Summer of Sam

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Summer of Sam

R

Released Jul 2, 1999

2h 22m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

50%

Tomatometer

104 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

During the summer of 1977, a killer known as the Son of Sam keeps all of New York City on edge with a series of brutal murders. The philandering Vinny (John Leguizamo) unwittingly almost becomes a victim of the psychopath, and soon he and numerous people in his orbit -- including his wife, Dionna (Mira Sorvino), his punk-rocker friend, Ritchie (Adrien Brody), and aspiring porn star Ruby (Jennifer Esposito) -- are trying to figure out the identity of the killer, before it's too late.

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Critics Consensus

Spike Lee offers intense visuals but his storytelling feels crowded and overambitious.

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

...a scorching melodrama about childhood friends-played by John Leguizamo and Adrien Brody-whose relationship reaches an emotional boiling point.

Mar 25, 2019

Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

Summer of Sam, for all its flash and well-crafted fury, is only superficially disturbing. It's a nightmare stroll down memory lane: feel-bad nostalgia.

Mar 2, 2018

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Like most of Lee's work, this bites off more than it can chew, but the breadth and energy are impressive.

Sep 23, 2008

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Leonardo Garcia Tsao

La Jornada

Lee doesn't manage to thread the diverse anecdotes into a cohesive narrative. [Full review in Spanish]

Sep 6, 2022

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Spike Lee exhausts his bag of tricks, trying to keep the energy level up, and parts of the movie are affecting or exciting. But after a while you grow weary of being pelted with the director’s pyrotechnics.

Rated: C-

Sep 2, 2022

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Never quite pays off, with stilted dialoguing plaguing otherwise fine performances from Mira Sorvino and John Leguizamo.

Rated: 1/5

Aug 10, 2020

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Oaklee D

I went into this one thinking I was going to really enjoy it but instead I found the film to be completely underwhelming. The best way I can describe this film for those that haven't seen it is that it's 2 and a half hours of watching someone scream at a dog while sid the sloth cheats on his wife repeatedly.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/14/25

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Zero W

Once again Spike Lee shows off his antiwhitism.🤮

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/04/25

Full Review

thiago s

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

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/04/25

Full Review

Gregory S

It is a pretty good movie. It does a pretty great job illustrating the effect Birkowitz had in the community. I will say this though… I have never busted up laughing as much as I did when the dog started talking. Haha, epic.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/25/25

Full Review

Weston L

I love this film. It's vibrant yet dark, filled with great performances, colorful characters, and terrific style. Cultures are pitted against each other in a New York heatwave that causes power outages hysteria, and paranoia. Friends turn against each other during the madness. Original and uncompromising. Boiling to an authentic lesson in what happens when you lose your head. Even the smallest roles are played to perfection with amazing actors to create a who's who of unique characters. This is the original true crime masterpiece laying the groundwork so often used today. Ambitious and provocative, the payoffs are bold and in your face.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/18/25

Full Review

Isa B

I love the opening sequences of this film. However, it got increasingly worse as the film progressed. Before it reached the halfway point, it was already clear that is was irredeemably awful. I couldn't always take the acting seriously. At times, it seemed contrived. The actor playing Son of Sam was hardly convincing. He seemed more like a character from a bad comedy than a vicious serial killer. Certain elements of the plot seemed a bit farfetched. I didn't always know where the story was going or if I even cared. I do not recommend Summer of Sam. 59/100

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/06/24

Full Review

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Spike Lee

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John Leguizamo

Vinny

Adrien Brody

Richie

Mira Sorvino

Dionna

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Ruby

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Synopsis

During the summer of 1977, a killer known as the Son of Sam keeps all of New York City on edge with a series of brutal murders. The philandering Vinny (John Leguizamo) unwittingly almost becomes a victim of the psychopath, and soon he and numerous people in his orbit -- including his wife, Dionna (Mira Sorvino), his punk-rocker friend, Ritchie (Adrien Brody), and aspiring porn star Ruby (Jennifer Esposito) -- are trying to figure out the identity of the killer, before it's too late.

Director: Spike Lee
Producer: Jon Kilik, Spike Lee
Screenwriter: Victor Colicchio, Spike Lee, Michael Imperioli
Distributor: MFA Filmdistribution [de], Opening Distribution, Downtown Pictures [gb], Buena Vista International [us], Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures, New Films International
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 2, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $19.3M
Runtime: 2h 22m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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