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.

Reggae legend Jimmy Cliff stars as Ivan Martin, an aspiring singer who leaves his rural village for the big city of Kingston, hoping to make a name for himse...

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.

Smile Orange is a 1976 satirical film set in Jamaica. It follows the day-to-day life of Ringo, played by Carl Bradshaw, a smooth-talking waiter and con-man. ...

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.

Official full movie "Countryman", the 1982 cult classic Jamaican film featuring music from Bob Marley and the Wailers.Subscribe : http://goo.gl/BV2SJbLike ou...

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.

Dancehall Queen is a modern-day Cinderella story, with no Prince Charming, but one very strong woman, backed by a pulsing reggae soundtrack and the scintilla...

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.

Third World Cop is a 1999 Jamaican action-crime film starring Paul Campbell, directed by Chris Browne and produced by Chris Blackwell Loose cannon cop Capone...

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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