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Superfly

Play trailer Poster for Superfly R 1972 1h 36m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Priest (Ron O'Neal), a suave top-rung New York City drug dealer, decides that he wants to get out of his dangerous trade. Working with his reluctant friend, Eddie (Carl Lee), Priest devises a scheme that will allow him make a big deal and then retire. When a desperate street dealer informs the police of Priest's activities, Priest is forced into an uncomfortable arrangement with corrupt narcotics officers. Setting his plan in motion, he aims to both leave the business and stick it to the man.
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Superfly

Critics Reviews

View All (27) Critics Reviews
Geoff Andrew Time Out One of the most successful of the early '70s blaxploitation cycle. Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Roger Greenspun New York Times A very good movie. Rated: 4/5 May 9, 2005 Full Review Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle Curtis Mayfield's sizzling score may be the most enduringly superfly aspect of this blaxploitation classic. Mar 10, 2003 Full Review Jimi Lawrence Call and Post (Cleveland) [Superfly] deals with a segment of life as it really exists, despite the wishes of many who would rather suppress or overlook it. Mar 29, 2022 Full Review Larry G. Coleman New Pittsburgh Courier There is fine acting throughout the film. Ron O'Neal's performance is superior. Dec 14, 2021 Full Review Samuel A. Hay Baltimore Afro-American Ron O'Neal Is supported by a good but uneven cast. There is a great deal of overacting. Acting on film requires a subtlety that, give experience, these new faces will soon master. But Parks' first effort is almost actor-proof and is well worth a trip. Jul 15, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Considering its budget, the production is outstanding. One of the "stars" of the film that's not given proper billing is the Eldo "pimpmobile." Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/23/24 Full Review David K One of the most iconic films of early 70's American cinema. The Curtis Mayfield music is outstanding and helps keep the film moving. Although criticized for its stereotypical blacks of urban environments, it's place is solidified in film history because it was part of a new movement in Black film - known primarily as Blaxploitation but perhaps ore accurately described as Soul Cinema. Well worth the time invested. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/05/23 Full Review Michael W This crime classic was great. Ron O'Neal, Carl Lee, Julian Harris, Sheila Frazier, and the rest of the cast did a great job in this movie. The plot of the movie was thrilling and dramatic. It's about wanting to get out of a rough life to make a new one at all costs. If you haven't seen this classic movie yet, check it out sometime. It's worth watching. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review William L Though the minds behind the film would claim that this blaxploitation classic was intended to be just as much an indictment of the lifestyle of a pusher as it was a criticism of the corruption and social inequality that forced people into it, the unexpected reality was that Super Fly's sense of style actually managed to override its very direct messaging, directly inspiring a subsequent generation of gangsters. That's the power of a Curtis Mayfield soundtrack. Undeniably suffering from the practical production limitations of most of its genre contemporaries, Super Fly actually seems to be cut from more well-designed cloth, introducing a protagonist that preserves the cool factor but actually demonstrating that he can't use swagger alone to topple an entrenched system of greased palms (unlike the simpler racial revenge fantasy narrative in something like a Shaft or Dolemite). The narrative goes out of its way to contradict the image of the well-dressed pimp/drug runner as an ideal to aspire to, instead depicting him as simply another tool in a larger enterprise. The editing is dodgy, many of the supporting actors are bargain-bin, and the pacing is slow by today's standards, but think of those as more the lingering fingerprints of a black film industry that was just finding its footing. It's an important and influential film, just don't expect it to compare too favorably with socially-conscious crime thrillers that have a half century or more of technical and genre development to compete with, apart from a top-notch soundtrack that no studio today could hope to emulate. (3/5) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/06/21 Full Review Audience Member https://youtu.be/iN3KsbnQZxU Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review david f I don't think it really had the excitement of the Pam Grier movies from around the same time. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Superfly

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Movie Info

Synopsis Priest (Ron O'Neal), a suave top-rung New York City drug dealer, decides that he wants to get out of his dangerous trade. Working with his reluctant friend, Eddie (Carl Lee), Priest devises a scheme that will allow him make a big deal and then retire. When a desperate street dealer informs the police of Priest's activities, Priest is forced into an uncomfortable arrangement with corrupt narcotics officers. Setting his plan in motion, he aims to both leave the business and stick it to the man.
Director
Gordon Parks Jr.
Producer
Sig Shore
Screenwriter
Phillip Fenty
Production Co
Warner Bros., Sig Shore International
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
May 7, 2015
Runtime
1h 36m
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