Sugar Hill (1993) User Reviews

A thought provking tale of the streets

[DunnDeeDaGreat · 5/10 · 24 May 2002]

Sugar Hill was one of the most thought provking films about drugs released in the early nineties. Wesley Snipes is brilliant in the lead role of Romello a drug dealer who wants to go straight when he finds love. Micheal Wright the scene stealer is even better as his brother Ray the more violent of the two. But the standout performance belongs to Clarenece Williams III as the drug addicted father. I give *** out of ****.

"Jazzy & Slick .".. Snipes at his dramatic best

[MikeSmash · 7/10 · 1 February 2006]

"Sugar Hill" tells the story of two Harlem drug-dealing brothers, Romello & Ray Nathan Skuggs, who struggle to stay on top of their chosen profession as well as their relationship with drug-addicted father Arthur Romello Skuggs(Clarence Williams III). Romello realizes that his life has gone in the wrong direction & that he wants out, to honor his deceased mother's wishes for him.

Ray Nathan(Michael Wright), heir apparent to the drug ring, wants to get rid of the competition & rule Harlem with his younger brother. Romello(Wesley Snipes), fed up & idealistic, wants out of the drug business & is looking to start over with new girlfriend Melissa(Theresa Randle). Scared of becoming a target, Melissa wants nothing to do with Romello who convinces her to leave with him. Romello tries to bring together a bitter Ray Nathan & strung-out druggie Arthur to no avail. Romello forgave his father for the past & desires Ray Nathan to reconcile before its too late. Ray Nathan is still angry with his father for the death of junkie mother Ella Skuggs. Romello finally convinces Melissa to be with him & leave to begin a new life together. Romello wants only to take Ray Nathan, Arthur, Melissa & himself back to the South to start over & away from the drug & street life.

The problem: Gus(Abe Vigoda), an old Italian drug lord & Lolly(Ernie Hudson), new drug dealer & ex boxing champ, want the brothers out of the way as well as their territories in the drug trade. Gus has a history with Arthur Romello & makes Romello aware of it. Gus told Romello that his father killed his brother Sal many years ago. Lolly kills fellow dealer & best friend Ricky Goggles(Steve Harris) as a warning to Romello & Ray Nathan. Ray Nathan in turn murders one of Gus's men. Lolly calls in a hit on Romello but kills a local wannabe gangster Kymie Daniels(Donald Faison). Romello tells Gus he is out of the game & prepares to leave with Melissa. Ray Nathan kills Arthur by giving him a overdosed shot of heroin. Ray next goes to Gus & Lolly to concede but instead kills them in the restaurant. Ray Nathan then runs into Romello & tells him he killed their father. The two argue with Ray Nathan accidentally shooting Romello with Melissa watching in horror. The film ends with Romello sitting in a wheelchair with Melissa & son living in the South, starting life anew.

A good film with a very tragic ending. Unbelievable scene where Arthur(Williams III)overdoses while Ray Nathan watches in horror & shame. The realism of Arthur's overdose is unforgettable & wreaks of solid acting talent. This film does little to glorify drug dealers & rightfully so. No Nino Browns to despise this time!! Check it out.

Average Gangster film, that's overlong and mediocre, with a rather dull story, the performances were very good though

[callanvass · 5/10 · 27 May 2006]

This is an average gangster film, that's overlong and mediocre, with a rather dull story, the performances were very good though. All the characters are interesting, but not much else, and the story just wasn't able to keep me interested for it's over length in 120 minutes,however Wesley Snipes is simply amazing in this, he is the reason that made it bearable for me. I taped this on the Action movie channel, and I must say I was very disappointed after that extremely powerful and disturbing opening, it all goes downhill from there, plus the ending just didn't cut it for me as it was much too silly for my liking. It had a lot of potential however it just didn't reach it and Wesley has done a much better film like this (New Jack City), plus I didn't really care for any of the characters even if they were somewhat interesting. I would only recommend this to Wesley Snipes fans even then as I said rent New Jack City ,and it's decently made but terribly written, plus it's too depressing. This is an average gangster film, that's overlong and mediocre, with a rather dull story, the performances were very good though, worth a watch I suppose but not much more, you can do better. The Direction is OK. Leon Ichaso does an OK job here with decent camera work, good angles however the pace is terribly inconsistent. The Acting is actually very good and that's what it made it bearable even if I didn't like the characters. Wesley Snipes is amazing as always and is amazing here, he is the likable one out of the bunch as you will feel for him to try and lead a non drug related life, I really liked him!. Clarence Williams III is very good as the drug addicted father, I felt sorry for him. Theresa Randle is decent as the love interest and did what she had to do adequately. Michael Wright is very good as the brother, but I didn't care for his character at all. Rest of the cast are fine. Overall worth a watch I suppose but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. ** out of 5

