Hell Up In Harlem (1973): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1973, Hell Up In Harlem is an action and thriller film directed by Larry Cohen, running about 94 minutes. “Black Godfather is back... and there's gonna be hell up in Harlem!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Tougher than Shaft and smoother than Superfly, this high-voltage sequel to Black Caesar explodes with enough action to incinerate New York City. Packed with machine-gun mayhem and riveting adventure, Hell Up in Harlem is nothing less than a modern-day tribute to the classic 30s gangster film. Fred Williamson is Tommy Gibbs, a fearless, bulletproof tough guy who blasts his way from the gutter to become the ultimate soul brother boss. Tommy steals a ledger with the name of every crooked cop and man in the city. Enlisting the aid of his father and an army of Harlem hoods, Gibbs goes from defense to offense, launching a deadly attack on his enemies that sets off a violent chain reaction from Harlem all the way to the Caribbean, climaxing in one of the hottest turf-war shoot-outs in Hollywood history.

Who’s in it. Hell Up In Harlem stars Fred Williamson as Tommy Gibbs, Julius Harris as Papa Gibbs, Gloria Hendry as Helen Bradley and Margaret Avery as Sister Jennifer, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.4/10, Hell Up In Harlem has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, ScreenPix Apple TV Channel and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Hell Up In Harlem page.

If you liked it. Fans of Hell Up In Harlem tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.