School Daze

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School Daze

R

1988

2h 1m

Musical

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

30 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

At historically black Mission College, the activist-minded Dap (Larry Fishburne) immerses himself in a world of political rhetoric and social movements -- one day he hopes to rally the students as a united front. At the other end of the spectrum, Julian (Giancarlo Esposito), the head of the biggest fraternity on campus, is more concerned with maintaining a strict social order. In between, Dap's conflicted cousin, Half-Pint (Spike Lee), spends most of his time rushing the fraternity.

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Critics Consensus

School Daze is undeniably messy, but thought-provoking themes, strong performances, and Spike Lee's ingratiating energy help tie it all together.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Mar 3, 2023

A teeming showcase of invigorating performances...

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David Ehrenstein

Chicago Reader

May 11, 2022

4/4

The problem isn’t with School Daze; the problem is with a white culture that cannot deal with the spectacle of blacks on-screen on their own terms.

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Derek Adams

Time Out

Jun 24, 2006

Lee has a small, intimate talent; here, he goes for the big podium and blows it.

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Justine Smith

Vague Visages

Jun 6, 2024

Borrowing the tropes from classical Hollywood musicals, early exploitation cinema and the popularity of the college raunch comedy, Lee subverts the values of the dominant social ethics and reaches into the heart of artifice ripping...

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jan 1, 2024

2.5/4

An often insightful, often amateurish comedy-drama-musical.

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Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

Oct 8, 2020

2/5

There are some technical issues that Spike brings into films...I enjoyed the conversations that came from this movie...but as a standalone film, it was boring at times.

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Robert P

@Superbad 3 days ago

School Daze is a 3.5 star Movie!!!

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jun 20, 2026

Funny in 2 hours and 1 minute. Rated R.

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Joe P

@RT60247372 Aug 10, 2025

A complex, brilliant , heartfelt movie. The sole reason why I attended an HBCU. This movie is messy and filled with tension and explores a lot of uncomfortable subject matters within the Black American experience. I adore it. Thank You Spike. I am eternally grateful.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Jun 15, 2025

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, 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, e várias cenas do filme foram interessantes.

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Steve D

@RT35616104 Mar 2, 2023

Spike is still figuring out his voice,

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Feb 12, 2023

This has plenty of thought provoking themes and a high enough bundle of energy to stand out getting the conversation started about the oppressed under apartheid South Africa with a great cast

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Spike Lee

Director

Laurence Fishburne

Dap

Giancarlo Esposito

Julian

Tisha Campbell-Martin

Jane Toussaint

Joe Seneca

President McPherson

Art Evans

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Synopsis

At historically black Mission College, the activist-minded Dap (Larry Fishburne) immerses himself in a world of political rhetoric and social movements -- one day he hopes to rally the students as a united front. At the other end of the spectrum, Julian (Giancarlo Esposito), the head of the biggest fraternity on campus, is more concerned with maintaining a strict social order. In between, Dap's conflicted cousin, Half-Pint (Spike Lee), spends most of his time rushing the fraternity.

Director: Spike Lee
Producer: Spike Lee
Screenwriter: Spike Lee
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: R
Genre: Musical, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 12, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.7M
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: Surround

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