She's Gotta Have It

Name: She's Gotta Have It
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Released: August 8, 1986
Duration: 84 min
Rating: 79
Cast: Tommy Redmond Hicks, Tracy Camilla Johns

1986

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Ratings

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She's Gotta Have It

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Movie Details & Credits

Island Pictures | Release Date: August 8, 1986 | Unrated

Starring: Tommy Redmond Hicks, Tracy Camilla Johns

Summary: The story of Nola Darling's simultaneous sexual relationships with three different men is told by her and by her partners and other friends. All three men wanted her to commit solely to them; Nola resists being "owned" by a single partner.

Director: Spike Lee

Genre(s): Comedy, Romance

Rating: Unrated

Runtime: 84 min

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Critic Reviews

Michael Wilmington

Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It is a joyfully idiosyncratic little jazz-burst of a film, full of sensuous melody, witty chops and hot licks Read full review

Peter Keough

Made for less than $30,000, Lee's first feature poses him as a rival to Woody Allen, nearly equaling him in psychological authenticity, perhaps bettering him in virtuosity and sheer creative glee. Read full review

Eric Henderson

Lee’s first film statement conveys the communal experience. Read full review

David Ansen

She's Gotta Have It, a black-and-white movie made on a shoestring by the 29-year-old black filmmaker Spike Lee, is fresh in both senses of the word -- sassy and original. [08 Sept 1986, p.65]

Paul Attanasio

She's Gotta Have It is Spike Lee's impressive first feature, discursive, jazzy, vibrant with sex and funny as heck. [22 Aug 1986, p.D1]

Gene Siskel

Featuring an all-black cast, this little film is a revelation, primarily because it provides black faces with the most natural dialogue they've had in years. She`s Gotta Have It is neither a crime story nor a heavy message movie, and the conversations in it are therefore free of the shackles of most minority-oriented stories. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

This worthy but flawed attempt to examine an independent young woman of the 1980s was lensed, in Super 16mm, in 15 days but doesn’t appear jerrybuilt. Read full review

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User Reviews

Richard552

Aug 16, 2022

The balance between romance and comedy pleases, $1 to buy a Netflix account, Google search: vtvshare

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

alejandro970

Aug 20, 2020

This mockumentary about a freelance artist and her tangled relationship with her three lovers is part of director Spike Lee's humble beginnings. The balance between romance and comedy pleases, especially because of the jazz background music. For a rainy afternoon or night.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ahmedaiman1999

Apr 27, 2019

I liked its "mockumentary" style at first, its vivid and bold direction, the acting in general, and a couple of moments and few scenes scattered throughout the movie. Other than that, I think that Spike Lee's directorial debut isn't half as good as it's important and interesting. It'sI liked its "mockumentary" style at first, its vivid and bold direction, the acting in general, and a couple of moments and few scenes scattered throughout the movie. Other than that, I think that Spike Lee's directorial debut isn't half as good as it's important and interesting. It's approach to the story is blatantly heavy-handed, it has tons of dull, repetitive and self-indulgent moments, a lot of pacing issues, a predictable ending, and the three main male characters are quite perfunctory and skin-deep.

(5.5/10)… Expand

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