• Trending
    • Certified Fresh & Verified Hot
    • TV Premier dates
    • New horror Movies
    • Best Movies of All Time
  • Movies
    • Movies In Theaters
    • Movies at Home
  • TV Shows
    • New TV
    • Most Popular TV
  • News
    • What to Watch
    • Guides
    • RT News
    • Awards
  • Games
    • Find Your Next Horror Watch
  • Video
  • Showtimes
  • Fanstore
  • About Rotten Tomatoes
  • Critics
  • Download the App Now
  • Logout
Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App New News Showtimes

Nightjohn

Play trailer Poster for Nightjohn PG-13,  1996,  1h 32m,  Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 100% 10 Reviews Tomatometer 85% 100+ Ratings Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Literacy has enormous consequences for a slave (Carl Lumbly) and his young student in the pre-Civil War South.

Critics Reviews

View More
Rosalind Bentley Minneapolis Star Tribune Jan 26, 2022
3/5
Nightjohn provides a needed boost to battered will and reinforces a lesson that many would do well not to forget. Go to Full Review
Lynne Heffley Los Angeles Times Sep 27, 2019
Carl Lumbly turns in a powerful performance as Nightjohn, a man whose wealth is his literacy. Go to Full Review
Caryn James New York Times Sep 27, 2019
Mr. [Charles] Burnett never sacrifices drama or emotions for the sake of neat themes and lessons, and his exquisitely real touch is matched by a superb cast. Go to Full Review
Michael Sragow Baltimore Sun Sep 27, 2019
Carl Lumbly brings bedrock conviction to Nightjohn. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Ron R Jun 29, 2008 Without being preachy, Nightjohn presents a complex and brutal depiction of slavery as an institution humiliating to both slave and master, and manages to convey the subversive potential of knowledge. See more
Read all reviews
Nightjohn

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Charles Burnett

Director

Carl Lumbly

John

Beau Bridges

Clel Waller

Lorraine Toussaint

Dealey

Bill Cobbs

Old Man

Allison Jones

Sarny

More Like This

View All
Who is Dayani Cristal? 80% 80% Who is Dayani Cristal? Watchlist Secondary Effects 76% Secondary Effects Watchlist Treacle Jr. 83% 77% Treacle Jr. Watchlist His Bodyguard 100% His Bodyguard Watchlist Bobby Sands: 66 Days 87% 85% Bobby Sands: 66 Days Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Nightjohn

Nightjohn (1996) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Literacy has enormous consequences for a slave (Carl Lumbly) and his young student in the pre-Civil War South.
Director
Charles Burnett
Producer
Dennis Stuart Murphy
Screenwriter
Bill Cain
Production Co
Hallmark Entertainment, Signboard Films Production Inc., Sarabande Productions
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 5, 2017
Runtime
1h 32m
Sound Mix
Stereo
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings