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Once Upon a Time in Harlem

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 10 Critic Reviews

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94

USER SCORE

No score yet

tbd

RELEASE DATE: TBA

Once Upon a Time in Harlem

Movie Details & Credits

Release Date: TBA

Summary: A decade post-death, filmmaker William Greaves reveals his final work: footage of a 1972 gathering he arranged with Harlem Renaissance legends, which he deemed his most significant capture.

Genre(s): Documentary

Runtime: 100 min

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Metascore

Mixed:

0

Negative:

0

Critic Reviews

100

The Hollywood Reporter

Jourdain Searles

Feb 9, 2026

The beauty of the film is that it doesn’t judge viewers for what they do and don’t know, but rather encourages us to open our minds to history and see the connections between then and now. Read full review

100

New York Magazine (Vulture)

Bilge Ebiri

Jan 28, 2026

[A] truly monumental work of art ... The footage has been edited with fluidity and grace. Read full review

100

TheWrap

Elizabeth Weitzman

Jan 28, 2026

This is as essential a historical document as you could ever hope to find. It should be considered required viewing for every American who has the slightest interest in our nation’s history, politics, or culture. And, come to think of it, also for those who don’t. Read full review

100

The Film Stage Kent M. Wilhelm

Jan 28, 2026

An immersive and masterfully rendered documentary that presents a living, breathing oral history of the Harlem Renaissance. Watching it feels like unearthing treasure. Read full review

90

Variety

Lisa Kennedy

Jan 30, 2026

Once Upon a Time in Harlem is a vivid and layered time capsule in which oral history is just part of this excursion into what journalist and social commentator George Schuyler describes as less a renaissance than an “awakening.” Read full review

83

IndieWire David Ehrlich

Jan 28, 2026

The nuance and specificity that makes the film so interesting is also why it requires a decent knowledge base to appreciate — this is about as far from an introduction to the Harlem Renaissance as you’ll find. Read full review

80

Next Best Picture Josh Parham

Jan 28, 2026

There’s a century worth of experiences packed into this room to glean from, and nearly all of it is an enthralling exercise. Read full review

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Positive:

0

Mixed:

0

Negative:

0

No reviews yet.

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