Clockers

Name: Clockers
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Crime
Released: September 13, 1995
Duration: 128 min
Rating: 71
Cast: Harvey Keitel, John Turturro

1995

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Ratings

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6.9

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6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 25 Ratings

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Clockers

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: September 13, 1995 | R

Starring: Harvey Keitel, John Turturro

Summary: A "clocker" is a 24-hour drug dealer, and Strike (Mekhi Phifer) is the hardest-working one on the streets. But for Strike, time is running out. When the local drug kingpin (Delroy Lindo) tips Strike off about an opportunity for advancement, a rival dealer ends up dead, and Strike suddenly finds himself caught between two homicideA "clocker" is a 24-hour drug dealer, and Strike (Mekhi Phifer) is the hardest-working one on the streets. But for Strike, time is running out. When the local drug kingpin (Delroy Lindo) tips Strike off about an opportunity for advancement, a rival dealer ends up dead, and Strike suddenly finds himself caught between two homicide detectives. One is Mazilli (John Turturro), who's only looking for an easy bust. The other is Rocco (Harvey Keitel), who's looking for something much harder to find - the truth - and when Strike's law-abiding brother confesses to the murder, Rocco vows not to rest until he's sure the real shooter is behind bars. [Universal]… Expand

Director: Spike Lee

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 128 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Owen Gleiberman

A work of staggering intelligence and emotional force -- a mosaic of broken dreams. Read full review

Richard Schickel

The film is more than a murder mystery and more than a study in character conflict. At its best, it is an intense and complex portrait of an urban landscape on which the movies' gaze has not often fallen. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Clockers, Lee's eighth feature in nine years, demonstrates how accomplished a filmmaker he has become, securely in control of plot, actors and imagery. Read full review

David Sterritt

While the result is visually brilliant, it's oddly disjointed and packs less emotional force than Richard Price's novel. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff(Not Credited)

Spike Lee's adaptation of a solid, if overpraised, crime novel by Richard Price is slickly made and well acted. But with most of the novel's subplots stripped away, it emerges as just another polemic about the scourge of drugs in the African-American community. Read full review

Hal Hinson

The central story itself is not distinctive, and though Lee certainly churns up a lot of dust, he never captures the mythic quality that made Price's original seem so much bigger than its almost generic cast of players. Read full review

Todd McCarthy

A study of the urban dope-dealing culture and its toll on everyone who comes in contact with it, the picture has an insider's feel that is constantly undercut by the filmmaker's impulse to editorialize. Read full review

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User Reviews

lrush31

Nov 24, 2012

Clockers is, without a doubt, the most underrated movie of all time. One of the few instances where the movie is just as good as the book, if not better. The movie is as perfect as a movie can be; not a bad line to be found, characters perfectly cast and 100% believable (I think I've seen aClockers is, without a doubt, the most underrated movie of all time. One of the few instances where the movie is just as good as the book, if not better. The movie is as perfect as a movie can be; not a bad line to be found, characters perfectly cast and 100% believable (I think I've seen a million kids like Scientific since I became a journalist in Baltimore), and a deep, thought provoking message. It's a movie that should be seen by every aspiring director, every inner city kid of promise, every inner city politician and homicide detective, and every citizen who is unaware of the problems that people like Strike, Tyrone, and Victor face every day. It is a documentary masquerading as a murder mystery, and because of that, I applaud Misters Price and Lee on this masterpiece of cinema and storytelling.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

talisencrw

Apr 16, 2016

Spike Lee is an unfortunate instance of a very talented filmmaker who's obvious talent in craftsmanship doesn't come across in contemporary mainstream cinema because of issues having nothing to do with cinema itself. I realize that in becoming great at anything in one's life, other thingsSpike Lee is an unfortunate instance of a very talented filmmaker who's obvious talent in craftsmanship doesn't come across in contemporary mainstream cinema because of issues having nothing to do with cinema itself. I realize that in becoming great at anything in one's life, other things have to suffer, and with him it seems, at least to me, that for everything he has undoubtedly accomplished in the filmic realm, it's created a type of 'idiot savant' (it's simply an existing term--I certainly don't mean it pejoratively)--that is, in social skills, at least pertaining to self-marketing, or getting across one's persona in the field, he is lacking--and it negatively impacts his cinema. And that's a dirty rotten shame, because this was a fine film.

He and his excellent approach to cinema remind me of the Heisenberg principle and make me: a) wish Lee could find more happiness in his life, so that he can come across better, and thus have his personality not negatively influence cinephiles like me; and b) wonder, like in 'A Beautiful Mind', if he was happier and more pleasant, if it would negatively impact his filmmaking?

'Clockers' worked for me. Keitel was really on a roll when he worked in this, with 'Bad Lieutenant', 'Reservoir Dogs', 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Smoke' all around this time. It was certainly a great vintage for him, and a fine time to sample his acting.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Spangle

Jul 31, 2014

Overall, Clockers is quite the disappointing film. The acting from Mekhi Phifer, John Turturro, and Harvey Keitel is good, as well as some good supporting players here make this a very good look at life in the projects, murder, and drugs. The message about black-on-black violence is alsoOverall, Clockers is quite the disappointing film. The acting from Mekhi Phifer, John Turturro, and Harvey Keitel is good, as well as some good supporting players here make this a very good look at life in the projects, murder, and drugs. The message about black-on-black violence is also very poignant and hard hitting. However, Spike Lee just cannot help himself and his racism here, as every single non-black character is the most racist pig ever to hit the planet Earth. I get it, cops in the projects are racist, but he hits us over the sledgehammer with it repeatedly as if we are some kind of idiot who does not get it. On top of that, many elements of the plot do not stick together very well and there are some plotholes for sure, as well as some things that are added in for really no reason, and things that are just very much unlikely to ever happen in real life. Minus the forced commentary on racism, some iffy plot elements, and Spike Lee's direction of those elements, Clockers is an interesting drama that could have been so much more with a different director.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Sosmooth1982

May 8, 2023

Thought this movie would've been better. Pretty boring not much action or anything to keep you interested.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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37	#37 Best Movie of 1995
69	#69 Most Discussed Movie of 1995
52	#52 Most Shared Movie of 1995