A spellbinding account of how fear causes illogical reactions, and how illogical reactions cause impulsive actions which, in turn, are just as dangerous as a serial killer.
Comment
01/01/00
Summer of Sam (1999)
50
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:96
Fresh:48
Rotten:48
Average Rating:5.6/10
Consensus: Spike Lee offers intense visuals but his storytelling feels crowded and overambitious.
Runtime: 2 hrs 22 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: SUMMER OF SAM, Spike Lee's sizzling interpretation of the summer of 1977 in New York City, when thermometers shattered and a serial killer terrorized the city, focuses on an Italian-American... [More]
Starring: John Leguizamo, Mira Sorvino, Adrien Brody, Jennifer Esposito
Director: Spike Lee
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Reviews for Summer of Sam
This movie is constantly in motion, spinning from one level of the story to another.
01/01/00
...tremendous, haunting, multi-textured ...
08/23/02
The script, by Lee, Victor Colicchio and Michael Imperioli, is tighter than those for other Lee movies, but it's still too long and too broad.
01/01/00
It's Lee's best joint in a long time, and while it's far from perfect, it's also the most intelligently riveting film out there this summer, so far.
01/01/00
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03/24/02
Both beguiling and confounding, an enigmatic blend of banality and brilliance that ultimately manages to overcome its myriad shortcomings through nothing but the sheer force of Lee's visionary direction.
06/05/02
Spike Lee, one of the most consistently visionary American filmmakers, makes a sprawling mess out of the summer of 1977.
01/01/00
This ultimately disappoints, but it is good to see Lee branch out into subjects which don't immediately lend themselves to his single-minded politicizing.
09/23/08
Lee has bitten off more than anyone could chew!
01/01/00
Like most of Lee's work, this bites off more than it can chew, but the breadth and energy are impressive.
09/23/08
Top CriticLee's best films thrum with a wound-up energy, and Summer of Sam vibrates with fear, guilt and lust.
01/01/00
Top CriticA terrific movie: jolting, savage, horrifically funny, nightmarishly exciting but also brainy and compassionate.
01/01/00
Top CriticAn intelligent, compassionate, adult story told to thrilling, fearsome effect.
10/15/02
I'm not one of the many admirers of Spike Lee's work, but his emphasis on small details and the depiction of a tensely-approached summer is obvious evidence of his growth as a movie director.
01/01/00
The world of the movie is so violent, drug addled, and unattractive that we were left somewhat aghast.
01/01/00
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01/01/00
A smooth ride down a dead end street.
01/01/00
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08/19/09
Lee's ensemble cast does uniformly fine work, with the often underused Leguizamo as a tremendous standout.
01/01/00
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