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If Beale Street Could Talk
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If Beale Street Could Talk

2018
Romance
Drama
1h 59m
A woman in Harlem desperately scrambles to prove her fiancé innocent of a crime while carrying their first child.
Directed by:
Barry Jenkins Barry Jenkins
Written by:
Barry Jenkins Barry Jenkins James Baldwin James Baldwin
+1 more
Starring:
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Regina King Regina King Michael Beach Michael Beach Diego Luna Diego Luna Finn Wittrock Finn Wittrock Colman Domingo Colman Domingo Dave Franco Dave Franco Pedro Pascal Pedro Pascal Stephan James Stephan James Teyonah Parris Teyonah Parris Brian Tyree Henry Brian Tyree Henry KiKi Layne KiKi Layne
More
Genres:
Romance, Drama, Crime
Country:
USA
Languages:
English, Spanish
imdb More information at IMDb
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If Beale Street Could Talk

2018
Romance
Drama
1h 59m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 56.72% from 732 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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jacobclark12jacobclark12
Rated 12 Jan 2019
95
93rd
Barry Jenkins's follow-up to Moonlight is a warm and dreamlike romantic tragedy that brings the past vividly into the present. If Beale Street Could Talk showcases some powerhouse performances from its entire cast as well, but the questions it poses about race and the judicial system linger long after the credits roll. This is a haunting, beautiful portrait of a time not long ago -- and unfortunately not far from the present day.
Rated 12 Jan 2019
saudadesaudade
Rated 24 Jan 2019
18
7th
2-hour fashion magazine ad. Interesting title for a film with terrible dialogue.
Rated 24 Jan 2019
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 18 Feb 2019
7
57th
Shit, I need Barry Jenkins to film my sex tapes.
Rated 18 Feb 2019
cosmicmonkeyCosmicMonkey
Rated 06 Jan 2019
83
77th
Half warm, compassionate love story between two young people, half scathing critique of the American criminal justice system and its role in perpetuating generational poverty and trauma in the Black community. A fitting companion piece to Moonlight, as both deal with the struggle to live and love under systemic oppression, however IBSCT explores the causes and effects of that oppression in a far more powerful and moving way, making it, in my opinion, the better film.
Rated 06 Jan 2019
montycircusMontyCircus
Rated 05 Feb 2019
20
12th
If Beale Street could talk, it would yawn apparently. The first quarter of this film was shaping up for a good time out at the movies. Bitch got slapped. Some fun lines. Cool. But then, dude meets up with his old friend Paper Boi and has a long, boring conversation and the movie never recovers ANY momentum. It's all emotion and no narrative. A title card might as well have come up half-way through that says "Yadda-yadda-yadda, he pleads guilty to a rape he didn't commit. The End." Jenkins 0-2.
Rated 05 Feb 2019
corbadCorbad
Rated 23 Feb 2019
85
90th
Flawless colours and smooth cinematography provide an absolutely gorgeous backdrop for strong performances across the board. Possesses a collection of extremely powerful scenes, but the film is perhaps too long, and ends without a resolution. The composition, though; those colours …
Rated 23 Feb 2019
neonmanNeonman
Rated 08 Feb 2019
58
13th
The earnestness and technical craft in showing this wholly loving romance is respectable and will sweep you off your feet (if you're not dead-hearted like me). But along with how this romance connects to the social injustices, this film is painted in broad strokes that make the viewing tiresome and constantly reiterative. It has most of the qualities of a great film, aside from some stilted novelistic dialogue/acting, but it has very extremely little to convey or teach.
Rated 08 Feb 2019
twincinematwincinema
Rated 13 Jan 2019
70
52nd
With limited screen time, you can see why Brian Tyree Henry is getting so many roles recently. I don't smoke, but this film made me want to start.
Rated 13 Jan 2019
rebeccalexrebeccalex
Rated 28 Dec 2018
80
68th
Powerful & truly heartbreaking
Rated 28 Dec 2018
rossRoss
Rated 07 Feb 2019
45
38th
If Beale Street Could Talk, it would be in a low monotone sleep-inducing voice.
