Harriet

Focus Features | Release Date: November 1, 2019

7.1	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 169 Ratings

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User Reviews

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JordanLaytonApr 28, 2020

The story I keep hearing around this movie is "great performance, bad movie. After watching it I have to say: okay performance, bad movie. With movies about historical figures, you know something is wrong when the text about the figure at theThe story I keep hearing around this movie is "great performance, bad movie. After watching it I have to say: okay performance, bad movie. With movies about historical figures, you know something is wrong when the text about the figure at the end of their film evokes more emotion than the entire rest of the runtime did. It's disappointing because there's clearly a great story to be told here but this is just a mediocre, paint by numbers script with chaotic pacing, choppy editing, and a completely inoffensive score.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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McgregorNov 10, 2019

Would be more at home in the fantasy section, a lot of wild deviation from the facts.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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Snickers19380Nov 4, 2019

Contrived fictional storyline that missed so much of what made this woman so amazing, Such a shame. Seems very little effort was made banking everything on the hopes of people paying to see a movie about an historical legend. The only oneContrived fictional storyline that missed so much of what made this woman so amazing, Such a shame. Seems very little effort was made banking everything on the hopes of people paying to see a movie about an historical legend. The only one benefiting from this movie is Hollywood.… Expand

6 of 17 users found this helpful611

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lps25Nov 1, 2019

This "movie" is complete TRASH and ahistorical. Shame on all who are involved. Shame on them.

6 of 24 users found this helpful618

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BennySegalNov 1, 2019

Horrible movie. The acting was terrible and it was made to make the white liberals and conservatives comfortable. White savior scenes all in the film. Typical Hollywood filth.

5 of 21 users found this helpful516

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TforrestNov 3, 2019

Garbage...Not a true repensetation of what really happened... Totally unacceptable. Period

2 of 16 users found this helpful214

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kwiseNov 1, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't know where to begin to express my disgust with this movie about one of my personal heroes and pride of Black America.

In Harriet, Focus Features, the producers (Debra Morgan Chase, Daniela Taplin Lundberg), the director Kasi Lemmons, and writer Gregory Allen Howard have managed to turn the story and legacy of an unbelievably strong champion of freedom and warrior against white supremacy and completely de-fang, sterilize, and outright disrespect Harriet Tubman an the history Black Americans as a whole.

Going back almost a year, my expectations for this movie was already low out of the gate. This was mainly due to the controversial casting of Cynthia Erivo, someone who has a history of making very disparaging remarks about Black Americans. Many attempt to shrug these off as just “old tweets” but Cynthia again stepped in it in 2018 by co-signing several insensitive tweets toward Black Americans by her friend Luvvie Ajaye. Even as recently as August of this year Ms. Erivo again showed her contempt and disconnect from Black Americans with her tweets co-signing the misguided and thoughtless tweets from her co-star Janelle Monae regarding the voting habits of Black Americans. This incident showcased the character of these two “Harriet” stars, wherein Janelle Monae offered a sincere, introspective apology, Cynthia Erivo chose to play the victim for those that were offended by HER words.

I wish the casting of a problematic star were the least of this movie’s problems; but it isn’t. Harriet goes on to tell such a watered-down, “safe,” fictionalized accounting of Harriet Tubman’s life that they may have well just changed the name of the main character. It is a sickening revisionist take on history and the brutality of the institution of American Chattel Slavery. As we speak the historical consultant for the film Dr. Kate Clifford Larson (who, for the record, is white) is receiving tons of backlash regarding the antagonist “Bigger Long” who not only didn’t exist, but the notion of black bounty hunters is something that is completely ahistorical and irresponsible for a so-called historian to try and push to the masses. Speaking of history the Bigger Long character is also upsetting from a writing standpoint as the writers for this movie are surely well versed with Richard Wright’s groundbreaking novel “Native Son” and the book’s protagonist: Bigger Thomas. In the creation of the character Bigger Long, this movie managed to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. You managed to demonize the Black man while simultaneously besmirching the work of a legendary Black American author.

