1990 Movie
Dir. Charles Burnett · United States of America · English
An old friend wreaks havoc on a household in this searing parable from Charles Burnett
An old friend shows up on the doorstep of a happy family home and brings a whirlwind of trouble with him. Charles Burnett’s startling parable is tinged with magic and creeping danger. It digs into the tensions between African American folklore of the rural South and the assimilated middle-class lifestyle out West.
This rift takes the form of Harry, whose disquieting presence throws his old friend Gideon’s Los Angeles home into disarray. Danny Glover is captivating as the devilish visitor, delivering each line with playful ease and simmering menace. Burnett’s sly narrative doesn’t boil down to good and evil but instead offers a layered and enigmatic exploration of identity.
An enigmatic drifter from the South comes to visit an old acquaintance who now lives in South-Central LA.

Cannes
1 nom

Spirit Awards
4 wins · 3 noms

Sundance
2 wins

NYFCC
2 noms

LAFCA
1 nom
Comments