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Straight Out of Brooklyn

Play trailer Poster for Straight Out of Brooklyn R 1991 1h 31m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 59% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
When Dennis (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.), the oldest son of an impoverished family living in a Brooklyn housing project, decides to earn some quick money by robbing a drug dealer, he gets caught up in much more than he bargained for. The stolen briefcase is filled with thousands of dollars in cash. Despite his concern, Dennis intends to use the money to move his family into a better neighborhood. But things take a turn for the worse when the dealer and his henchmen track Dennis down.

Critics Reviews

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Michael O'Pray Sight & Sound Feb 6, 2020
Straight Out of Brooklyn is not a glittering debut, but it does have a low-budget, first-time energy which sets it apart from much mainstream work. Go to Full Review
Anthony Lane Independent (UK) Jan 4, 2018
Matty Rich was 19 years old when he made this film, although you wouldn't know it. You'd think he was more like 16 and had watched too much TV. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Jan 1, 2000
3/4
The edges are rough and the ending is simply a slogan printed on the screen. But the truth is there, and echoes after the film is over. Go to Full Review
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Jan 5, 2023
Its grand virtue is that it thinks, then exists, with vibrant intensity. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Brian Orndorf BrianOrndorf.com May 24, 2011
C-
Awfully difficult to watch outside of its 1991 womb, with its limitations cringe-inducing, reducing a powerful statement of frustration to no-budget After School Special. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Dec 2, 2006
B-
Though amateurish and technically raw, the film offers a fresh insider's view of the disintegration of one black family, serving as a microcosm of the entire inner-city black community Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Max M @Househuntermax 1 day ago OK writing, bad acting. Nothing really happens. Many better movies of this genre to watch. See more
thiago s @Thiagostone Feb 1, 2025 Filme bacana, o roteiro é bacaninha, o filme tem uma tem um pouco forte que mostra problemas familiares e nas ruas, as cenas no começo são meio tensas, depois fica meio calmo e no final o pai da família negra que maltratava eles foi morto e a mãe da família negra estava com ematomas na cabeça e desmaiada com todos da família chorando, com tudo isso, é um filme tenso que meio que mostra a realidade de Brooklyn, mas as cenas deveriam ser melhores. See more
Mar 11, 2021 The begin and the end is so messed up and like average American family life but the end is very messed up the father got shot and their mother is dead at the hospital bed and it's a low budget film but it's from the film festival so I give that film 1/10 rating See more
Feb 28, 2016 This was a huge disappointment. Hard to follow and boring. Do not understand why it was critically acclaimed. Just as I a reference I make a point to see many ethnic movies from all over the world every year and saw over 250 films last year. See more
Feb 24, 2014 Anybody remember this during the height of the New Black Renaissance era of the 80s into the 90s? This is one of those buried treasures that no a lot of people got to see. Matty Rich is confident as a first time director in the very powerful piece involving the defeat of the black man , who is a husband and father, and how his sense of defeat leads to his constant drinking and conflicts with his family, which also includes beating his wife on numerous occasions. This film was lost because of higher profile films like 'Boyz N The Hood' and 'Menace II Society' but it really needs to be resurrected and viewed again. It's one of the most important films that came out of The New Black Renaissance era. See more
Mar 10, 2011 Though amateurish and technically raw, the film offers a fresh-at-that-time insider's view of the disintegration of one black family, serving as a microcosm of the entire inner-city black community. See more
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Straight Out of Brooklyn

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Cast & Crew

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Matty Rich

Director

George T. Odom

Ray Brown

Ann D. Sanders

Frankie Brown

Lawrence Gilliard Jr.

Dennis Brown

Barbara Sanon

Carolyn Brown

Reana E. Drummond

Shirley

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Straight Out of Brooklyn

Straight Out of Brooklyn (1991) Straight Out of Brooklyn (1991) Straight Out of Brooklyn (1991) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When Dennis (Lawrence Gilliard Jr.), the oldest son of an impoverished family living in a Brooklyn housing project, decides to earn some quick money by robbing a drug dealer, he gets caught up in much more than he bargained for. The stolen briefcase is filled with thousands of dollars in cash. Despite his concern, Dennis intends to use the money to move his family into a better neighborhood. But things take a turn for the worse when the dealer and his henchmen track Dennis down.
Director
Matty Rich
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 1, 2006
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.7M
Runtime
1h 31m
Sound Mix
Surround
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