Rated 07 Feb 2019
leonardisLeonardis
Rated 28 May 2019
89
60th
I thought this was very endearing and well made. I loved Moonlight, so I was excited to see what Jenkins would do next. He doesn't disappoint. The cinematography is gorgeous, the score is beautiful, and the performances all feel very real. I personally thought the dialogue felt raw and honest. I'll probably like the movie even more after another viewing. All in all, this is really solid.
Rated 28 May 2019
sadmanSadman
Rated 11 Feb 2019
85
81st
This movie is channeling pure emotion. The cinematography is tremendously vivid, accompanied by the most haunting score of the year. The movie, and especially Brian Tyree Henry's standout scene, elicits empathy and outrage about past and present injustices. Every word delivered by the dads in this is pure dialogue gold. James, Layne and King all deliver Oscar-worthy performances. Unfortunately a few melodramatic notes hindered total immersion. Still a complete work of art.
Rated 11 Feb 2019
joelwatchesmoviesjoelwatchesmovies
Rated 23 Feb 2019
8
80th
The unique narrative construction works really well-instead of a storyboard, it's a portrait, rich with history (both intimate and expansive, romantic and tragic), colour (the cinematography is great), and overflowing emotion (joy/hopelessness, love/anger), painted with the exquisitely beautiful strokes of the score (with Tish's narration an excellent extra touch). Some scenes are maybe a bit too long, but the emotional build-up remains powerful (the climax-less ending doesn't do it justice).
Rated 23 Feb 2019
sellissellis
Rated 12 Jan 2019
83
68th
Sacrifices psychological complexity and viscerality for something less subtle and affecting - and more didactic. Where Moonlight is more of the story about a young man, this is a message film. Its statement is important and not wrong, but I wonder if the characters needed to be so simplified? If certain elements (like the Christian mother) could be set up/payed off without telling the audience directly? I won’t complain too much, as there’s much beauty to be found. Just not much to revisit.
Rated 12 Jan 2019
darrenDarren
Rated 23 Jan 2019
87
88th
Didn't hit me on that visceral level that Moonlight did. But it's still crafted beautifully.?Obviously very indebted to 90's Asian masters WKW/HHH etc. The colours in this were nuts. Loved the expressions used. Loved the use of close ups. The way the film is able to balance the brutality of what it means to be a POC in America/Canada (trust me as a POC in Canada it ain't immune to this) with the beauty of Fonny and tish's love for each other, their families and friends.
Rated 23 Jan 2019
mattorama12mattorama12
Rated 10 May 2019
61
36th
Sometimes book adaptations really falter because a 2-hour movie just can't match the scope of a book. Here, the movie feels so unfocused with so many threads only addressed cursorily. Nicely filmed and acted (and the score was pretty, but felt weird not being a jazz score?), but the meandering story made this a lot more of a chore than I was expecting.
Rated 10 May 2019
ytadelYtadel
Rated 29 Mar 2019
4
43rd
It’s beautiful to look at - both in terms of cinematography and the bevy of hot black chicks - with strong performances all around. It’s also wildly unfocused and tonally scattershot - it’s a family drama, wait no it’s a romance, no a legal film, it’s about racial politics now, now this dude we’ve never met before is monologuing about prison for five minutes, now let’s drop the protagonist and head to Puerto Rico for a while - in a way that makes it less than the sum of its parts.
Rated 29 Mar 2019
fuzzleshnopsfuzzleshnops
Rated 29 Mar 2019
70
42nd
How many times do we have to see slow, close-up romantic shots of the couple that don't advance the narrative OR any development/complexity of their feelings (or relationship)!? I swear they had 10+ scenes of them silently swooning over each other. It made me feel like their characters were 1-dimensional and boring. I wanted to see anger, despair, frustration...SOMETHING from being caught in this horrible systemic racism. But no. (btw I LOVED Moonlight! I should have just watched that again.)
Rated 29 Mar 2019
thuckabethuckabe
Rated 09 Feb 2019
87
65th
Jenkins has a gift. The moments of disconnect came from weird clashes between strong performances and weak performances. Got long winded at times. The score is immense - breathtaking.
