Aug 16, 2025·editedI think the overall picture is good. The majority of the story works very well and the middle stretch of this film is incredible. Denzel and especially Jeffrey Wright brought it to their performances. I do end up feeling like everything was a little too clean in a sense that there wasn’t really any stakes. I kind of wanted something, I don’t know dirtier? Everything felt wrapped up in a nice bow, and that’s good, but I feel like it would’ve felt better if there was some tragedy. Also the “music videos” at the end didn’t totally work for me, but it doesn’t derail the film.
3.5/5
Aug 17, 2025bag drop scene was amazing
- Aug 17, 2025
thought it was an interesting choice not to show the kidnapping on camera, particularly because the few action scenes we got were very well executed, and that could’ve been a nice way to break up some of the heavy dialogue in the beginning half of the film
Aug 17, 2025·2 repliesI was NOT a fan of this
Aug 17, 2025this was actually one of the main themes of the movie
Aug 17, 2025It's good but it could've been great
Aug 17, 2025earthwalkaI was NOT a fan of this
Noooooooooo
Aug 17, 2025this coulda been a classic
- Aug 17, 2025·8 replies
Yeah there’s nothing worse than seeing a film that SHOULD be great but is bogged down by terrible execution.
First off the f***ing score? Bro why this s*** was scored like a Titanic movie???? S*** did not fit at all. And it was wayyyy too much.
Next some of the acting, omg the wife is a terrible actress. The whole ya son got kidnapped was some of the worse acting I’ve seen this year.
Next, what was the f***ing point of Ice Spice????
Next… the little music videos in the end
especially the f***ing cheesy ass ending with the girl singing the fake ass “and we rise up” song As much as I hated the first act, when s*** started to finally get going it got good but ion feel it was enough to make up for the bad parts. I love Spike so much, and it should be a sin to say this BUT I can’t help but think how this s*** would look if it was a Safdie film. It needed some grittiness to it. Like @mjpplus said s*** was too neat and clean. There was a quick scene where the camera suddenly was grainy and I asked myself “why tf they didn’t go with something more like this?!”
Also some of the dialogue was hit and miss, they needed me to fix that s***. I see a guy named “Alan Fox” was the writer, I’m not familiar with him but they had ASAP Rocky saying “b” too many f***ing times. The nigga shouldn’t be saying B every two seconds, s*** became a parody. I do like how he said “nigga u baited” cus that’s some current NY lingo. I’m not sure if Rocky improv’d that? I can’t imagine some old white writer would know authentic speech like that but that was cool.
Overall I give this a 3/5….no pun intended but it had some highs but ALOT of lows smh
- Aug 17, 2025earthwalka
I was NOT a fan of this
Damn
Aug 17, 2025I’m annoyed my theatre didn’t get this movie
they usually always get the cool limited s***
Aug 18, 2025·1 replyOscar WinnerYeah there’s nothing worse than seeing a film that SHOULD be great but is bogged down by terrible execution.
First off the f***ing score? Bro why this s*** was scored like a Titanic movie???? S*** did not fit at all. And it was wayyyy too much.
Next some of the acting, omg the wife is a terrible actress. The whole ya son got kidnapped was some of the worse acting I’ve seen this year.
Next, what was the f***ing point of Ice Spice????
Next… the little music videos in the end
especially the f***ing cheesy ass ending with the girl singing the fake ass “and we rise up” song As much as I hated the first act, when s*** started to finally get going it got good but ion feel it was enough to make up for the bad parts. I love Spike so much, and it should be a sin to say this BUT I can’t help but think how this s*** would look if it was a Safdie film. It needed some grittiness to it. Like @mjpplus said s*** was too neat and clean. There was a quick scene where the camera suddenly was grainy and I asked myself “why tf they didn’t go with something more like this?!”
Also some of the dialogue was hit and miss, they needed me to fix that s***. I see a guy named “Alan Fox” was the writer, I’m not familiar with him but they had ASAP Rocky saying “b” too many f***ing times. The nigga shouldn’t be saying B every two seconds, s*** became a parody. I do like how he said “nigga u baited” cus that’s some current NY lingo. I’m not sure if Rocky improv’d that? I can’t imagine some old white writer would know authentic speech like that but that was cool.
Overall I give this a 3/5….no pun intended but it had some highs but ALOT of lows smh
I warned you about the score man
I agree on some of your negatives though, the wife gave an awful performance
Aug 18, 2025·2 repliesOscar WinnerYeah there’s nothing worse than seeing a film that SHOULD be great but is bogged down by terrible execution.