this is how it's done...

[whoTheFuqRyou · 27 April 2003]

I really felt this story starring Wesley Snipes and Michael Wright. It really shows the struggle of two brothers up to their present point in time, of how they were exposed to the drug game at such an early age from the death of their strung out mother to the crippling of their father thanks to the mafia. It was such a real story that sent out a strong message that got through to me - it's kind of a good guy/bad guy hood flick with a strong crime element and brutal murder scenes. Wesley Snipes is great as the hustler w/ a conscience but it was Michael Wright who delivers as the trigger-happy older brother who will murder just about anything that tries to invade his...

Sugar Hill is a movie that packs a wicked punch...great movie - in urban cinema this is easily a classic

From Nino to Roemello

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 2 September 2018]

From Nino Brown to Roemello Skuggs the two Wesley Snipes characters are only similar in their location, New York City, and their profession, drugs. In just about every other way they are different.

Roemello Skuggs has a drug dealing operation he runs with his brother Raynathan. It's a decent sized operation but nothing like a Tony Montana or even Nino Brown. But unlike the aforementioned drug lords, Roemello wants out. The question becomes how.

This movie is more a drama than a shoot 'em up, cops and robbers, turf war type movie. Roemello's simplified drug life (if that's possible), is complicated by 1.) a woman (Theresa Randle) 2.) another drug dealer (Ernie Hudson) and 3.) his desire to leave Harlem and the dope game.

The story plays out a little Spike Lee-ish. There's even a pervasive jazz tune playing throughout most of the movie much like Spike liked to do. The story was nice, acting also OK, it was just a little slow moving and Shakesperian tragedy for me.

Two hours too long

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 5 May 2023]

(1993) Sugar Hill CRIME DRAMA

More than two hours too long who as a pair of young brothers Roemello and Raynathan Skuggs, when they were little used to witness their own mother overdosing herself to death while the father almost killed himself for being an user himself and betraying an Italian family member lead by Gus (Abe Vigoda). The movie then jumps to the present time to the Skugg brothers to be the Wesley Snipes as the younger brother Roemello and Michael Wright as the older one Raynathan and are successful for doing what their father failed to do which is to be the #1 drug sellers of "Sugar Hill" which is really a part of Harlem and not to be the drug doers. Things start to turn for the worse as soon as Roemello finds a girl he want to settle down with, since she doesn't like the business he's in, and when his own brother Raynathan allowed an ex-boxer named Lolly (Ernie Hudson) into the business of selling the same territories as they were doing in which he'd pay them a very small 10 percentage of the profits. And then for feeling so 'high and mighty' Lolly then kills one of Skuggs men, and while Roemello is trying to cool things down, his brother Raynathan escalates the problem by taking out one of Lolly's best side man with more pointless babbling which can be helped by a quick press of a remote control since this is pretty standard stuff except that theirs less offensive language in this one as opposed to other African American gangster movies. I would've liked this movie more had this film been shortened big time since the actors are exceptional but the movie not so much.

Roemello's Way

[Newsense · 10/10 · 2 January 2009]

I have always loved this film and will always love this film till my dying days. It reminds me of a time when Black cinema broke the mold with the stories that were told and how those stories were told. Sugar Hill is a well written and well acted tale film noir drama that never got the respect it truly deserves.

Roemello(Wesley Snipes) wants to break free from a world of crime but is constantly dragged back in. He cant live a normal life or have a girlfriend in it because something bad is always happening around him. His brother Raynathan(Michael Wright) is very high-strung and causes some of Roemello's problems plus he has to deal with his drug-addicted father A.R.(Clarence Williams III).