Rated 09 Feb 2019
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 11 May 2019
4
74th
Yes, this is the burnish of a Hollywood mid-century period piece. The acting is stagey, the visuals are meticulously, immaculately composed, and it carries the solemnity of a message movie. The choice to forego aesthetic realism doesn't necessarily preclude emotional truth. Jenkins uses a sumptuous palette tuned to a subjective experience: the state of being black in a white man's world, furthermore conveyed as a memory, doesn't exist for every viewer. For this filmmaker, this is how it feels.
Rated 11 May 2019
kasperlKasperL
Rated 21 Feb 2019
40
19th
The effective cinematography and score make this atmospheric, but it's a super slow film, and the script is littered with really bad dialogue.
Rated 21 Feb 2019
zwykzwyk
Rated 16 Feb 2019
47
13th
despite talking about relevant topics as injustice and racism, the characters are just plain characters, the black characters are portrayed as some pure figures of virtue, and some of the non-black characters are just charicatures of evil; the first 30 minutes r decent (the difficulties of unveiling the pregnancy), it becomes a poor work when it engages in being a racial political work (it doesn't just show evil, it wants to demonstrate the supposed greatness of the victims - not credible).
Rated 16 Feb 2019
jasongirl67Jasongirl67
Rated 16 May 2019
50
31st
I can't deny this is well written But it's very dark and depressing Not my idea of a romantic movie and definitely my type of movie
Rated 16 May 2019
auhasarderikauhasarderik
Rated 13 Feb 2019
5
22nd
One of those very arty movies that maybe you really wanna watch, but the director won't let you. It also feels very bookish, and I'm guessing that shouldn't be what you want when adapting a book for the screen. Ends up feeling like glorified maudliness, and the material seems to deserve better.
Rated 13 Feb 2019
p_u_l_pP u l p
Rated 22 Apr 2019
56
47th
Its form and style is too good for its content.
Rated 22 Apr 2019
timmotimmo
Rated 20 Dec 2018
90
66th
Baldwin's ability to tell an interesting story about justice and love is further sharpened by Jenkins's direction and flawless performances. See this without knowing anything.
Rated 20 Dec 2018
sproostsproost
Rated 27 Jan 2019
85
92nd
This is a fluency in filmmaking that is very rare. It reminded me of the best Spike Lee in a way where the camera moves so freely through the environment, sometimes almost in a dramatic documentary style with the music pretty much always playing in the background. And what bone chilling music this is, the symbiosis with the imagery is just perfect.
Rated 27 Jan 2019
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 06 Jan 2019
95
99th
This is exactly what the lyrical beauty and importance of Baldwin's words should look like on film.
Rated 06 Jan 2019
ippeiIppei
Rated 18 Mar 2019
75
73rd
Whether it's the colours, the dialogue, the portrait shots/close-ups, the score or the performances, this film has it all and it's a beautiful film too. Having said that, it's a very artistic film and it won't be for everyone. For me, it's great. The film has a lot to say about the racial tensions nowadays, more so than the films that got more recognition, so it's a shame because this one probably has the most to say.
Rated 18 Mar 2019
nobambanobamba
Rated 27 Mar 2019
70
76th
What a journey. Takes a typical black suffering story and elevates it with star performances. Questionable take on some of the law. Dave Franco was distracting. Some more ambiguity about whether boyfriend raped would have been interesting. Fav scene: first confrontation with mother in law.
Rated 27 Mar 2019
glumpy99glumpy_99
Rated 08 Feb 2019
67
30th
Sluggish pacing and a tendency to reiterate the same points over and over again hurt this otherwise well-crafted and well-performed drama - Layne in particular is exceptional, but she is surrounded by a very fine cast and enhanced by Britell's exquisite score. At its best in the opening scenes establishing Layne and James' vivid and visceral romantic connection.
