Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- stylish
- propulsive
- crime movie night
- 1970s cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an influential and entertaining blaxploitation crime drama whose style and social implications outweigh its unevenness.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Priest plans his biggest cocaine deal as a route out of the drug business and toward a new life.
Priest's stylish criminal success is paired with his desire to leave and with criticism of constrained opportunities for Black Americans.
Priest converts cocaine into cash to escape both poverty and the Mob's control.
The film's New York drug milieu and Priest's charismatic presentation embody the signature style of early-1970s blaxploitation.
Films like Super Fly, and why
Shaft
shared blaxploitation tradition, urban crime milieu, charismatic Black antihero, and propulsive street-level style
The Mack
shared blaxploitation cinema, drug-world criminality, confrontational social context, and gritty urban atmosphere
Across 110th Street
shared Black crime protagonists, systemic economic pressure, exploitation-era filmmaking, and morally conflicted ambition
Movie Details
- Director
- Gordon Parks Jr.
- Release Date
- 1972-08-04
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (166)
Cast
- Ron O'Neal
- Carl Lee
- Sheila Frazier
- Charles McGregor
- Julius Harris
- Polly Niles
- Nate Adams
- Yvonne Delaine
- Henry Shapiro
- K.C.
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Super Fly about?
- A stylish Harlem cocaine dealer risks the Mob’s wrath when he tries to turn one final score into freedom.
- What is Super Fly like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Super Fly as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Super Fly violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Super Fly as moderate.
- What did critics think of Super Fly?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an influential and entertaining blaxploitation crime drama whose style and social implications outweigh its unevenness.
- Which films are like Super Fly?
- Films with a similar feel include Shaft, The Mack, and Across 110th Street.
- How long is Super Fly?
- Super Fly runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Super Fly?
- In United States, Super Fly streams on Philo.