Wesley Snipes best performance is Roemello Skuggs. This movie proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that Wesley can act as well as play a serious role. Michael Wright is good as Raynathan even though he can get buckwild at times. Clarence Williams III is excellent as their drug-afflicted father A.R. He was always a great actor that never got enough credit for great roles such as this one, Hoodlum and Deep Cover. Theresa Randle is is pretty good as Roemello's girlfriend Melissa. She is innocent in the sense that she is not numb to death and violence and actually feels pain upon seeing something like for instance a dead body. Melissa is gorgeous as well as likable. There are also some strong performances by Abe Vigoda and Ernie Hudson.

I love the setting of the movie as well as the cinematography. Director Leon Ichaso has an eye for scenery and you can see that as you watch this movie. Its a shame that the movie didn't do well and the director never did another movie again. I would have liked to see another movie from him.

In short Sugar Hill is an underrated masterpiece. No self-respecting fan of Black Cinema should be without a copy of Sugar Hill.

PS: don't allow these trend-following cookie-cutter review writing craven sheep that run amok on IMDb dictate to you what is a good film. As far as they're concerned any film that doesn't make the Top 250 is not worth viewing. The opinions of spineless puppets are absolutely worthless.

EXCELLENT

[jmorrison-2 · 31 July 2002]

This is an excellent movie with a tremendous performance by Wesley Snipes. He is a much better actor than he gets credit for, with terrific range.

A story of a street drug dealer trying to break free of the life he has led. Unfortunately, circumstances and people conspire to threaten his dreams. A very interesting, thoughtful movie, with a great performance by Snipes and Clarence Williams.

Very powerful, dramtic movie!

[K-Ci · 9/10 · 21 June 1999]

Sugar Hill is an intense movie that exposes the harsh reality of drug addiction and drug dealing. Roemello(Snipes) and Raynathan(Wright) are two brothers who are drug dealers in Harlem. Snipes and Wright gave great performances. Sugar Hill has a lot of drama and suspense and it is very realistic. The film has al ot of great monologue, And the message is very clear: "Don't Do Drugs".

Over-long, but frequently poignant drug epic

[d_fienberg · 8 August 2001]

As titles for this film go, I prefer Sugar Hill to Harlem. The title Harlem speaks to where the characters are. The title Sugar Hill refers to an ideal that has been lost and may never be regained. Harlem would be a simplistic title for a simplistic movie, while Sugar Hill is an appropriate title for a movie that frequently aims high and sometimes succeeds. So you'll forgive me if if I refer to it as Sugar Hill in this review (plus, I'm not really sure where it was actually released as "Harlem").

Sugar Hill opens with a series of pictures of urban life in the Sugar Hill part of Harlem. Since the photos are all black and white and since the people look happy and middle class, we know that these pictures are of the way things used to be. We then meet our two "heroes," Raynathan and Romoello Skuggs, as children who stand by and watch as their mother ODs on heroin and dies before their eyes. Even though she was a junkie, their mom wished for great things for her sons, but as we move into the present, Roemello's voiceover tells the hard truth: "The boy you loved as become the man you feared." Roemello (Wesley Snipes) and Raynathan (Michael Wright) control the drug trade in a part of the borough. They live a ghetto fabulous lifestyle with fancy rayon suits and fine cars. They get nice tables at classy restaurants. But things are about to change. The local mafioso Gus (Abe Vigoda) is letting a new dealer (Ernie Hudson) move in on their turf. Roemello wants out, having seen what drugs did to his father (Clarence Williams III), once a promising musician, now a struggling drug addict. But Raynathan -- the less intelligent, but more emotional of the brothers -- wants to start a turf war. The film has a "B" story involving a romance between Roemello and a beautiful woman (Theresa Randle) who loves Roemello, but is affair to be around him.

