Red Hook Summer

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  • Opened August 10, 2012 (Limited)
  • 2 hr 1 min
  • R | A Disturbing Situation, Language and Brief Violence

  • Parents: Common Sense Media says Iffy for 16+. More on child suitability

  • Flik Royale (Jules Brown), a sullen young boy from middle-class Atlanta, has come to spend the summer with his deeply religious grandfather, Bishop Enoch Rouse (Clarke Peters), in the housing projects of Red Hook. Having never met before, things quickly get off on the wrong foot as Bishop Enoch relentlessly attempts to convert Flik into a follower of Jesus Christ. Between his grandfather’s constant preaching and the culture shock of inner-city life, Flik’s summer appears to be a total disaster - until he meets Chazz Morningstar (Toni Lysaith), a pretty girl his age, who shows Flik the brighter side of Brooklyn. Through her love and the love of his grandfather, Flik begins to realize that the world is a lot bigger, and perhaps a lot better, than he’d ever imagined. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Clarke Peters, Jules Brown, Toni Lysaith, Nate Parker, Thomas Jefferson Byrd
  • Director: Spike Lee
  • Genres: Drama

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Critics say So-So
48 out of 100
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Fan Reviews

Must Go!
I was Blinded sided by Red Hook.

by merkmurphy

the acting was very natural and human like. every character seemed as close to the real thing as they possibly could. tho i felt as if i was actually in church for lengthy parts of the film, it was...

Must Go!
Red Hook Summer

by Smokey Big Bear

This latest film by Spike Lee is for individuals who appreciate a fine art film, with intellectual depth surrounding the complexities of life, to the deeper questions of our desire and commitment to...

So-so
Red Hook Summer

by janncoles

The actor who portrayed the peacher was very very good; however, I got so tired of hearing his long preachy sermons. The whole movie had too much preaching in it. The story didn't make sense to...

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Critic Reviews

80
Time Out New York
| Joshua Rothkopf

The new drama, best viewed as a church movie, is a return to the kind of corner-chat indie cinema Lee revolutionized, with an emphasis on a towering performance by The Wire's Clarke Peters as a local bishop inflamed with the Word. Read full review

80
Boxoffice Magazine
| Ray Greene

Red Hook Summer begins as a gentle character comedy and then erupts into a sudden reversal that is possibly the most powerful and disturbing sequence Lee has ever created. It's a film that makes you laugh, weep, rage and gasp, and, love it or hate it, you will definitely talk about it afterward. Read full review

75
Slant Magazine
| Glenn Heath Jr.

The seamless juxtaposition of faith and pain, innocence and guilt, allows the film to transcend Spike Lee's occasional bombastic moments and become a strong examination of internal suffering. Read full review

63
Chicago Tribune
| Michael Phillips

It's a scramble, marked by the unruly variety of visual strategies Lee prefers. Read full review

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Kimberly Hebert-Gregory as Sister Sweet, Tony Lysaith as Chazz Morningstar, Clarke Peters as Bishop Enoch Rouse and Jules Brown as Flik Royale in "Red Hook Summer."