Rated 08 Feb 2019
chengmingchengming
Rated 11 Apr 2019
75
76th
Beautiful, but not outstandingly beautiful, as criticisms had led me to expect. The story also is messy (too much unnecessary voiceover, as well as the jarring segment in Puerto Rico), and comes a couple of years too late - we've had it told to us in less didactic ways already. The score though is one of the best of the year!
Rated 11 Apr 2019
mspraguemsprague
Rated 09 Mar 2019
79
81st
Tragic and sad and unfair. Well played by all of the performers.
Rated 09 Mar 2019
lethiaslethias
Rated 29 Nov 2020
84
62nd
Around 10 years ago I read a book that had a similar plot. By the end of the movie I knew how it's going to end. Dark and emotional piece about black injustices from back in the day, and probably today. Visually stunning (Moonlight), maybe too stunning to feel the situation as it is - dark, raw and cruel. The novel was a lot more depressing for this reason.
Rated 29 Nov 2020
zanginZangin
Rated 09 May 2019
57
28th
It's stylish, well acted, and starts strong, but is ultimately disappointing. The narrative lacks subtlety and is far too limited in scope - several interesting plotlines beyond the relationship of the principle couple (such as the conflict with the overly-Christian mother) fizzle out without conclusion, and even the relationship plot is resolved anticlimactically.
Rated 09 May 2019
jpotiijpotII
Rated 28 Sep 2019
34
26th
Libra
Rated 28 Sep 2019
kavuKavu
Rated 24 Feb 2019
85
85th
Excellent follow-up by Jenkins. A bit slow at times, but constantly powerful and meaningful.
Rated 24 Feb 2019
antidood1antidood1
Rated 25 Mar 2019
50
17th
I wish I had more to say about this, and I wish I liked it more. It just didn't click with me. I thought the romantic and bombastic style – loud string music, slick camera moves, perfectly arranged colors – was pretty annoying, and I couldn't really connect with either of the main characters. I feel like Moonlight was rawly emotional, whereas this is much more polished and just … Hollywood. Don't get me wrong: this movie has my complete sympathy. I just couldn't get into it.
Rated 25 Mar 2019
lexieLexie
Rated 08 Jun 2020
78
72nd
:(
Rated 08 Jun 2020
seethruskinSeethruskin
Rated 23 Jan 2019
5
81st
Didn't hit me close to as hard as Moonlight, but what will? He's still clearly indebted to guys like WKW, but he does the style so well it's hard to care that it isn't exactly original. Love the brutality and beautiful being balanced so well here.
Rated 23 Jan 2019
nmroshannmroshan
Rated 04 Aug 2019
60
6th
cliche story with plain characters
Rated 04 Aug 2019
sourheartsourheart
Rated 15 Feb 2019
4
72nd
Beautiful, and rare for a movie so saturated with emotion to build so well to the only, inevitable, no less devastating ending.
Rated 15 Feb 2019
semioticussemioticus
Rated 26 Jan 2019
77
59th
Stylish and strong, yet it wasn't as captivating as Moonlight was for me. I think one reason was the lead actor, I couldn't see the depth of emotions I was looking for in him. The other was the uneven pacing (and borderline unnecessary close-ups). Some very good supporting performances, beautifully shot scenes and a solid plot though.
Rated 26 Jan 2019
parasiteParasite
Rated 09 Mar 2019
30
21st
Wait a minute! Barry Jenkins was black the whole time? Oh, shit! The main question, however, is whether the man from the poster was raped in prison. In other words, is that a movie about sexual minorities as well?
Rated 09 Mar 2019
filliganFilligan
Rated 27 Jan 2019
86
63rd
Timely. Timeless. Hypnotic. Beautiful. Jenkins is one of my favorites working today. He's got an unflinching eye for art and soul. There are moments of this film that feel so long, where characters take too long to say what they want to say, and I found myself utterly compelled in those moments above all others. And that score by Nicholas Britell is like another character. It's almost always present, consistently odd but perfect, lending wisdom to Jenkins' lens at all times.
