Summertime

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1:44

Summertime

R

2021

1h 35m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

69 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

SUMMERTIME follows the intersecting stories of 27 youth spoken word poets over a single day in Los Angeles. The director's ground-breaking vision began at a poetry showcase where performers from across the City of Angels recited fearlessly personal texts about themselves, their communities, and their relationship to their city. The project was then developed around their individual poems and interwoven into a larger, unified, and gloriously moving narrative experiment -- part contemporary musical and part sociological art. SUMMERTIME explores themes of identity, community, and intersectionality through the unique perspectives of this diverse ensemble.

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Critics Consensus

Although its conceptual ambitions are muddled by its hopscotching sequences, Summertime's earnest heart beautifully captures what it means to live and breathe in the City of Angels.

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Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (LAist)

Jul 23, 2021

It feels like Slacker for a new generation, which I really appreciated... This feels like one of the most L.A. films I've ever seen.

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Jul 23, 2021

I love this film as much as it loves Los Angeles, which is deeply.

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

Jul 21, 2021

3/4

The movies have a long history of "kids putting on a show." "Summertime" belongs to that tradition even as it expands its boundaries into the heartsore world offscreen.

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Brittany Patrice Witherspoon

Pop Culture Reviews

Jul 14, 2024

4/5

Summertime shows that the will to get through is stronger than any burden seeking to hold us back from accomplishing our dreams.

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Sarah Vincent

Cambridge Day

Aug 16, 2023

3.5/4

The film improves on that series in terms of nuance and providing palpable emotional journeys, and the hard-earned denouement will transport you to a place of peace, satisfaction and hope; leave your rose-colored glasses at home.

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Mo Muzammal

Vague Visages

Jul 27, 2023

Summertime feels wrong-headed, even if its heart is in the right place.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Sep 3, 2025

Funny in 1 hour and 35 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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michele m

@RT81074402 Aug 31, 2022

I loved the pace and the closeups and the interweaving of stories. It's a love letter to LA and features young people with varying degrees of angst.

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Beth S

@RT85237838 Jan 3, 2022

Soulful, funny, quirky characters spontaneously on the streets of Los Angeles weave together a loosely told tale. Spoken word poetry, music, colorful street art, scenes of grim and gritty and also joyful life on the streets of Los Angeles all weave together to create this refreshing and raw little gem of a movie.

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Aug 9, 2021

I absolutely LOVED this film. Beautifully shot with poetry passionately delivered by the writers themselves. It's one day in LA through the eyes of (more than) 27 people who's lives intersect throughout. It's just so much fun! If you've ever lived in or loved Los Angeles - this movie is a MUST SEE.

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Jul 21, 2021

100% original. I can't wait to see it again.

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Jul 13, 2021

This movie was inspiring and helped me realize some things that I had not processed yet.

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Carlos López Estrada

Director

Tyris Winter

Tyris

Marquesha Babers

Marquesha

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Summertime: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

SUMMERTIME follows the intersecting stories of 27 youth spoken word poets over a single day in Los Angeles. The director's ground-breaking vision began at a poetry showcase where performers from across the City of Angels recited fearlessly personal texts about themselves, their communities, and their relationship to their city. The project was then developed around their individual poems and interwoven into a larger, unified, and gloriously moving narrative experiment -- part contemporary musical and part sociological art. SUMMERTIME explores themes of identity, community, and intersectionality through the unique perspectives of this diverse ensemble.

Director: Carlos López Estrada
Screenwriter: Dave Harris, Mila Cuda, Olympia Miccio, Tyris Winter, Amaya Blankenship, Bene't Benton, Hanna Harris, Marco Bizio, Raul Herrera, Bryce Banks, Marquesha Babers, Walter Finnie Jr., Anna Osuna, Zach Perlmutter, Jason Alvarez, Austin Antoine, Maia Mayor, Madyson Park, Xochitl Morales
Distributor: Good Deed Entertainment
Production Co: Los Angeles Media Fund
Rating: R (Language Throughout|Sexual References)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 9, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 27, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.7K
Runtime: 1h 35m

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