In the slave master that is hunting Harriet down, the writers of “Harriet” give us more of the “tortured-secretly-in-love-but-brutal” slave master that we’ve seen before in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave.” It is this slave master who ultimately kills the very “Black Bounty Hunter” Bigger Long just when he goes to kill Harriet. Many online have characterized this as making “Harriet” a “white savior” movie, which is a bit of a stretch, but technically Harriet’s life in the film was indeed saved by a white slave master, which no matter what the motivation of the character is a WTF writing choice and reeks of sanitizing and easing white movie-goers’ guilt or yucky feelings they may have. All in all “Harriet” is a slap in the face to any and all black people on this planet, in particular the descendants of those enslaved in American chattel slavery and survivors of Jim Crow. This movie should never have been made and it’s evident to anyone familiar with Black American History that its sole purpose is to further poison and corrupt the way Black Americans are seen and understood.… Expand

2 of 17 users found this helpful215

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AminahcmNov 3, 2019

How does a movie about an iconic black American hero who did so much to free her people from white supremacy/American slavery, invent a fictionalized black bounty hunter who turns out to be the villain of the story? What an insult toHow does a movie about an iconic black American hero who did so much to free her people from white supremacy/American slavery, invent a fictionalized black bounty hunter who turns out to be the villain of the story? What an insult to Foundational Black Americans.… Expand

2 of 17 users found this helpful215

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dlew84Nov 5, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. the movie twist the story of a legendary black heroine in the worst way possible. making the black man the cause of her problems instead of the slave master. even going as far as changing how she ended up with her seizures. she wasn't accidently hit with an iron weight. she was beating with a cast iron skillet till near death by her slave owner. Hollywood please stop everything you touch is turned into crap.look at the Mises movie if you don't believe me.… Expand

1 of 11 users found this helpful110

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luminaxsterNov 1, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This film's cinematographer was awful, with non existent photography. Harriet story is convoluted with unnecessary God's vision to the point I thought she was a mutant and not being brain injured by her slavers. It has empowering moments, but don't let that fool, she deserves better. The acting is amazing but the direction and script buried this film, and, pointing to the civil war enterprise as part of the story in the trailers is a disgrace, it is like 30s tops.… Expand

1 of 13 users found this helpful112

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agathareadsNov 4, 2019

Dangerous divisive propaganda demonize black men by portraying #ADOS as brutal slave catcher and white slave master as savior. Denigrating historical narrative to minimize the atrocities of slavery. Used Harriet Tubman's name to promote aDangerous divisive propaganda demonize black men by portraying #ADOS as brutal slave catcher and white slave master as savior. Denigrating historical narrative to minimize the atrocities of slavery. Used Harriet Tubman's name to promote a fictional movie that nobody would pay to see if it wasn't called, "Harriet". Black men were not slave catchers!! Travesty, a horrible representation of a revered black historical figure. Emphasize idea black men evil, problem, villain thereby sanctioning the shooting of black men. Character did not depict the fierce countenance of Harriet Tubman. Character came of fake.… Expand

2 of 29 users found this helpful227

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RockdownplusNov 5, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This film is historically inaccurate. It contains a fictional bounty hunter character who hunts Harriet and tries to kill her. The kicker is that the bounty hunter is a BLACK man. To add insult to injury a white slave owner has to rescue Harriet from the bounty hunter!!!!! What a mess… Expand

1 of 33 users found this helpful132

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ZZBEARNov 10, 2019

I prefer historical movies not to take to many liberty's to increase the drama like this movie did.

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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MurrayT57Feb 5, 2020

Harriet Tubman deserved a lot better than this cringe-worthy, poorly acted, poorly directed mess. The lead didn't do anything to make herself believable, and her singing parts sounded so weird it helped deem the movie unwatchable. PeopleHarriet Tubman deserved a lot better than this cringe-worthy, poorly acted, poorly directed mess. The lead didn't do anything to make herself believable, and her singing parts sounded so weird it helped deem the movie unwatchable. People desperately want this movie to be meaningful because of the subject matter, but it's embarrassingly close to a Hallmark production.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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