Rated 27 Jan 2019
war_machineWar Machine
Rated 24 Jan 2019
77
70th
Childhoodbesties+husbandsmackswifefortalkinreligioushitcursinbaby+bigsisbodiesdissingirls+caseclearlybs-copsfuckinthemover+hestartsbreakingdown/snappingatvisits+keepsflashbackingtheirniceromance+dadsstarthustlinghotgoods+momtalkstovictiminpuertorico-freaks+hadtotakeaplea+like5yearoldsonandhervisithiminjail
Rated 24 Jan 2019
sagesledgeSageSledge
Rated 21 Mar 2019
90
74th
Every now and again I reflect on how lucky I am to have been born when I was. More specifically, every now and again, a film makes me feel that way. The feeling started with "Carol", and continues with "If Beale Street Could Talk" an exquisitely beautiful depiction of love that moved me to my very core.
Rated 21 Mar 2019
fenixdownfenixdown
Rated 13 Jan 2019
78
66th
Brilliantly dramatic.
Rated 13 Jan 2019
glm01glm01
Rated 01 Oct 2018
82
71st
81.67.
Rated 01 Oct 2018
jschlanskyJSchlansky
Rated 16 Sep 2022
88
88th
I love how Barry Jenkins presented the important and powerful social messages of the film without ever losing sight of the characters at the heart of the drama, that's social commentary done right. Jenkins' more stylistic choices, like the narration and the occasional almost documentary-esque conveyance of raw information, work quite well and help add variety to the film. The original score was standout as well.
Rated 16 Sep 2022
krf7krf7
Rated 08 Mar 2019
70
46th
Moonlight floored me. Just the right balance of style and substance. This tilted a bit too much towards style, and missed the mark a bit on the narrative.
Rated 08 Mar 2019
holygrail2Holygrail2
Rated 10 Jan 2019
99
99th
A film of such astounding beauty and warmth and humanity, I feel altered by it. Just gorgeous.
Rated 10 Jan 2019
natebarriosnatebarrios
Rated 15 Dec 2018
80
86th
heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once... I wish I could say more, but I'm gonna have to sit with this for a while... ?
Rated 15 Dec 2018
offlineozofflineoz
Rated 25 Mar 2019
90
91st
A raw, mesmerizing, visually stimulating, incredibly endearing but devastating tragedy supported by outstanding performances through the cast and underpinned by an astounding score from Britell. it's incredible how Barry Jenkins manages to show so much through the faces, something he perfected during Moonlight. Unfairly snubbed in (almost) all the major categories, Beale Street solidifies Jenkins as one of the best directors out there. "It's rough, but we'll make it."
Rated 25 Mar 2019
calexicoCalexico
Rated 31 Dec 2018
85
82nd
Lyrical, warm, beautiful.
Rated 31 Dec 2018
kadikoykadikoy
Rated 11 Apr 2019
75
83rd
Regina King'in Oscar kazandığı film. Mutsuz bir aile filmi. Çocukluk aşkı olan iki sevgili, hayatını kurmaya çalışır. Fonny, suçsuz yere hapse girene kadar. Oyuncuların iyi performanslar verdiği bir film. Konu o kadar güçlü ki, bir kitabın sayfalarını çevirir gibi güzellikte ilerliyor. Türk sinemasını da andırıyor. Filmin sonu umut dolu ve mutsuz da bitse hayat devam ediyor. Çok mu fazla bu sitem, ağır değil mi bu ceza?
Rated 11 Apr 2019
drrobertdr_Robert
Rated 18 Feb 2019
3
40th
Jenkins är en filmmakare/massör som trycker ett gäng fingrar ned i en nervknut nära din ryggrad och behåller trycket länge. Detta parar han med sentimentalitet och stråkar. Receptet fungerade utmärkt i Moonlight, liksom en lång bit på vägen i If Beale Street... Men den här gången slutade tricket att verka på mig på slutet, vilket fick filmen att tappa flyghöjd mycket snabbt dock utan att krascha. Jag har mycket svårt att bestämma för betyg: 4 (första halvan) eller 3 (andra ha
Rated 18 Feb 2019
deaddillydeaddilly
Rated 28 Dec 2018
85
84th
It was as if there was an eternal fire burning just behind the screen, emanating out of every frame and detour. IBSCT deliberately pits the power of love against the bars of systematic oppression and declares neither side the winner. Heartbreaking, infuriating, but undeniably passionate work from Jenkins.
