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Patti Cake$

Play trailer 1:59 Poster for Patti Cake$ R 2017 1h 48m Drama Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 168 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Fed up with life in her New Jersey hometown, Patricia Dombrowski, aka Patti Cake$, hopes to follow in the footsteps of her idol and hit the road to achieve stardom as a rapper. With help from her best friend, a mysterious musician and her loving grandmother, Patti leads the charge against an army of haters, unpaid bills and the broken dreams that are holding her back.
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Patti Cake$

Patti Cake$

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Critics Consensus

Patti Cake$ hits a number of predictable beats, but adds enough fresh elements -- not least Danielle MacDonald's potentially starmaking turn -- to make its underdog story work.

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Critics Reviews

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Robert Daniels 812filmreviews Aug 27, 2018
3/4
Patti Cake$ is the outsiders' plea for acceptance, even when those taste makers are deaf to the notes. Go to Full Review Peter Bradshaw Gulf News (UAE) Sep 21, 2017
[Patti Cake$] is a strangely old-fashioned heartwarmer about talent contests and "putting up flyers". Go to Full Review David Stratton The Australian Sep 15, 2017
3.5/5
[Danielle McDonald] carries the movie, and that's no small feat for a newcomer. I'm sure we'll be hearing a great deal more from her. Go to Full Review Brian T. Carney Washington Blade Dec 15, 2022
New York cabaret singer Bridget Everett and acclaimed actress Catherine O’Hara turn in equally strong performances as her bitter alcoholic mother and her feisty grandmother. Go to Full Review Kip Mooney College Movie Review Aug 24, 2021
B+
One of the most entertaining movies you'll see all year, with just the right amount of emotional heft to make it memorable. Go to Full Review Richard Crouse Richard Crouse Feb 28, 2021
4/5
What begins as one rapper's a run-of-the-mill journey to get out from under the weight of her dreams snakes around to become a high-energy, fist-pumping story of overcoming odds with dignity and on your own terms. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Sep 26, 2026 Patti Cake$ = a *4* star Movie! See more Sam K @PatchOfTime Sep 10, 2026 Absolute must see! If you are an aspiring rapper, you MUST see this movie, its So well done and such a great portrayal of an artist STRIVING to make it. Just SO inspiring. 10/10 5 stars! YES YES YES YES! See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 22, 2025 Success in 1 hour and 48 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Crude Sexual References, A Brief Nude Image, Language Throughout and Some Drug Use!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $774,500.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more isla s @RT89656869 Sep 3, 2022 This film made me think of Precious - I suppose as its about a somewhat outcast adolescent/teenager dreaming of better things, getting by with a depressingly bleak urban domestic situation. There's obviously a heavy use of beatboxing and rap/hip hop type music present throughout (this is somewhat of a rap style musical, of sorts). I guess its about self expression, to an extent. It's aan entertaining enough watch, with some amusing scenes and some sobering ones, its quirky and worth a watch, yes. See more May 28, 2021 Could not get into it, at all. Don't get the hype. See more Ted W @RT84494621 Aug 30, 2020 Great fantastic phenomenal heart warming movie starring some great actors that I want to see more of. This movie is legit amazing and everyone I wanted right now at this particular moment in time. The rapping and all the beats in this movie are amazing and I would legit listen to these songs in the car driving. I love the story of Patti cakes and all her ups and downs. Great time. See more Read all reviews
Patti Cake$

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Cast & Crew

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Geremy Jasper

Director

Danielle Macdonald

Patti

Bridget Everett

Barb

Cathy Moriarty

Nana

Siddharth Dhananjay

Jheri

Mamoudou Athie

Basterd

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Patti Cake$

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Patti Cake$

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Movie Info

Synopsis Fed up with life in her New Jersey hometown, Patricia Dombrowski, aka Patti Cake$, hopes to follow in the footsteps of her idol and hit the road to achieve stardom as a rapper. With help from her best friend, a mysterious musician and her loving grandmother, Patti leads the charge against an army of haters, unpaid bills and the broken dreams that are holding her back.
Director
Geremy Jasper
Producer
Michael Gottwald, Noah Stahl, Rodrigo Teixeira, Dan Janvey, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Chris Columbus
Screenwriter
Geremy Jasper
Distributor
Fox Searchlight
Production Co
Department of Motion Pictures
Rating
R (Crude Sexual References|A Brief Nude Image|Language Throughout|Some Drug Use)
Genre
Drama, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 18, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 7, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$774.5K
Runtime
1h 48m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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