Sugar Hill

Sugar Hill is a dark, bloody family tragedy, told in terms so sad and poetic that it transcends its genre and becomes eloquent drama. [25 Feb 1994, p.33]

Cooper's writing can be overwrought at times; a few of his scenes don't come off as he'd evidently hoped. And Ichaso's direction has a tendency to get fussy. Yet overall Sugar Hill is an ably realized drama, well worth seeing for its candid and sympathetic insights into the mindsets of African-American men. [04 Mar 1994, p.L27]

Sugar Hill is arguably the most beautiful-looking crime drama since Coppola's Godfather, Part II. Forsaking the glitz and over-the-top grittiness of New Jack City and other recent NYC gangster films, director Ichaso instead opts for the lush, burnished earth-tones of the Corleone clan. It's a dark, rich film, and its lengthy running time of over two hours glides by with only a few annoying snags. Read full review

Directed with care by Leon Ichaso and written by New Jack's Barry Michael Cooper, snazzy-looking Hill also covers familiar terrain. [25 Feb 1994, p.4D]

On one side, Sugar Hill is an admirable picture with strong performances. On the other, it's a victim of narrative cliches. [25 Mar 1994]

Ambitious attempt to make a "Godfather"-like epic about a black Harlem drug dealer starts well but loses focus. [25 Feb 1994, p.AE15]