She's Gotta Have It

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She's Gotta Have It

R

1986

1h 24m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Beautiful Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) can't decide what kind of man she wants to date, so she decides to date three at the same time. The first is Greer Childs (John Canada Terrell), a rich, handsome narcissist. Then there's Jamie Overstreet (Tommy Redmond Hicks), a stable, overprotective alpha male. Finally, there's Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee), a timid geek with a heart of gold. Unfortunately, while each suitor has his virtues, Darling just can't seem to make up her mind.

Critics Consensus

With She's Gotta Have It, Spike Lee delivered his bracing first shot across Hollywood's bow -- and set the template for the groundbreaking act to follow.

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Stephanie Zacharek

TIME Magazine

08/01/2024

It stands proud as an early calling card for one of our most provocative, inventive directors.

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Variety Staff

Variety

03/17/2008

All the elements of an interesting yarn are implicit here -- save one: a compelling central figure

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Eric Henderson

Slant Magazine

01/13/2008

3/4

She's Gotta Have It's characters talk into the camera, but they do so in service of a Rashomon-tinged postmortem on how an artistic young woman couldn't make polyamory work in her favor.

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Apr 12

3.5/4

Still smart, funny, sexy, and entertaining, and makes good use of Brooklyn locations.

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Farah Cheded

A Good Movie To Watch

10/07/2023

Stands overall as a radical, exuberant, and impressively assertive lightning bolt of an entry into the medium that Lee changed forever.

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Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

08/27/2021

80/100

Spike's first feature is a suave and toothy flick, served up pseudo-vignette with oodles of style.

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D P

@RT45936356 Mar 15

I have to believe that this movie was intended to hold a mirror up to the behavior of men who play games with women in the dating world. I have to believe this. I know there are women who are true players. I don't think they have enough power to make their men tolerate the knowledge of each other. I can't swallow that, but it was interesting to watch. I think it was the impossibility of the situation that gave it a comical edge.

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Sam S

@RT88892101 Sep 20

The first feature-length Spike Lee joint. The dialogue and performances can be a little rough, but Lee’s eclectic and playful style is quite strong for a debut.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 23

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Will G

@Wgoodeve 01/21/2025

A great Spike Lee film! He directed and acted in it. I liked the scene with dancing. It was nice to see NYC. It was about a woman who has relationships with multiple men.

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Sara J

@RT16497968 01/20/2025

Tracy Camilla Johns really shines in this. I liked that we weren't given a "backstory" or "explanation" for her. We were only assured that she was a perfectly healthy woman. Would re-watch, just for her.

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Leaburn O

@RT35452347 06/08/2023

Starts off pretty enjoyable but the final third is too turgid and the film ultimately says pretty little.

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Spike Lee

Director

Tracy Camilla Johns

Nola Darling

Tommy Redmond Hicks

Jamie Overstreet

John Canada Terrell

Greer Childs

Spike Lee

Mars Blackmon

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Synopsis

Beautiful Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns) can't decide what kind of man she wants to date, so she decides to date three at the same time. The first is Greer Childs (John Canada Terrell), a rich, handsome narcissist. Then there's Jamie Overstreet (Tommy Redmond Hicks), a stable, overprotective alpha male. Finally, there's Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee), a timid geek with a heart of gold. Unfortunately, while each suitor has his virtues, Darling just can't seem to make up her mind.

Director: Spike Lee
Producer: Spike Lee
Screenwriter: Spike Lee
Production Co: 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, New York Foundation for the Arts
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.0M
Runtime: 1h 24m