First off the f***ing score? Bro why this s*** was scored like a Titanic movie???? S*** did not fit at all. And it was wayyyy too much.
Next some of the acting, omg the wife is a terrible actress. The whole ya son got kidnapped was some of the worse acting I’ve seen this year.
Next, what was the f***ing point of Ice Spice????
Next… the little music videos in the end
especially the f***ing cheesy ass ending with the girl singing the fake ass “and we rise up” song As much as I hated the first act, when s*** started to finally get going it got good but ion feel it was enough to make up for the bad parts. I love Spike so much, and it should be a sin to say this BUT I can’t help but think how this s*** would look if it was a Safdie film. It needed some grittiness to it. Like @mjpplus said s*** was too neat and clean. There was a quick scene where the camera suddenly was grainy and I asked myself “why tf they didn’t go with something more like this?!”
Also some of the dialogue was hit and miss, they needed me to fix that s***. I see a guy named “Alan Fox” was the writer, I’m not familiar with him but they had ASAP Rocky saying “b” too many f***ing times. The nigga shouldn’t be saying B every two seconds, s*** became a parody. I do like how he said “nigga u baited” cus that’s some current NY lingo. I’m not sure if Rocky improv’d that? I can’t imagine some old white writer would know authentic speech like that but that was cool.
Overall I give this a 3/5….no pun intended but it had some highs but ALOT of lows smh
What does b even mean ? Bro ?
- Aug 18, 2025TheFader
I warned you about the score man
I agree on some of your negatives though, the wife gave an awful performance
Yeah you did but I’d be ok if the score matched the tone. Idk wtf they was going for.
And yeah the wife performance was god awful holy s***
- Aug 18, 2025YungThuggaDaGoat
What does b even mean ? Bro ?
Yeah basically.
- Aug 18, 2025·1 replyOscar Winner
Yeah there’s nothing worse than seeing a film that SHOULD be great but is bogged down by terrible execution.
First off the f***ing score? Bro why this s*** was scored like a Titanic movie???? S*** did not fit at all. And it was wayyyy too much.
Next some of the acting, omg the wife is a terrible actress. The whole ya son got kidnapped was some of the worse acting I’ve seen this year.
Next, what was the f***ing point of Ice Spice????
Next… the little music videos in the end
especially the f***ing cheesy ass ending with the girl singing the fake ass “and we rise up” song As much as I hated the first act, when s*** started to finally get going it got good but ion feel it was enough to make up for the bad parts. I love Spike so much, and it should be a sin to say this BUT I can’t help but think how this s*** would look if it was a Safdie film. It needed some grittiness to it. Like @mjpplus said s*** was too neat and clean. There was a quick scene where the camera suddenly was grainy and I asked myself “why tf they didn’t go with something more like this?!”
Also some of the dialogue was hit and miss, they needed me to fix that s***. I see a guy named “Alan Fox” was the writer, I’m not familiar with him but they had ASAP Rocky saying “b” too many f***ing times. The nigga shouldn’t be saying B every two seconds, s*** became a parody. I do like how he said “nigga u baited” cus that’s some current NY lingo. I’m not sure if Rocky improv’d that? I can’t imagine some old white writer would know authentic speech like that but that was cool.
Overall I give this a 3/5….no pun intended but it had some highs but ALOT of lows smh
Agreed on everything. I found it pretty slow and boring during the second act. And it felt like there was 4 different endings.
- Aug 18, 2025earthwalka
Agreed on everything. I found it pretty slow and boring during the second act. And it felt like there was 4 different endings.
Yeah bro smh. Idk I feel like the story is so simple and easy to get right, and I respect trying to go about it in a different way but a lot of this s*** didn’t land
Aug 18, 2025·1 replyI fw the Kurosawa OG, so I might steer clear of this one after what ole boy did with Old Boy
- Aug 18, 2025CRACKASTEPPAVEGAN
I fw the Kurosawa OG, so I might steer clear of this one after what ole boy did with Old Boy
This a little better, oh boy
ghosting 🔫Aug 18, 2025·3 repliesif u hating on the score you dont know ball
- Aug 18, 2025·3 repliesghosting
if u hating on the score you dont know ball
Nah gang that s*** was trash. S*** was scored like a romance in the first half
- ghosting 🔫Aug 18, 2025·1 replyOscar Winner
Nah gang that s*** was trash. S*** was scored like a romance in the first half
see above
- ghosting 🔫Aug 18, 2025
play the score from He Got Game
Aug 18, 2025·2 repliesIs AMC even releasing this?
- ghosting 🔫Aug 18, 2025Jonboi
Is AMC even releasing this?
nah