Sugar Hill plays a bit like New Jack City (both movies were written by Barry Michael Cooper). At its best, it feels like a smarter and more mature film than Mario Van Peebles's classic modern blaxploitation film. There's a complexity to Sugar Hill that New Jack City lacked once it regressed into a cops-vs-gangsters story. There's no law in Sugar Hill, no Judd Nelson to mess things up with moralizing. In Sugar Hill we've only got bad and worse.

Snipes's Roemello rules over the city like a God, holding the fate of thousands in his hand. Director Leon Ichaso goes a little too far to make this point. Snipes is constantly shot on rooftops and verandas, anywhere he can look out on his kingdom and loom over it. As a visual metaphor, it's effective, but it sometimes places a little too broadly, which is at odds with Snipes's wonderful, internalized performance. Snipes is physically intimidating, but as an actor he has sufficient brains to carry the film. His Roemello is the ego to the id of New Jack City's Nino Brown.

Actually, the film is full of amazing performances accentuated by the script's willingness to stop the action to allow the characters to tell stories. As the burnout father, Clarence Williams III (that would be "Linc" from the original Mod Squad) is just amazing and the story he tells Raynathan as he's about to shoot up is a devastating show-stopper. Vigoda also gives a performance tempered by age, and also has a super monologue, where he remembers the way Harlem used to be. Michael Wright's Raynathan grows on you. At first the acting seems too manic, but when you realize that it's a cover for how deeply he depends on his brother, it gains depth and Wright carries the film's final twenty minutes. Randle is fine in her romantic moments, but becomes shrieky when the role calls for high-pitched emotion.

Sugar Hill goes on for too long. It runs over two hours and there's no excuse for that. The plot involving Ernie Hudson's ex-boxer (Hudson is also excellent playing against type here) has confusing moments and there are several peripheral mob characters whose roles are never fully explained. Theresa Randle also has a very strange and random encounter with a basketball star (Vondie Curtis-Hall) which seems to have been in the script for symbolic reasons that just don't pay off properly.

On the whole, Sugar Hill works for me because of the consistent aura of sadness which fills the film. This movie isn't anywhere near as fun as New Jack City. It's not flashy, it's somber. But it worked well enough for me to give is a 7/10 recommendation.

Powerful

[Montayj · 10/10 · 20 June 2019]

Very powerful film with a great story and great actors. This movie only gets better with time.

Don't agree with the above opinion

[kumarihpx · 19 July 2002]

I'm surprised that someone else has this opinion, but so be it. I thought this was a wonderful story about a young man from the projects, his close relationship with his younger brother, and his ambitions borne out of a disgraceful upbringing by his absentee, addicted parents. Also involved is his relationship with his brother, who seems to never have grown up at all. They start as drug runners on "Sugar Hill," and eventually run the place, with Romey the big kingpin. What's ironic, though, is that Sugar Hill (sugar = euphoric high on hard drugs) is the same place they grew up, and where their parents got strung-out thereby neglecting their responsibilities in guiding their children. Luckily, Romey came out of it with some sense, street and book, and he takes over as head of the family (the family that's left that is). This is a what I believe is a common tale of the recycling of the same woes that happens to families on the mean streets. I think it's an interesting phenomenon. Also very reminiscent of Scarface, in that the youths grow up with outrageous ambitions that no amount of money can ever appease, a need for power, money, success. The ending is bittersweet, but you feel satisfied with the outcome overall.

Very well done, powerful and emotional movie

[momjessicaandjordan · 9/10 · 22 August 2021]

I first seen this movie last year during quarantine and every I watch it again, I'm always impressed by what Sugar Hill gave. I'm also impressed by the performances, especially Wesley Snipes, Michael Wright and Clarence Williams lll. Even though there are moments where we don't agree of what characters in this movie says or do, we can understand what there trying to do and the motivation behind it and Sugar Hill is one of those examples of that.

Sugar Hill provides you with that hood drama drug related film with some thought- provoking entertainment or you can call a little bit of an action packed drama film. Either way, you won't be disappointed.

A must for the Wesley Snipes connoisseur..

