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Tsotsi

Play trailer Poster for Tsotsi R 2005 1h 31m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 130 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
A South African hoodlum named Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) lives by a code of violence, and he and his gang of thugs prowl the streets of Johannesburg day and night, attacking those who fail to give them what they want. After casually shooting a woman and stealing her car, he discovers her baby in the back seat. Instead of harming the mewling infant, he takes it home and cares for it. The child acts as a catalyst for the hardened thug to regain his humanity.
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Tsotsi

Tsotsi

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Critics Consensus

Chweneyagae's powerful performance carries this simple yet searing tale of a shantytown teenager's redemption.

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Critics Reviews

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Zadie Smith Daily Telegraph (UK) The audience gasps in that odd mixture of surprise and recognition that great story-telling affords. Jan 16, 2018 Full Review Marjorie Baumgarten Austin Chronicle What Tsotsi fails to explain is how the mere introduction of a baby can melt the cruel cycle of criminality and disregard for others. Rated: 2.5/5 Apr 1, 2006 Full Review Liz Moody Empire Magazine With lively pacing, superb performances and a candid yet forgiving heart, Hood has created an inverse fairy tale that is never less than absorbing. Rated: 4/5 Apr 1, 2006 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com It is one of only a handful of films where I have, quite literally, forgotten that it is a foreign film. Rated: 4.0/4.0 Sep 26, 2020 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens Artfully combining and complimenting with each other the story and technical aspects of the film, the results are an unparalleled synergistic relationship, seamlessly interweaving the film's ever increasing message of hope and redemption. Nov 9, 2019 Full Review Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal It's a redemption song that could be stripped down into a Hallmark-esque distillation of "City of God." Instead, it retains a minor key, with bullets, blood and beatings illustrating a descent into dangerous living while a baby's presence suggests hope. Rated: 3.5/4 Nov 7, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Wayne K You don’t often hear about films from South Africa. I suppose the most famous one would be District 9, but Tsotsi is the first and so far only film from the country to win the Oscar for Best International film back in 2006. It’s a gritty, slum-based crime drama, much like City Of God, possibly my favourite example of the genre. It centres around a believable and earnest redemption arc, following a willing member of the criminal underworld as he finds a reason to try and do better in his life. There’s a lack of preachiness and speechifying that’s so common in films like this, where characters spout hollow, predictable platitudes that belong more on a Hallmark card than in a feature film. Presley Chweneyagae turns in a performance that’s both restrained and emotionally affecting, not going over the top or ever really using more emotion than he needs to. He’s well served by a talented, if underutilised, supporting cast. The character of Miriam especially could have been a fantastic component of the overall storyline, but she never gets enough to do, and it feels like squandered potential. Minor issues aside, Tsotsi is a film that more people should see and discuss. I never hear it brought up in any movie related conversations, and that’s something that definitely needs to change. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/11/24 Full Review Gareth v A movie that expolres the criminal and violent side of South Africa. The tale of redemption is a bit of a stretch though. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/20/23 Full Review jacob t Amazing character study and well made film. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review William L The cops in this movie at great. At one point they ride around in this incredibly unintimidating sedan-truck, constantly are leveling Glocks at the heads of suspects like they're in some '80s action movie, and later on one picks up a criminal's gun during a home infiltration and turns it on the guy like the cop forgot to bring his own. Tsotsi is an important film in the development of African cinema on the world stage, sweeping awards in the United States and beyond where predecessors did not, but can either be heart-melting or childish based on interpretation. Presley Chweneyagae's Tsotsi ('gangster') is a thug without morals or scruples, a man who has abandoned his former identity after facing cruelty at home. However, when he accidentally kidnaps a baby (who only cries when the story demands it, and never outside of those demands) as part of a carjacking, that stony-faced persona begins to crack and melt away, as he sees some bit of his former self in the innocence of a child. Some people called it a refreshing turn from other modern dramas that focused too heavily on darker storylines, but the transformation seems totally unjustified. We go from 'stabbing a guy with an icepick in a train' to 'here's some milk, boy-o' in about half an hour, with little explanation apart from some belief that inside of every criminal there's a mistreated former child. It has some solid performances, many of the details feel solid, and the international recognition was significant, but the premise alone sort of betrays the film. African cinema has a lot to offer, including many unique and highly original details rooted in a wide range of cultures, that making this the poster child for a continent seems like a rather timid decision. (2.5/5) Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/01/22 Full Review dave s Set in Johannesburg, David is a young man who, after his mother's death from AIDS, resorts to a life of crime, seemingly devoid of any emotion other than anger. After carjacking a vehicle, he realizes that he has kidnapped the victim's baby, forcing him to reevaluate his life. Once you get past the unlikely scenario of David keeping the baby instead of leaving it in the car, Tsotsi is a fascinating examination of the evolution of a heartless criminal. It is a film about compassion and redemption, beautifully shot in the slums of the city and featuring excellent performances from the cast, including that of Presley Chweneyagae in the lead role. As an added bonus, the soundtrack and score are remarkable. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Liam D A powerful story of redemption so check it out because this director should be looked at his other works like this and not X men origins Wolverine. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/06/20 Full Review Read all reviews
Tsotsi

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Movie Info

Synopsis A South African hoodlum named Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) lives by a code of violence, and he and his gang of thugs prowl the streets of Johannesburg day and night, attacking those who fail to give them what they want. After casually shooting a woman and stealing her car, he discovers her baby in the back seat. Instead of harming the mewling infant, he takes it home and cares for it. The child acts as a catalyst for the hardened thug to regain his humanity.
Director
Gavin Hood
Producer
Peter Fudakowski
Screenwriter
Gavin Hood
Production Co
Movie World, National Film and Video Foundation of SA, UK Film and TV Production Co.
Rating
R (Strong Violent Content|Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Afrikaans
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Feb 24, 2006
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.9M
Runtime
1h 31m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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