Hoodlum
1997 · Movie · R · 130 min · ★ 6.4 · 47% critics
Set in 1934 Harlem during the Great Depression, a numbers racket becomes a lucrative lifeline for the neighborhood. When its powerful leader is arrested, a ruthless new boss takes over and faces an invasion from a merciless mobster determined to seize control.
Also known as Gangster · Hoods
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Details
- Years
- 1997
- Release date
- 1997-08-27
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 47/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.4/10 (244 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy Hoodlum if you want a tense, period-soaked gangster story driven by big personalities and rising power struggles, but Not for you if you dislike mob drama or need strict historical accuracy, like The Cotton Club.
Pros: strong period atmosphere; standout cast; gripping gangster conflict | Cons: uneven pacing; historical inaccuracies; some weak dialogue
Themes
- gangster
- mobster
- 1930s
Cast & crew
Laurence Fishburne
as Bumpy Johnson
Tim Roth
as Dutch Schultz
Vanessa Williams
as Francine Hughes
Andy Garcia
as Lucky Luciano
Cicely Tyson
as Stephanie St. Clair
Chi McBride
as Illinois Gordon
Clarence Williams III
as Bub Hewlett
Richard Bradford
as Captain Foley
William Atherton
as Thomas E. Dewey
Loretta Devine
as Pigfoot Mary
Directed by Bill Duke