Summer of Sam

R

Released Jul 2, 1999

2 hr. 22 min.

Drama

List

50%

104 Reviews

Tomatometer

59%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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Ryan B

The reviews for this surprise me. I found this movie to be an intriguing mesh of love, desire, loyalty, fear and pain as the characters navigate their lives and issues with the looming presence of Sam hanging over all of them. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/25/24

Full Review

Tom G

Biggest heap of garbage ever, the title is so misleading, Son of Sam is only a small background part in this badly written and acted film of sex crazed brain dead Italian gang continually arguing and fighting. Doesn't even deserve a rating.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/05/24

Full Review

Marcus P

He does show an honest depiction of people at their worst. It's just so obviously spiteful. Is there anyone more overrated than spike lee? The guy is just terrible at everything.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

04/14/24

Full Review

Dominique W

An unfairly judged film worthy of critical reappraisal.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/10/23

Full Review

isla s

I didn't think the plot was very strong, or obvious, in this film. I didn't feel like I got much of an insight into the killer. The performances are ok but its mostly a film with lots of swearing, sex references and some violence. It didn't seem, to me, to equate to much. I did quite like the songs played in the soundtrack though. I wanted to watch it as I saw Adrian Brody is in it and I quite like films he's in. He seems to play a supposedly British punk rocker, which is amusing to see, certainly but I wouldn't call it an especially engrossing watch at all. It isn't even particularly scary. Its ok. Also the dialogue is a bit muffled and thus hard to follow in its entirety at times, with a lot of talk between urban/edgy people who can be highly strung. I wouldn't recommend this, no.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I saw this movie at the drive-in when it first came out. Masquerades as if it's a movie about the Son of Sam serial killer in 1970s New York City, ends up being a movie about a small group of Italian Americans and their desires for deviant sex. Putrid. One of the most disappointing movies I've ever seen.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

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Spike Lee

Director

John Leguizamo

Vinny

Adrien Brody

Richie

Mira Sorvino

Dionna

Jennifer Esposito

Ruby

Anthony LaPaglia

Detective Lou Petrocelli

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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Michael Imperioli, Jeri Carroll-Colicchio
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
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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