Cooley High (1975)

Directed by

Michael Schultz

Genre

comedy drama, blaxploitation film, romance film, teen film, coming-of-age film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 47m

Rated

PG

Rating

7.0 of 10 from 73 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Two high school seniors in 1960s Chicago navigate friendship, romance, and the ups and downs of teenage life. Their fun and carefree days take a serious turn as they face the harsh realities of their neighborhood.

lightheartednostalgictragicbittersweetdown-to-earthenergetictenderauthentic

What happens

Cooley High is a 1975 American independent hood coming-of-age comedy-drama film that follows the narrative of two high school seniors and best friends, Leroy "Preach" Jackson (Glynn Turman) and Richard "Cochise" Morris (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs). Written by Eric Monte and directed by Michael Schultz, the film, primarily shot in Chicago, was a major hit at the box office, grossing over $13 million (USD). The light-hearted-turned-tragic storyline was complemented by a soundtrack featuring many Motown hits. In a 40th-year retrospective by NPR in 2015, Cooley High was called a "classic of black cinema" and "a touchstone for filmmakers like John Singleton and Spike Lee." In 2021, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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