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Summer of Sam

Play trailer Poster for Summer of Sam R 1999 2h 22m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
50% Tomatometer 105 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
During the summer of 1977, a killer known as the Son of Sam keeps all of New York City on edge with a series of brutal murders. The philandering Vinny (John Leguizamo) unwittingly almost becomes a victim of the psychopath, and soon he and numerous people in his orbit -- including his wife, Dionna (Mira Sorvino), his punk-rocker friend, Ritchie (Adrien Brody), and aspiring porn star Ruby (Jennifer Esposito) -- are trying to figure out the identity of the killer, before it's too late.
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Summer of Sam

Summer of Sam

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Critics Consensus

Spike Lee offers intense visuals but his storytelling feels crowded and overambitious.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Nayman The Ringer Mar 25, 2019
...a scorching melodrama about childhood friends-played by John Leguizamo and Adrien Brody-whose relationship reaches an emotional boiling point. Go to Full Review David Ansen Newsweek Mar 2, 2018
Summer of Sam, for all its flash and well-crafted fury, is only superficially disturbing. It's a nightmare stroll down memory lane: feel-bad nostalgia. Go to Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Sep 23, 2008
Like most of Lee's work, this bites off more than it can chew, but the breadth and energy are impressive. Go to Full Review John Stark Mac the Movie Guy May 11, 2026
65/100
Spike lee directs this less like a serial killer film, and more like a time capsule. The cast does good work, but no one person is a standout. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Mar 12, 2026
3/4
...an erratically-paced yet mostly compelling drama... Go to Full Review Leonardo Garcia Tsao La Jornada Sep 6, 2022
Lee doesn't manage to thread the diverse anecdotes into a cohesive narrative. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Sep 10, 2026 Summer of Sam = a *3* star Movie See more Travis M @TMorg007 Jul 10, 2026 This film is unfortunately torpedoed by John Lequizamo. An otherwise worthwhile serial killer movie that is weighed down by a single actor. He's just so annoying that it pulls me out of the story whenever he is on screen. Mira Sorvino on the other hand is captivating. See more Oscar T @ScarfaceRampage Jun 2, 2026 The worst serial killer movie ever. See more C P. @BahnianBabby Jan 18, 2026 Entertaining yet flawed, this film is maybe the best example of Spike Lee's limitations as a director. Instead of letting powerful scenes speak, theyre reduced by blaring 1970s pop songs. Oscar worthy acting by the leads is overshadowed by the caricature like backing characters, the Italian neighborhood guys, who have no depth yet get tons of screen time. The Son of Sam himself is acted and shot in a hammy, goofy way which doesnt sit with the rest of the film, and most of those scenes should have been cut in Editing. The costumes and sets are cheap, and worse, Lee inserts himself as a news reporter, yet he makes no attempts at acting, which again draws the audience out of the moment. Despite these immense flaws, the film is a pulpy joy to watch and doesnt ever pretend to ve serious, so we have to accept it for what it is: a period piece and character study, and it meets those goals admirably despite Lee's flawed Direction. Probably the worst Spike Lee film, and its still very good. See more Oaklee D @ODie63 Sep 12, 2025 I went into this one thinking I was going to really enjoy it but instead I found the film to be completely underwhelming. The best way I can describe this film for those that haven't seen it is that it's 2 and a half hours of watching someone scream at a dog while sid the sloth cheats on his wife repeatedly. See more Zero W @RT22000926 Jul 4, 2025 Once again Spike Lee shows off his antiwhitism.🤮 See more Read all reviews
Summer of Sam

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Cast & Crew

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Spike Lee

Director

John Leguizamo

Vinny

Adrien Brody

Richie

Mira Sorvino

Dionna

Jennifer Esposito

Ruby

Anthony LaPaglia

Detective Lou Petrocelli

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Summer of Sam

Summer of Sam (1999) Summer of Sam (1999) Summer of Sam (1999) Summer of Sam (1999) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis During the summer of 1977, a killer known as the Son of Sam keeps all of New York City on edge with a series of brutal murders. The philandering Vinny (John Leguizamo) unwittingly almost becomes a victim of the psychopath, and soon he and numerous people in his orbit -- including his wife, Dionna (Mira Sorvino), his punk-rocker friend, Ritchie (Adrien Brody), and aspiring porn star Ruby (Jennifer Esposito) -- are trying to figure out the identity of the killer, before it's too late.
Director
Spike Lee
Producer
Jon Kilik, Spike Lee
Screenwriter
Victor Colicchio, Spike Lee, Michael Imperioli
Distributor
MFA Filmdistribution [de], Opening Distribution, Downtown Pictures [gb], Buena Vista International [us], Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures, New Films International
Production Co
Touchstone Pictures, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 2, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$19.3M
Runtime
2h 22m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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