[OHHLA · 8/10 · 8 July 1999]

Sex, money, and drugs. Broken families, and broken dreams. You'll recognize the lead character Romello as played by Wesley Snipes right away, but Michael Wright (of +The 5 Heartbeats+ and the TV series 'V: The Final Battle') turns in a strong and compelling performance of his own as Rome's brother Ray Nathan. The action builds slowly, until the kettlepot boils over at the end, so this is not a movie for those lacking patience. It's worth the wait to see Wright and Snipes struggle through their harsh reality, and to see Snipes try in vain to resurrect a family life with his father in the film that didn't exist and never would. Powerful and compelling, you'll want to see this movie more than once.

Roemello's Way

[PredragReviews · 8/10 · 12 May 2016]

The movie has a very dark yet thoughtful feel to it. Wesley Snipes plays his role with a warm compassion for those around him. Michael Wright does overact quite a bit but he probably had a few years to go to become a good actor. Clarence Williams III was superb as the father. Theresa Randle is very good as the girlfriend. I almost fell in love with her myself. She seemed like the perfect woman. The rest of the movie is straight gangster done by a black cast except for Abe Vigoda who played his part excellently.

I love the setting of the movie as well as the cinematography. Director Leon Ichaso has an eye for things and you can see that as you watch this movie. Its a shame that the movie didn't do well and the director never did another movie again. Snipes is at his best as he is trying to leave his troubled past but each time gets pulled back by the ghosts that haunt him. The atmosphere is pure noir, and though it is clearly set in the present, it has the magical sheen of a 1940's film. Recommended viewing for all lovers of film, despite the occasional preachiness.

Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

Excellent

[tony_bueno · 9/10 · 7 September 2001]

One of the greatest of its genre, Sugar Hill is one of very few drug thrillers to seriously tackle many issues facing inner city life without glamorizing or venturing into "blaxploitation" territory. Snipes and especially Michael Wright give exemplary performances and every character is well fleshed out. Even though we don't agree or condone the actions of most characters, we can understand their motivations for the things they do.

Sugar Hill will provide intelligent, thought-provoking entertainment, but most who are looking for an action-packed drama will likely be disappointed by this drawn out character study. That's more than likely why it received so many poor reviews by critics and audiences. See this as a drama rather than an action flick.

This hill, fine quality movie

[videorama-759-859391 · 8/10 · 11 July 2017]

SH was one of those fine drug movies, like Deep Cover, Menace To Society, that were around, pretty much the same time. What sucks, is like Menace To Society, this one missed an S.A. cinema release. From the first frame, or credits, you can tell you're in for none other, a fine two hours film, and this is exactly what you get with good black actors you like. We have a wonderfully refreshing opening, where a black mother O.D's. She has two little boys, where she uses the older one to cook her up a fix. This makes quite an impact on him, as we cut to a later time. Now grown up, this man (Wright, the wilder, out of control one) and brother (Snipes) are in the drug business, working for the NY mafia, under their boss played beautifully by Abe Vigoda, a fine sculptured performance. Snipes has fallen in love, and now sees that the future in this business is short limited, so he best be smart and get out now, so we know what's to ensue. He tries to pull his brother out of it, but he wants no part. I really like the drawn characters, as we really understand, who they are, but more importantly, why they are, what they are, especially Wright's character, that all come full circle in that dinner family scene with KFC. Wright is an exceptionally talented black actor, who really carves out his characters, like no other of his race I've seen. He's a more pathetic type, here, and he plays it wonderfully real, while Snipes is very good, and Clarence Williams 111, what can I say? Just another fine performance. Randle as Snipes's love interest is really good, where she plays a budding actress: waitress, that joke really old now. She's the victim of a nasty rape scene, too, by another black guy, which added some venom to this engrossing film. The end is rather hard hitting, engaging, which as to Snipes's fate, a real blow. The whole anti drug film is engaging, and lovers of these film, and others, I recommend it to ya, if you haven't seen it.

5.9/10 Are you kidding me?

[ham-ma242 · 10/10 · 24 November 2019]

Yeah my review is at 2019, I watched ton of everything and at this time nothing really comes close to this kind of intense dramatic and deep performance as this plot delivers. Highly recommended.

