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To Sleep with Anger

To Sleep with Anger

When Harry comes to town, he brings good times, bad times… And a lot of trouble!

1990102 minPGMidcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Director
Charles Burnett
Starring
Danny Glover, Paul Butler, Mary Alice, Richard Brooks

An enigmatic drifter from the South comes to visit an old acquaintance who now lives in South-Central LA.

Where to watch

Where can I watch To Sleep with Anger?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists To Sleep with Anger streaming on Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about To Sleep with Anger?

To Sleep with Anger earns 7 badges, led by One of a kind and Standout acting.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is To Sleep with Anger worth watching?

To Sleep with Anger's Midcredits score is the 85th percentile of all films, from 21K ratings across 4 sources. 70% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

85th percentile

Better received than 85% of films

87th percentile among Drama86th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)87th
Approval (how many liked it)79th

73 /100

87th percentile of all films

90th percentile among Drama90th percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.1 — solid but not unanimous.

70% liked it

79th percentile of all films

80th percentile among Drama80th percentile among 1990s
70% rated it 7–1030% rated it 1–6

Critics 93% · Audience 79%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 7 wins / 13 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

78th percentile

21K ratings across platforms

80th percentile among Drama71st percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 45% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$19K
Domestic gross$1.2M
Worldwide gross$1.2M

62nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A low-key domestic drama about an African American family disrupted by a charming but sinister guest from the past.

Fans praised

  • A uniquely unsettling film blending folklore, family drama, and psychological tension
  • Danny Glover's career-best performance as a magnetically charming yet menacing houseguest
  • Subtle character writing with lived-in authenticity and gentle humor

Detractors panned

  • Needlessly slow pacing and lack of escalating tension
  • Overly subtle execution that leaves the central menace without dramatic payoff
  • Stagey, uneven performances and a script that drags without enough plot reversals

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive90

Unprecedented blend of supernatural folklore and realistic family drama

Acting85

Danny Glover's nuanced portrayal of Harry; strong ensemble including Mary Alice and Sheryl Lee Ralph

AtmosphereDivisive85

Thick sense of unease and folklore-rooted world-building within a domestic setting

CharactersDivisive80

Richly drawn family members with authentic conflicts; Harry as a folkloric trickster

DialogueDivisive75

Witty, naturalistic exchanges with Southern folksiness and underlying menace

TensionDivisive60

Understated suspense that relies on lingering discomfort rather than explicit threats

Plot and storyDivisive55

Slow-burn family drama with deliberate accumulation rather than escalating events

PacingDivisive40

Unusually slow and deliberate, prioritizing atmosphere over momentum

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 13 points higher than critics.

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 11 points higher than non-US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is To Sleep with Anger like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something serious.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Moods
TenseContemplativeWarm
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material straight and understated, treating its characters with warmth while letting a creeping menace build.
The rideReviews describe a persistent, growing unease that simmers beneath a warm community surface, with tension sustained across the film.
StructureThe film unfolds in a linear, conventional dramatic structure as Harry's influence grows and the family responds.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film lingers as a meditation on tradition, superstition, and the intrusion of evil into everyday life.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterInvasion
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% (this title) · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Invasion: An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story centers on a charming but malevolent guest whose presence disrupts a family, loosely fitting the invasion archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Identity · 14% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the strain on family ties and community cohesion when a disruptive visitor unsettles a stable working-class household.
StanceThe film presents family and community bonds as both vulnerable and resilient, without celebrating or mourning them — instead questioning how they hold up under strain.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticRealistic
JazzOrchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Stephen James Taylor
SettingSouth-Central Los Angeles, a stable working-class Black neighborhood
MusicBlues and gospel elements underscore the community's cultural roots and tension.

Content guide

Is To Sleep with Anger okay for kids?

PG

To Sleep with Anger is rated PG. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at mild (22/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (7 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does To Sleep with Anger have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in To Sleep with Anger?

Cast

2 award-winning performances in the cast.

Danny Glover
as Harry
Spirit win: Independent Spirit Award — Best Male LeadTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Paul Butler
as Gideon
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mary Alice
as Suzie
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Richard Brooks
as Babe Brother
Carl Lumbly
as Junior
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sheryl Lee Ralph
as Linda
Spirit win: Independent Spirit Award — Best Supporting Female
Vonetta McGee
as Pat
Ethel Ayler
as Hattie
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Julius Harris
as Herman
Sy Richardson
as Marsh

Crew

More like this

What are movies like To Sleep with Anger?

The closest match to To Sleep with Anger is Killer of Sheep (1978); both are films by Charles Burnett.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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