (Clarke Peters).
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Red Hook Summer

Red Hook Summer

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Critics Consensus

Red Hook Summer is just as bold and energetic as Spike Lee's best work, but its story is undermined by a jarring plot twist in the final act.

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Critics Reviews

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Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online It comes off embarrassingly amateurish at times, but other times the sentimental moments will captivate you, but only for a moment. Rated: D+ Sep 8, 2017 Full Review Tim Grierson Deadspin "Red Hook Summer" has so much life, so much verve. Spike Lee always makes movies you want to wrestle with, even if the rewards this time around aren't as worthwhile. Feb 12, 2013 Full Review Bill Goodykoontz Arizona Republic For the most part it's all rather pleasant, if somewhat aimless. Rated: 3/5 Sep 13, 2012 Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com If you've not been to the good house for a while, you might feel like you've been held hostage to the word by Spike Lee. But if you've the patience, Lee has a rewarding payoff in store for you. Rated: 3/5 Jul 9, 2019 Full Review Eve Tushnet The American Conservative The movie doesn't end so much as it gives up. Aug 7, 2018 Full Review Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm Is faith a saving grace or a swindle? Rated: 2.5/4 Aug 7, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kyle M Spike Lee independently continues his Brooklyn chronicles in expressing different aspects of the community, decidedly gone bold on approaching religious discourses with conversational ideas signifying his best thoroughly to the timely controversial point that discouraged the third act, but Clarke Peters shines regardless. (B) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/17/24 Full Review steve d Not sure I love the ending, but the script is fantastic, and the acting is nearly as good. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Spike Lee's film definitely takes an engrossing turn for the dramatic, but by that point, Red Hook Summer is sort of a drag, as if you're there with the characters in the humid Brooklyn heat. Bishop Enoch Rouse (Clarke Peters) is the charismatic and virally devout preacher at a small congregation in the titular neighborhood. Peters delivers a fiery performance and had the film focused on him more, it likely would've been a better experience. Thomas Jefferson Byrd as Deacon Zee also has some memorable scenes, most notably, his (sometimes audience-less) speeches concerning the stock market. Unfortunately, the film struggled from some unnatural and clunky dialogue, which makes sense since I've read the two child characters weren't even actors… not a smart move. It meanders too much in the middle and doesn't grab your attention back until Blessing Rowe (Colman Domingo) shows up. Here, we get Lee's signature "double dolly shot" with the single best scene in the entire movie­ as Rowe confronts Rouse, and recites the Book of Solomon. Nevertheless, and even though we get a Mookie (Lee) cameo (who's somehow still working at Sal's), the ending is unsatisfying and sort of weird. The only people who need to see Red Hook Summer are those who want to say they've seen all of Lee's films. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Was good to see Spike playing Mookie again. Beautifully filmed on sight in Brooklyn, great acting by the entire cast. It does take a crazy unexpected turn but thats what made the movie even more realistic.a be must see Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review camille l Avec Red Hook Summer, Spike Lee asseoit tranquillement son statut de réalisateur majeur dans la mesure où son film est un foutoir complet, sans aucune suite logique dans les idées, mais où il reste absolument passionnant. Red Hook Summer est une comédie pendant 100 minutes avant de bifurquer sur une histoire de pédophilie par un personnage principal, sans jamais avoir de véritables réponses quant aux enjeux dramatiques. Ce qui aurait dû être un mauvais film est magnifié par la caméra de Lee, qui n'explicite jamais où il erre, rendant Red Hook Summer très étrange, à défaut d'être réellement réussi. Trahi par ses deux enfants acteurs, Spike Lee ne peut atteindre les sommets de ses débuts mais continue à prouver qu'il reste un type atypique dans le paysage cinématographique mondial. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I don't know what I liked about this movie, but I did like it . Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Red Hook Summer

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Cast & Crew

Drop Squad 14% 45% Drop Squad Do the Right Thing 92% 89% Do the Right Thing 25th Hour 79% 85% 25th Hour Summer of Sam 50% 60% Summer of Sam White Irish Drinkers 47% 71% White Irish Drinkers Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis A well-to-do Atlanta teen (Jules Brown) documents a summer spent in the Brooklyn housing projects with his devout grandfather (Clarke Peters).
Director
Spike Lee
Producer
Spike Lee
Screenwriter
Spike Lee, James McBride
Distributor
Variance Films
Production Co
40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
Rating
R (A Disturbing Situation|Language|Brief Violence)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 10, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$334.7K
Runtime
2h 1m
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