She's Gotta Have It

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She's Gotta Have It

R

1986

1h 24m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

33 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Beautiful Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) can't decide what kind of man she wants to date, so she decides to date three at the same time. The first is Greer Childs (John Canada Terrell), a rich, handsome narcissist. Then there's Jamie Overstreet (Tommy Redmond Hicks), a stable, overprotective alpha male. Finally, there's Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee), a timid geek with a heart of gold. Unfortunately, while each suitor has his virtues, Darling just can't seem to make up her mind.

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Critics Consensus

With She's Gotta Have It, Spike Lee delivered his bracing first shot across Hollywood's bow -- and set the template for the groundbreaking act to follow.

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Stephanie Zacharek

TIME Magazine

08/01/2024

It stands proud as an early calling card for one of our most provocative, inventive directors.

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Variety Staff

Variety

03/17/2008

All the elements of an interesting yarn are implicit here -- save one: a compelling central figure

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Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

01/13/2008

3/4

She's Gotta Have It's characters talk into the camera, but they do so in service of a Rashomon-tinged postmortem on how an artistic young woman couldn't make polyamory work in her favor.

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Farah Cheded

A Good Movie To Watch

10/07/2023

Stands overall as a radical, exuberant, and impressively assertive lightning bolt of an entry into the medium that Lee changed forever.

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Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

08/27/2021

80/100

Spike's first feature is a suave and toothy flick, served up pseudo-vignette with oodles of style.

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Marti Wilson

Sojourner

08/23/2019

She's Gotta Have It is cleverly crafted. Its entertainment value is not diminished by its serious notes... Spike Lee and this film will be take seriously.

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Sam S

Sep 20

The first feature-length Spike Lee joint. The dialogue and performances can be a little rough, but Lee’s eclectic and playful style is quite strong for a debut.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 23

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Will G

01/21/2025

A great Spike Lee film! He directed and acted in it. I liked the scene with dancing. It was nice to see NYC. It was about a woman who has relationships with multiple men.

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Sara J

01/20/2025

Tracy Camilla Johns really shines in this. I liked that we weren't given a "backstory" or "explanation" for her. We were only assured that she was a perfectly healthy woman. Would re-watch, just for her.

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Leaburn O

06/08/2023

Starts off pretty enjoyable but the final third is too turgid and the film ultimately says pretty little.

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12/15/2021

Very ahead of its time in the sense of feminine empowerment. Thought it was maybe a take on classism with the three being poor, rich, and in the middle? Not positive on that but it’s something I took away from it. Great story, great characters, lots of funny lines, outstanding film debut from the legend!

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Spike Lee

Director

Tracy Camilla Johns

Nola Darling

Tommy Redmond Hicks

Jamie Overstreet

John Canada Terrell

Greer Childs

Spike Lee

Mars Blackmon

Raye Dowell

Opal Gilstrap

Casual Sex?

31%

29%

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Synopsis

Beautiful Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) can't decide what kind of man she wants to date, so she decides to date three at the same time. The first is Greer Childs (John Canada Terrell), a rich, handsome narcissist. Then there's Jamie Overstreet (Tommy Redmond Hicks), a stable, overprotective alpha male. Finally, there's Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee), a timid geek with a heart of gold. Unfortunately, while each suitor has his virtues, Darling just can't seem to make up her mind.

Director: Spike Lee
Producer: Spike Lee
Screenwriter: Spike Lee
Production Co: 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, New York Foundation for the Arts
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.0M
Runtime: 1h 24m

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