Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn

Play trailer

Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn

2020

1h 40m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

14 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Racial tensions come to a boil when an angry mob murders Black teenager Yusuf Hawkins in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Aug. 23, 1989. The aftermath of Hawkins' death leads to a social movement as his family and community protesters demand justice.

Critics Consensus

Storm Over Brooklyn's limited scope may disappoint viewers seeking a comprehensive examination of racial inequity in New York City circa 1989, but this poignant documentary does justice to the memory of Yusuf Hawkins the person.

Read Critics Reviews

Ty Burr

Boston Globe

08/17/2020

3.5/4

It's the gulf between what people said then and now that resonates throughout this documentary, and the blind spots that continue today.

Go to Full Review

Tambay Obenson

IndieWire

08/14/2020

B

[It] likely won't teach much new to those already familiar with his story... But even for the initiated, it could contribute to ongoing discussions on how to dismantle the American racial divide that is deeply entrenched in our national psyche.

Go to Full Review

Melanie McFarland

Salon.com

08/13/2020

Voices past and present give Storm Over Brooklyn a piercing relevance in the here and now, whether by what they're saying or what they represent.

Go to Full Review

Carla Hay

Culture Mix

08/23/2020

Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn could have been a very one-sided documentary, but it took the responsible approach of including diverse viewpoints.

Go to Full Review

Jordan Calhoun

Black Nerd Problems

08/21/2020

These different perspectives paint a vivid picture of the Brooklyn of 30 years ago, not very different from the Brooklyn of today.

Go to Full Review

Rosalynn Try-Hane

Liquid Marmalade

08/20/2020

Yusuf Hawkins - Storm Over Brooklyn is an emotional and sensitive examination of racial tensions, grief and political point scoring that is ever present today.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Muta'Ali Muhammad

Director

Al Sharpton

Self

David Dinkins

Self

Reverend Conrad Tillard

Self

Jonathan Chinn

Executive Producer

Simon Chinn

Executive Producer

The Legend of the Underground

100%

83%

The Legend of the Underground

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Legend of the Underground

Thought Crimes

89%

65%

Thought Crimes

Watchlist

Baltimore Rising

100%

84%

Baltimore Rising

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Baltimore Rising

David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived

93%

98%

David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived

Watchlist

TRAILER

for David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived

The Truth vs. Alex Jones

100%

77%

The Truth vs. Alex Jones

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Truth vs. Alex Jones

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Racial tensions come to a boil when an angry mob murders Black teenager Yusuf Hawkins in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Aug. 23, 1989. The aftermath of Hawkins' death leads to a social movement as his family and community protesters demand justice.

Director: Muta'Ali Muhammad
Producer: Victorious DeCosta, Jevon Frank, Alexandra Moss
Production Co: HBO Documentary Films, Lightbox
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 13, 2020
Runtime: 1h 40m