X
  • 2009
  • R
  • Fox Searchlight Pictures
  • 2 h 2 m
  • 2009
  • R
  • Fox Searchlight Pictures
  • 2 h 2 m

Summary In just a few short years, Notorious B.I.G. rose from the streets of Brooklyn to become one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. B.I.G. was a gifted storyteller; his narratives about violent life on the streets were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. His stories were unive...

Directed By: George Tillman Jr.

Written By: Reggie Rock Bythewood, Cheo Hodari Coker

  • 2009
  • R
  • Fox Searchlight Pictures
  • 2 h 2 m
  • 2009
  • R
  • Fox Searchlight Pictures
  • 2 h 2 m

Notorious

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 32 Critic Reviews
60
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 31 User Ratings
6.2
My Score
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Where to Watch

Summary In just a few short years, Notorious B.I.G. rose from the streets of Brooklyn to become one of the most influential hip hop artists of all time. B.I.G. was a gifted storyteller; his narratives about violent life on the streets were told with a gritty, objective realism that won him enormous respect and credibility. His stories were unive...

Directed By: George Tillman Jr.

Written By: Reggie Rock Bythewood, Cheo Hodari Coker

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 32 Critic Reviews
60
56% Positive
18 Reviews
38% Mixed
12 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 32 Critic Reviews
60
56% Positive
18 Reviews
38% Mixed
12 Reviews
6% Negative
2 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
88
A good film in many ways, but its best achievement is the casting of Jamal Woolard, a rapper named Gravy, in the title role.
By Roger Ebert FULL REVIEW
75
Angela Bassett is great as his strict, single mother; The soundtrack is great, of course, and the ending features moving archival footage of the streets of Brooklyn after Wallace's murder.
FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 31 User Ratings
6.2
48% Positive
15 Ratings
35% Mixed
11 Ratings
16% Negative
5 Ratings

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 31 User Ratings
6.2
48% Positive
15 Ratings
35% Mixed
11 Ratings
16% Negative
5 Ratings

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
8
ydnar4
Aug 27, 2014
There is some room for improvement in this movie but that didn't keep me from truly enjoying it. I watched this not knowing a thing about the Notorious B.I.G and I did not feel lost at any part in the movie. It is also a movie about music that actually contains a good amount of music from that artist. I'm thinking about checking out biggie after watching this movie.
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7
bfoore90
Dec 5, 2019
Good movie, provides an honest look into the life of the Notorious BIG up until his untimely death. While its much better than "All Eyez On Me" as it delves into the man Christopher Wallace was and not the hardened rapper he portrayed on screen, there was still some room for improvement to be had here. The film isn't perfect by any means and I only wish "All Eyez On Me" could have been as good as this but that didn't stop me from enjoying it nonetheless
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70
Through it all are the rhymes and the music, hugely enjoyable in their own right, and the long, large shadow of Biggie.
FULL REVIEW
63
It's an engaging enough story, crisply told, and the lip-synced music scenes in the studio and on stage are brought off in high style.
FULL REVIEW
50
The movie leaves us with the sense that, twelve years after Biggie Smalls's death, a lot of people are trying to extract whatever profit or pride they can from the chaotic life of a young man who was, as he well knew, a work in progress.
By David Denby FULL REVIEW
50
Like a drunk on a bender, Notorious seems to have given up even trying to moderate its dependence on cliché.
FULL REVIEW
30
Cloyingly, Biggie narrates his tale from the grave. It's a device that feels irksome and condescending.
FULL REVIEW
See All 32 Critic Reviews
6
DFCOLOMBINI
Jun 19, 2023
Filme razoável... 2Pac parece um lunático no filme, não faz muito sentido, parece que não sabiam o motivo pelo qual eles tinham brigado e ficou ruim essa parte.. o restante é legal..
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6
LinttaFlamingo
Jan 7, 2017
Good casting and soundtrack, but Notorious feels too depressing to be an enjoyable movie after a while. The movie tells the story well, but leans on drama that is almost never fun or cheerful, although the ending was very emotional.
Report
6
EpicLadySponge
Apr 1, 2016
Notorious is famous and infamous at the same time. That's why we should fuse those two words together to form one word even though they'll result in the same title.
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2
Segedi
May 12, 2020
The movie is cheap and shallow (with naked scenes to keep your attention for lack of everything else).. the actors don't really look like the people they are acting.. the whole movie feels like a simple cash grab..
Report
2
YoursTruly
Nov 13, 2012
Bad in every way. Bad acting. Bad directing. Bad pacing. Bad dialog. Bad. Bad. Bad.
Report
See All 8 User Reviews

Details

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Production Company Fox Searchlight Pictures, Voletta Wallace Films, Bystorm Films, State Street Pictures, Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group, Fae Studio
Release Date Jan 16, 2009
Duration 2 h 2 m
Rating R
Genres
Tagline No dream is too big
View All Details

Awards

Black Reel Awards
• 4 Nominations
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 2 Nominations
BET Awards
• 2 Nominations

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