Director Spike Lee has an iconic filmography. From Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing to She’s Gotta Have It, there is no shortage of Lee's ocially relevant films in his body of work that fans can choose as the best of his movies. However, it's a much lesser-known film that “total strangers” still approach the filmmaker about. In a recent interview promoting his 2025 movie release schedule, he shared a deep cut he still hears about, and it delightfully surprises me.
Lee shared the anecdote on IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, where he sat down to talk craft, childhood, and his new film, the upcoming Highest 2 Lowest. You can hear the smile in the filmmaker’s voice as he explains why one particular household has stuck with audiences for three decades. As he tells it:
When people come up, total strangers come up to me, more people say Crooklyn than any other film. More than Do the Right Thing, more than Malcolm X. It’s just that family. That’s the film people love, and not just Black folks. Just that family. And Delroy [Lindo] played my father, and Alfre Woodard played my mother.
If you've seen Crooklyn, this probably clicks for you. Spike Lee’s lively, semi-autobiographical film takes you through the life of a schoolteacher, her stubborn jazz musician husband, and their five kids in Brooklyn back in 1973. It’s a warm and nostalgic look at his childhood, with a fantastic cast and a family that really sticks with you. CinemaBlend’s own Jerrica Tisdale wrote about it being her favorite film of Lee's, saying it was “on constant repeat” in her home.
Told through the sharp eyes of 10-year-old Troy, Crooklyn gives us a vivid look at the lively chaos of a close-knit neighborhood, filled with petty arguments, loud laughter, and genuine community vibes. As the story unfolds, it gradually leads to the heartbreaking moments surrounding Carolyn’s illness and death. However, the film still manages to maintain a hopeful tone, paying tribute to mothers, showing Troy stepping up to new responsibilities, and highlighting the beauty of flawed individuals who continue to support one another. It’s one of Lee's most rewatchable films—funny, touching, and a standout in the world of Black family movies, not to mention a fantastic coming-of-age story.
It's also worth pointing out that Crooklyn might come up more in casual chats than other famous films. While Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X are major, impactful movies that everyone recognizes, Crooklyn hits home in a different way. People connect with it on a personal level. You don’t need to know everything about the Carmichael family to feel the love in a tight household—the kind of place that really shapes how you see life. If you haven't yet had the joy of watching the movie, it's available to stream by adding the Starz channel to your Amazon Prime subscription.
Spike Lee may be known for seismic, culturally essential movies, but decades later it’s Crooklyn—the modest, sunlit Brooklyn family story—that strangers thank him for. And honestly it tracks. Meanwhile, he keeps building the canon: Highest 2 Lowest, his fifth collaboration with Denzel Washington, has been a critical hit at 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, opened in select theaters on August 15, and began streaming for anyone with an Apple TV+ subscription on September 5.
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