Overview
Two friends navigate a chaotic world of bureaucracy and danger in their quest for redemption.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- irreverent
- desperate
- late night viewing
- 1990s movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film grim yet surprisingly entertaining, praising its gritty comic spirit and the highly engaging performances of Tupac Shakur and Tim Roth.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Spoon and Stretch are repeatedly redirected through government offices while trying to enter detox.
The protagonists attempt to quit heroin after a friend's overdose while dealers and police continue to pursue them.
The film focuses on the haphazard torpor and desperation of heroin addiction, including withdrawal and attempts to access treatment.
Street-level desperation and city blight are repeatedly undercut by the playful chemistry and comic timing of Roth and Shakur.
Films like Gridlock'd, and why
Trainspotting
gritty drug-addiction drama balanced with dark comic energy and a desperate urban milieu
Drugstore Cowboy
drug-centered character drama with bleak realism, street-level desperation, and gallows humor
The Big Lebowski
crime comedy driven by an odd-couple friendship, frantic setbacks, and urban survival
Do the Right Thing
socially conscious urban drama blending crime, desperation, and abrasive humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Vondie Curtis-Hall
- Release Date
- 1997-01-29
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (254)
Cast
- Tim Roth
- Tupac Shakur
- Thandiwe Newton
- Charles Fleischer
- Vondie Curtis-Hall
- Howard Hesseman
- James Pickens Jr.
- Tom Towles
- Bokeem Woodbine
- John Sayles
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Gridlock'd about?
- Two heroin users seeking detox collide with bureaucratic paralysis, police suspicion, and criminal danger in a grimly funny urban odyssey.
- What is Gridlock'd like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Gridlock'd as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Gridlock'd violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Gridlock'd as moderate.
- What did critics think of Gridlock'd?
- Critics broadly found the film grim yet surprisingly entertaining, praising its gritty comic spirit and the highly engaging performances of Tupac Shakur and Tim Roth.
- Which films are like Gridlock'd?
- Films with a similar feel include Trainspotting, Drugstore Cowboy, The Big Lebowski, and Do the Right Thing.
- How long is Gridlock'd?
- Gridlock'd runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Gridlock'd?
- In United States, Gridlock'd is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
