
Harlem Nights
1989, Comedy, 1h 58m
34 Reviews 25,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
An all-star comedy lineup is wasted on a paper-thin plot and painfully clunky dialogue. Read critic reviews
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Where to watch
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Quick
Sugar Ray
Bennie Wilson
Phil Cantone
Bugsy Calhoune
Vera
News & Interviews for Harlem Nights
Critic Reviews for Harlem Nights
All Critics (34) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (7) | Rotten (27)
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''Harlem Nights,'' it's worth remembering, is a comedy, though as the body count piles up and entire reels go by without a joke in sight, it's also easy to forget.
March 26, 2019 | Rating: 1/4 | Full Review… -
If he's going to confine himself to bad movies like "Harlem Nights," it's probably better that he writes and directs them himself.
March 26, 2019 | Full Review… -
Harlem Nights offers a depressing answer to that not entirely pressing question, "Will success spoil Eddie Murphy?" It looks as if it has.
March 26, 2019 | Full Review… -
The plot exposition gets laborious in spots, the period flavor is only occasional and approximate, and the direction tends to be clunky, yet the strong secondary cast helps to take up some of the slack.
March 26, 2019 | Full Review… -
Unfortunately, a real comedy needs a decent plot, interesting characters and some kind of creative context to work out of.
March 26, 2019 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review… -
If only it had played funnier.
March 26, 2019 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Harlem Nights
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Oct 11, 2020I don't support the reputation of ‘Harlem Nights' as a stinker. There are noticeable flaws - and yet I enjoyed myself. Even though Pryor is underused, I was grinning ear to ear every moment Della Reese and Redd Foxx are on screen. Really, damn near all of the supporting cast boost the script's shortcomings. This crime saga would've gelled better if Murphy'd prioritized the humor more often; whenever there is levity, 'Harlem' certainly picks up steam. But Murphy wanted his extravagantly-dressed caper and he stocked it using the gangster movie playbook of cliche characters, and that's okay. Everyone looks and acts the part, and it works.Marisol M Super Reviewer
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Feb 14, 2013Eddie Murphy promised great things with this early attempt at a serious film. He was so serious that he invited comedy legends Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx to join him. They could have used humour to relieve some of the boredom.John B Super Reviewer
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Sep 06, 2010This movie, directed by Eddie Murphy, was boring, unfunny, and forgettable.Aj V Super Reviewer
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Oct 25, 2009This movie never gets old.1 of my favoritesBrody M Super Reviewer
Harlem Nights Quotes
Sugar Ray: | How was your date? |
Quick: | I killed her. |
Sugar Ray: | Ah, tore the pussy up, huh! |
Quick: | No, man, I killed her. |
Sugar Ray: | What the fuck you talking about. |
Quick: | I shot her, man. |
Sugar Ray: | Hmm. Was the pussy that bad, man? |
Bugsy Calhoune: | It's a set-up... It's a fucking set-up! |
Sugar Ray: | Quick, you're not a gangster. We're not. We're club owners. We run a dance hall. Calhoune... he's a cold-hearted killer. He'll have your ass killed. Now, the man probably doesn't know about La Rue yet. But in the morning, he's going to want you really dead. So, we got to find a place where we can lay low. Till we can run the scam and split. |
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