X
  • 1986
  • Unrated
  • Island Pictures
  • 1 h 24 m
  • 1986
  • Unrated
  • Island Pictures
  • 1 h 24 m

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.

Directed By: Spike Lee

Written By: Zora Neale Hurston, Spike Lee

  • 1986
  • Unrated
  • Island Pictures
  • 1 h 24 m
  • 1986
  • Unrated
  • Island Pictures
  • 1 h 24 m

She's Gotta Have It

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 11 Critic Reviews
79
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 14 User Ratings
6.1
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved

Where to Watch

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.

Directed By: Spike Lee

Written By: Zora Neale Hurston, Spike Lee

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 11 Critic Reviews
79
82% Positive
9 Reviews
18% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

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

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 11 Critic Reviews
79
82% Positive
9 Reviews
18% Mixed
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
90
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.
FULL REVIEW
88
Lee’s first film statement conveys the communal experience.
By Eric Henderson FULL REVIEW
83
From the jump, She's Gotta Have It announced that it wasn't going to define black life in terms of crime and poverty, just as it wasn't going to bind independent filmmaking to moribund realism.
By Noel Murray FULL REVIEW
80
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]
By Paul Attanasio FULL REVIEW
75
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.
By Gene Siskel FULL REVIEW
70
These people are not victims of blind forces; they make choices, defend them and grow in understanding, not always happily, as a result. Their story would be more enjoyable in a more polished film, but it has a power that is not dissipated by this one's weaknesses.
FULL REVIEW
60
Although the film's small budget and tight shooting schedule (lensed in 15 days on Super 16mm) is betrayed by sloppy editing, unpolished sound and an occasional flat performance, particularly Johns in the lead role, She's Gotta Have It still bursts with the energy and technical command that have quickly established Lee as a major force in American cinema.
FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 14 User Ratings
6.1
57% Positive
8 Ratings
29% Mixed
4 Ratings
14% Negative
2 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 14 User Ratings
6.1
57% Positive
8 Ratings
29% Mixed
4 Ratings
14% Negative
2 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, The New York State Council of the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, The Jerome Foundation, Brooklyn Arts Cultural Association (BACA), Black Filmmakers Foundation
Release Date Aug 8, 1986
Duration 1 h 24 m
Rating Unrated
Genres
Tagline A Seriously Sexy Comedy
View All Details

Awards

Film Independent Spirit Awards
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Cannes Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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