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Mister Johnson

Play trailer Poster for Mister Johnson PG-13,  1990,  1h 41m,  Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 80% 15 Reviews Tomatometer 63% 500+ Ratings Popcornmeter
80% Tomatometer 15 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In the 1920s Africa, young black accountant Mister Johnson (Maynard Eziashi) is talented enough to get an accounting job at the English colonial offices, but he quickly learns that his race prevents him from advancing to the respectable kind of position he desires. Hoping to impress his superior, Harry Rudbeck (Pierce Brosnan), he decides to fudge some numbers and save his boss thousands. When his plan backfires, however, Johnson desperately turns to even more illegal measures in order to succeed.

Critics Reviews

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Sep 7, 2011
B-
Beresford, adapting Joyce Cary's 1939 novel, looks at the psychological relationships inherent in colonialism with some subtlety. Go to Full Review
Variety Staff Variety Jul 28, 2008
Beresford and writer William Boyd have delivered a film strangely devoid of emotion and lacking a clear point of view. Go to Full Review
Janet Maslin New York Times Aug 30, 2004
The film works well as far as it goes, but some of the story's emotional power is denatured or lost. Go to Full Review
Sarah Boslaugh TheArtsStl May 16, 2026
6/10
Mister Johnson is pitched somewhere between a black comedy and a tragedy, with the latter winning out in the end. Go to Full Review
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Jan 5, 2023
The film is very opaque, visually as well as morally. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Jul 7, 2005
3/5
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Mister Johnson

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Bruce Beresford

Director

Maynard Eziashi

Mister Johnson

Pierce Brosnan

Harry Rudbeck

Edward Woodward

Sargy Gollup

Beatie Edney

Celia Rudbeck

Denis Quilley

Bulteen

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Mister Johnson

Mister Johnson (1990) Mister Johnson (1990) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In the 1920s Africa, young black accountant Mister Johnson (Maynard Eziashi) is talented enough to get an accounting job at the English colonial offices, but he quickly learns that his race prevents him from advancing to the respectable kind of position he desires. Hoping to impress his superior, Harry Rudbeck (Pierce Brosnan), he decides to fudge some numbers and save his boss thousands. When his plan backfires, however, Johnson desperately turns to even more illegal measures in order to succeed.
Director
Bruce Beresford
Producer
Michael Fitzgerald
Screenwriter
William Boyd
Production Co
Avenue Pictures
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 18, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.1K
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Surround
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