Rated 28 Dec 2018
pianosamaPianoSama
Rated 23 May 2019
65
45th
I hate to say that I was underwhelmed, but I was. Technically & artistically, it's a beautifully crafted film. Performances are all solid, and there's a lot of great cinematography. But, the storytelling feels a little bit weak, and there are a lot of moving parts that don't all get the time they deserve or need to develop. The pacing is also very, very slow, and never once really picks up. Ultimately, despite what strengths it does have, it didn't do a whole lot for me.
Rated 23 May 2019
ienjoycinemaienjoycinema
Rated 15 Jan 2019
70
41st
Felt like it was created just to be a critic's darling. The cinematography and soundtrack are used skillfully. However the film feels like it's too in love with itself. There are so many ridiculous longing stares into the camera that it would make even the most vain blush. The melodrama dial is set to an 11. But a strong performance from Layne and some masterful film making keep this slow burn of a movie tolerable. Perhaps it went over my head, but I don't get the hype on this one.
Rated 15 Jan 2019
psimpsim
Rated 14 Feb 2019
82
82nd
A beautifully shot family drama that moves effortlessly between romance and tragedy, tackling large issues on a very personal scale. Featuring a fantastic score and great performances across the board, Barry Jenkins delivers a worthy follow-up to Moonlight.
Rated 14 Feb 2019
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 18 Jun 2019
74
73rd
Probably too good to be a movie I watched on a plane, which doesn't exactly play to its strengths. Seems weird for the script to the weakest part of a movie based on a Baldwin novel. If there has to be a 'middlebrow', Jenkins is as good a choice as anyone to fill that space.
Rated 18 Jun 2019
hofschneiderHofschneider
Rated 25 Jan 2019
77
53rd
A great movie that I wasn't the audience of. My score (like always) reflects my personal relationship with the movie. Not my intellectual concept of what I define as art or craftsmanship. If that would be the case, the score would be higher.
Rated 25 Jan 2019
feublofeublo
Rated 07 Feb 2019
78
48th
Barry Jenkins has true mastery when it comes to close-up and personal cuts of the human face. Something that transcends the film into a more personal depth. A story that paints several emotions one lives through as romance blossoms and overcomes the tyrannical system.
Rated 07 Feb 2019
icarusIcarus
Rated 09 Jan 2019
88
85th
Beautiful, humanistic, tragic. Jenkins has fashioned another exquisite film that focuses on humanizing its protagonists. One of the more striking things for me was the juxtaposition of historic photography, the types of images the public is used to seeing of black people, with the images in the film itself, where we see things like gentle kisses, hand holding, and the birth of a child. The film offers up more question than answer, looking toward the future and wondering, will we be free then?
Rated 09 Jan 2019
ofterdingenOfterdingen
Rated 14 Feb 2019
47
30th
Sumptuous filmmaking but also unbelievable cheesy despite a few impressive scenes.
Rated 14 Feb 2019
nuotionuotio
Rated 03 Oct 2019
59
63rd
It's not as good "Moonlight" but still a solid follow-up for Jenkins and takes you right back to the 70's. The cinematography, clothes, set decoration are spot on and the soundtrack contained some gems that I was not familiar with. It's quite clear that it's based on a book as it feels a bit disjointed and some scenes linger on too long. At first it made me wonder why it was important for Jenkins to tell this story at this time and age, but perhaps things haven't changed that much after all.
Rated 03 Oct 2019
vassagoVassago
Rated 09 Mar 2019
74
66th
This was a lot and I mean A LOT better than the Oscar winning Moonlight.
Rated 09 Mar 2019
wwallce4prezWWallce4prez
Rated 04 Mar 2019
80
73rd
Barry Jenkins sure can shoot a face. His take on a tragic love story is one of gazes and bowed heads. The pace is deliberate, yet it seems like no frame is wasted to show a particular type of heartache. Beautiful.
Rated 04 Mar 2019

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