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Idlewild

Play trailer Poster for Idlewild R 2006 2h 1m Drama Musical Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
47% Tomatometer 129 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
A reticent piano player, named Percival (André Benjamin), along with Rooster (Antwan A. Patton), his flamboyant lead performer and manager, struggle to keep their speakeasy, in the Prohibition-era South, out of the hands of gangsters who want to take it over.
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Idlewild

Idlewild

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Critics Consensus

Idlewild has some truly breathtaking moments, but borrows too heavily from other similar movies, and the disjointed script is not worthy of talents involved.

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Critics Reviews

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David Jenkins Time Out Oct 14, 2006
For a band whose music is suffused with such delicate irony, you'd expect at the very least for there to be a few laughs along the way? There are none. Nothing. Zero. Go to Full Review Olly Richards Empire Magazine Oct 6, 2006
3/5
Fans happy to luxuriate in its artistic indulgence, however, will be swept up in the weird, random, fantastic OutKastness of it all. Go to Full Review Matthew Leyland BBC.com Sep 29, 2006
3/5
You have to hand it to those OutKast fellas -- even when they make a mess, they do it with style. Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 11, 2020
1.5/4.0
Who ever thought I'd refer to an OutKast project as boring? Go to Full Review Kaleem Aftab The List Nov 3, 2018
3/5
It's a tame, well-rehearsed story that hangs together to ensure Idlewild plays like one incongruous pop promo after another. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Apr 23, 2018
C+
The only hope for saving the humorless Idlewild is the atmospheric speak-easy setting, the great dancing numbers and the chill soundtrack. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Sep 13, 2026 Idlewood = a *3* star Movie! See more Eye C @ECinc Aug 23, 2026 This was a good ride. I’ve always enjoyed the music from Outkast and they have made a very well done musical. See more Stephen C @bob25009 May 8, 2026 The worldwide gross is $12,600,000.00 over a budget of $10,000,000.00. Rated R for Nudity, Language, Sexuality and Violence. See more Blake- N @PBSAniDom Apr 3, 2026 I went into Idlewild expecting something unique, and while it definitely has style, it ends up feeling pretty average overall. André 3000 and Big Boi bring charisma, and the music is easily the highlight, but the story itself doesn’t feel as strong as it should. The film tries to mix a crime narrative with musical elements, but the pacing feels uneven and it never fully commits to either side. Some scenes look great visually, but they don’t always connect in a meaningful way. It’s not a bad movie, just kind of forgettable outside of its soundtrack. Overall, I’d give it a 5/10—it has its moments, but doesn’t fully come together. See more Adrian W @RT23218991 Dec 30, 2024 Very, very NOT GOOD. See more enlightened d @RT57035407 Feb 28, 2021 "Idlewilde" is a lot more fun and entertaining than current movies. It has its flaws, but it's a better time than the depressing movies being made now. See more Read all reviews
Idlewild

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Cast & Crew

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Bryan Barber

Director

André Benjamin

Percival

Big Boi

Rooster

Paula Patton

Angel

Terrence Howard

Trumpy

Malinda Williams

Zora

Movie Clips

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Idlewild

Idlewild: Official Clip - Rooster's Gunfight Idlewild: Official Clip - Rooster's Gunfight 3:09 Now Playing Idlewild: Official Clip - Movin' Cool (The After Party) Idlewild: Official Clip - Movin' Cool (The After Party) 3:50 Now Playing Idlewild: Official Clip - Trumpy Loses It Idlewild: Official Clip - Trumpy Loses It 2:27 Now Playing Idlewild: Official Clip - Bowtie Idlewild: Official Clip - Bowtie 3:45 Now Playing Idlewild: Official Clip - She Lives in My Lap Idlewild: Official Clip - She Lives in My Lap 2:57 Now Playing Idlewild: Official Clip - Church Idlewild: Official Clip - Church 2:30 Now Playing Idlewild: Official Clip - Take off Your Cool Idlewild: Official Clip - Take off Your Cool 2:13 Now Playing Idlewild: Official Clip - Nightclub Shooting Idlewild: Official Clip - Nightclub Shooting 3:16 Now Playing Idlewild: Official Clip - When I Look in Your Eyes Idlewild: Official Clip - When I Look in Your Eyes 2:37 Now Playing Idlewild: Official Clip - The Rooster Idlewild: Official Clip - The Rooster 1:17 Now Playing View more videos

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Idlewild

A scene from the film "Idlewild." A scene from the film "Idlewild." A scene from the film "Idlewild." A scene from the film "Idlewild." A scene from the film "Idlewild." A scene from the film "Idlewild." A scene from the film "Idlewild." A scene from the film "Idlewild." A scene from the film "Idlewild." A scene from the film "Idlewild." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A reticent piano player, named Percival (André Benjamin), along with Rooster (Antwan A. Patton), his flamboyant lead performer and manager, struggle to keep their speakeasy, in the Prohibition-era South, out of the hands of gangsters who want to take it over.
Director
Bryan Barber
Producer
William Green, Scott Macaulay, Robin O'Hara
Screenwriter
Bryan Barber
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Production Co
HBO Films, Mosaic Media Group, Forensic Films
Rating
R (Nudity|Language|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre
Drama, Musical
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 25, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$12.5M
Runtime
2h 1m
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