7 Classic Jamaican Films You Can Watch on YouTube
Celebrating the classic Jamaican films that paved the way for new and nuanced views of Jamaican culture – mostly free, on YouTube.
The Harder They Come (1972)
Moving to Kingston to follow his dream of being a singer, a young country man finds himself tied to corrupt record producers and drug pushers.
Uploaded on YouTube Movies (Rent or Purchase)
Runtime: 102 Minutes
Credits
Written by Perry Henzell, Trevor D. Rhone
Directed by Perry Henzell
Starring Janet Bartley, Jimmy Cliff, Carl Bradshaw
Smile Orange (1976)
Based on the stage play by director Trevor Rhone, "Smile Orange" takes a humorous and somewhat acidic view of the tourism business, following Ringo, a waiter who hustles guests.
Uploaded by reelblack
Runtime: 87 minutes
Credits
Written by David Ogden, Trevor D. Rhone
Directed by Trevor D. Rhone
Starring Carl Bradshaw, Glenn Morrison, and Stanley Irons
Rockers (1978)
Horsemouth, a drummer living in a ghetto of Kingston plans to make some extra money selling and distributing records. He buys a motorcycle to carry them to the sound systems around the island.
Uploaded by JOD ZENAY FILM
Runtime: 99 minutes
Credits
Written & directed by Theodoros Bafaloukos
Starring Leroy "Horsemouth" Wallace, Burning Spear, Gregory Isaacs, Monica Craig, Marjorie Norman
Countryman (1982)
A fisherman's solitary existence is shattered when an airplane crashes into a nearby swamp. By rescuing two young Americans from the wreckage, the fisherman, Countryman, becomes an unwitting player in a political plot involving the CIA.
Uploaded by PALM
Runtime: 102 minutes
Credits
Written & directed by Dickie Jobson
Starring Carl Bradshaw, Munair Zacca, Hiram Keller
The Lunatic (1991)
The story of a village madman, Aloysious, who has the amazing ability to talk to anything, including trees, cows, and cricket balls. He meets Inga, a German nymphomaniac, who uses her 'pum pum power' to capture his heart.
Uploaded by Jungle George
Runtime: 95 minutes
Credits
Based on the novel and screenplay by Anthony C. Winkler
Directed by Lol Creme
Starring Julie T. Wallace, Paul Campbell, Reggie Carter
Dancehall Queen (1997)
Marcia, a humble street vendor struggling to survive as a single mother, finds a way to a better life in the world of dancehall. She vies for the title Dancehall Queen to save herself and her daughter from the clutches of ghetto life.
Uploaded by PALM
Runtime: 88 minutes
Credits
Written by Suzanne Fenn, Don Letts, Ed Wallace
Directed by Rick Elgood, Don Letts
Starring Audrey Reid, Paul Campbell, Carl Davis, Cherine Anderson
Third World Cop (1999)
A police officer returns to his neighbourhood in Kingston, Jamaica to find himself in conflict with his childhood friend who is now the right-hand-man of the local gang-lord in a gun-running racket. Jamaica's highest-grossing film to date.
Uploaded by PALM
Runtime: 98 minutes
Credits
Written by Suzanne Fenn, Chris Browne, Chris Salewicz
Directed by Chris Browne
Starring Paul Campbell, Mark Danvers, Carl Bradshaw, Audrey Reid
Updated to include The Lunatic on May 16, 2021
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