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Yeelen (Brightness)

Yeelen (Brightness) (1987)

  • 86% of critics liked it
    (7 reviews)

  • 70% of users liked it
    (704 ratings)

Filmed in the African country of Mali, Yeelen (Brightness) weaves several Kenyan folk stories into an engaging framework. The hero is a young boy whose father is an evil magician. Marked for death by his long-absent papa, the boy bids goodbye to his mother and heads for the hills. En route to his… More

R,
Directed By
Genres
Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International
In Theaters
Jan 1, 1987 Wide

Critic Reviews

  • Leo Goldsmith, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

    Like many stories of creation, Yeelen begins with light: the sun rises over a barren West African landscape.

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    A visually spellbinding masterpiece.

  • Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine

    It's a sign of true genius that a director can summon the rise, fall and subsequent rebirth of the cosmos with such a profound understanding and respect for the shape of things.

  • Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

    Very effective in transporting you to its time and setting.

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Walter M


    [font=Century Gothic]In "Yeelen", Niankoro(Issiaka Kane) and his mother(Soumba Traore) have been on the run from his father, Soma(Niamanto Sanogo), for the past ten years. But now he is quickly closing in.(Niankoro, now a young man, is like his father, a wizard.) Partially… More

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