Excellent Film

[vze4kyts · 10/10 · 9 January 2005]

I thought this movie was the equivalent of any Greek tragedy. The acting was superior. The plot was compelling and a grand feat in storytelling. I was deeply moved by the performances of all the actors. Wesley Snipes, Michael Wright, Clarence Williams III, and all were extremely effective in delivering the emotionally charged performances. This movie is a classic. It ranks with the Godfather in the story and acting categories. Although the scope and scale was a lot smaller and intimate the movie was still capable of delivering the emotional impact as a film like the Godfather.

I quickly added this to my collection after the first viewing. This is a movie makers movie. I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to see a urban drama played out as Greek tragedy. I was especially touched by the acting.

Very Well done

[RobertEspositoTVGuide · 9/10 · 13 January 2006]

Wesley Snipes gives a heart felt performance in this movie about two brothers who get involved as young children with the White Mafia. Snipes and Wright truly are opposites in this one, which gives the movie a nice blend pace as you await Wright to snap at any moment. Added in the mix is actress Theresa Randle who does a nice job convincing you there is more to Snipes character than just killing for hire. Interaction between Snipes'character and his father are very well done. Adding a feel of compassion and hate. Wright's character gives this film an extra push in the category of character depth.

Best scene: Snipes'character (Romello) tries to have a sit down dinner with his father and brother. Some of the best lines in the film are said in this scene.

I recommend this movie it has appeal to a wide audience.

this movie so wants to be taken seriously ...

[sychonic · 18 September 2009]

but it can't be.

It's just not that good. The writing is substandard. And the one thing that stands out is the weepy jazz soundtrack that is intrusive and annoying.

The basic plot, how the black drug runners in the ghetto relate to each other and to the Mob, not a bad idea. And the idea that Wesley Snipes gets sick of the whole thing and wants more from life. Not bad. In fact, Snipes is pretty good in the role. Almost everyone else is pretty awful.

It's interesting how lacking in interesting this movie is. Not much seems to happen except once in a while a gun goes off.

I think "New Jack City" is likely a better call, not nearly as stylish, nor as pretentious, but more solid as a story.

An Excellent,Powerful,Underrated And Overlooked Gangster Film/Crime Drama.

[jcbutthead86 · 10/10 · 17 July 2014]

Sugar Hill is an excellent,powerful and underrated Gangster Film/Crime Drama that is filled with great direction,amazing acting,a terrific script and a outstanding score. All of those elements make Sugar Hill a great and unforgettable film.

Set in Harlem,New York,Sugar Hill tells the story of Roemello Skuggs(Wesley Snipes),a ruthless drug dealer who supplies heroin and along with his older brother Raynathan Skuggs(Michael Wright)controls the drug game in Harlem with great success. But when Roemello meets and falls in love with a young woman named Melissa(Theresa Randle)and with bad things happening all around him Roemello decides that he wants out of the drug business but unfortunately for Roemello getting is easier said then done and will lead to tragic events.

Sugar Hill is a brilliant and amazing Crime Drama that I have enjoyed since seeing it on Home Video back in 1994 and while the film did decent business at the Box Office the movie was panned by critics and sadly isn't very known by movie goers and I can almost say is very obscure and forgotten and is a great movie that deserves an audience. Sugar Hill is a magnificent movie that not only works as a Gangster Film/Crime Drama but also works as a truly emotional experience that is dark and brooding as well as haunting and bleak with a sense of doom and tragedy that hangs over the film from beginning to end whether the movie is dealing with crime,drugs or family. And While there some moments that are very much trademarks of Gangster and Crime Dramas(a gangster wanting to getting out of the crime life,violence,death etc)Sugar Hill has characters and scenes of depth that make the movie better than the typical Gangster film because the way the story of Sugar Hill is told is almost like a story that William Shakespeare would have love to have written. Some viewers will probably be disappointed in Sugar Hill because of the lack of Action and thrills but that's one of the things I like about the film because Sugar Hill is not driven by Action but by the characters and who they are as people. The violence is brutal and harsh at times but it fits the dark tone of the picture and is not glamorized. The atmosphere in Sugar Hill is grim and downbeat but adds to the film because Sugar Hill is like watching a Jazz album or record on film where a song(or this case the movie)can be fast or slow but can have an impact on the viewer. We also get a look at Harlem in Sugar Hill showing that while Harlem is still a beautiful place a part of Harlem is destroyed by drugs and violence giving Harlem an ugly side that shows itself in it's darkness. The main character Roemello Skuggs is amazing and memorable because while Roemello is a Gangster and drug dealer he is a character that is three dimensional and has three sides to him one side is the ruthless drug dealer and business man,another side is a man who loves his family and cares about them and the one who is in love and wants and better life for himself. What we also see that Roemello is a sad man haunted by his past and is looking for a much better future but has to deal with not only rival drug dealers but also has to worry about his relationship with his older brother Raynathan which is like a Cain and Abel type story between the brothers. Jason's Lyric(also released in 1994)shares common themes and a Cain and Abel story with this movie. Roemello may not be a good person because of what he does for a living but is a great character we relate to his empathy and humanity. The screenplay by Barry Michael Cooper(who also co-wrote New Jack City in 1991)is terrific,gripping and is filled with scenes and dialog that keep you glued to the screen. The ending of Sugar Hill is amazing and powerful with a combination of tragedy and sense of hope that is bittersweet and fits with the rest of the movie. An outstanding ending.

