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4

Has to be one of Spike's wildest works of sustained tone as this Bronx community is slowly melted and torn apart by an entire feverish summer spent scared shitless by the Son of Sam serial killer; the fear that any sweaty, sexy night on the town could end in horror exacerbating all the previously existing social tensions. Lee translates this feeling into an extreme stylistic expression of pleasure and paranoia in equal measure (that Baba O'Riley montage, my God), switching off between the two so frequently that they become intertwined in this electric, musical haze less about a killer than about a specific time and collective psychological headspace of 70s New York. Adrien Brody in a mohawk! A talking dog! How is this not talked about more? Between this and Memories of Murder you could probably jerry-rig a new cut of Zodiac together.

Review by matt lynch ★★★★ Liked

Another of Spike's rippers on trauma and tribalism and glimmering hope, only this one also has a talking dog.

12

goodfellas and boogie nights and zodiac and the great american epic all doused in spike lee flair. the euphoria of a long hot summer exploding into the panic of a community watching their world burn out. careens from moments that are laugh out loud funny to scenes that genuinely made me almost tear up. it's New York in it's entirety- it would be impossible to get the feel of every person living in that city in those few torrid months of 1977 but by god does spike get close.

2

Can't stop thinking about Adrien Brody's spiky hair

4

Spike Lee caps off a decade of mainstream US media falling in love with serial killers by remaking M as a sociological study on New York tribalism. It is actually far more coherent than most of his movies as the parts are easier integrated with each other (save from the scenes with the killer by himself which are awful). And then there's John Leguizamo performance, a wonderful sendoff of wounded conservative machismo which holds the film meaning together and manages to be exploratory and inventive even if one kinda recognize his type from his first scene, a great exercise on blending self-loathing and empathy, very possible the best in a Lee movie.

Another two 2020 observations:
a) This is a very chilling film to watch right now.
b) It is a Touchstone film so we are probably never watching it in a proper manner ever again.

5

Spike Lee does Martin Scorsese for people who love ABBA needle drops and own The Sopranos complete series boxset on DVD.

2

the gimme shelter of the 1990s. looks and feels different to any movie i’ve ever seen, you can practically feel the heat and taste the blood in your mouth.

Review by Brendan Michaels

Toxic masculinity, the ultimate monster.

4

It's beautiful how annoying Adrien Brody is in this.

Review by 🦇rosie🦇 ★★★★½ Liked

i want to listen to the who with punk adrien brody

Review by marcella ★★★★½ Liked

two minutes in and the first killing happened while fernando by ABBA was playing on the background; in that moment i knew i was about to watch a great movie

25

Action! - Spike The Power, Lee The Riot'

Well, I have to say I'm a little disappointed. I had heard a lot about this film, and the very idea of a Son of Sam film directed by Spike Lee sounds all around enticing. And on paper, the concept and approach is more than interesting.

And to be honest, Lee's direction is superb. The way in which he makes so much of the movie feel, look, and sound like a sleazy, blaxploitation, or artsy porn flick from the 70s makes it a rather unique film that exudes style and creativity. The film also provides a view of the filthy New York of that era, and many of the subcultures that populated…