The cast is wonderful. Wesley Snipes is excellent and at his best as Roemello Skuggs,with Snipes bringing intensity and emotional power to the role. Michael Wright is brilliant and fiery as Raynathan Skuggs,Roemello's older brother and has great scenes with Snipes. Clarance Williams III is terrific and unforgettable as A.R Skuggs,Roemello and Raynathan's Heroin addicted Father. Theresa Randle is great and beautiful as Melissa,Roemello's love interest. Abe Vigoda is sensational as Gus Molino,a Gangster that Roemello and Raynathan work for. Ernie Hudson is amazing as Lolly,Romello's rival drug dealer. Larry Joshua(Harry Molino),Donald Faison(Kymie),Vondie Curtis-Hall(Mark Doby),Khandi Alexander(Ella Skuggs)and Steve Harris(Googles)give good performances as well.

The direction by Leon Ichaso is amazing and stylish,with Ichaso bringing an atmosphere and visually stunning look to the film using Black and White photography and other colors to give the movie a unique style. Great direction,Ichaso.

The score by Terence Blanchard is brilliant,powerful,moody and haunting with a Jazz sound that matches the dark tone of the picture. Amazing score,Blanchard.

In final word,if you love Gangster films or Crime Dramas,I highly suggest you see Sugar Hill,an excellent and underrated film that you will never forget. Highly Recommended. 10/10.

Very good movie

[bexar73 · 10/10 · 18 April 2002]

This was a very good film with an All Star cast. Snipes was superb and Clarence Williams,III gave an Oscar Caliber performance. If you ever been to Harlem (and I have)or any urban area, you would relate to this movie. The all jazz soundtrack gave the movie a touch of class that it moved it to another level. This movie is not in the same class as Scarface or Goodfellas, but it is in my top 15 of all time gangster/drug movies.

Structure changed

[imdb-1811 · 8/10 · 5 January 2006]

For those of you who like this film, a little history. I worked on it as the boom operator for the LA part of the shoot (8 weeks out of 11).

The shooting script had a linear structure with no flashback, a history of the Skruggs brothers since they were kids. It was re-edited into the flashback structure after a bad test screening. I'm not sure that this was necessarily better, but it enabled Leon Ichaso and the editors to make trims they might not otherwise have been able to make.

The rough cut I saw was a much clearer story, but it played a little long. I think if they had stuck with the original it might have been more successful commercially and artistically.

The original title of the script was "Skeezer," and we shot it as "Harlem." At one point near the end of shooting there was talk of a tongue-in-cheek "contest" to see who could come up with the best new title.

Wesley Snipes needs to do more dramas!

[majorkhong · 10/10 · 8 December 2000]

I saw this movie about 6 years ago and each time I see it I am really impressed with the performances by the various actors in the film. Wesley snipes is amazing and his character's father put forth an amazing performance as well. I wish the soundtrack to the movie was available, it really adds a lot to the film as well. If you are debating whether or not to see this movie, dont even hesitate.