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Trailer

Portrait of Jason

1967Movie1 h 48 min

Documentary
73
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.0Metacritic87–Rotten Tomatoes100%78%

A profoundly sad, moving documentary movie about history and the mind, with standout dialogue and characters.

Good for thought-provoking · adults · solo watch

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · you want fast pacing

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, comfort or laughs.

Movies with

Story

Interview with Jason Holliday aka Aaron Payne. House-boy, would-be cabaret performer, and self-proclaimed hustler giving one man's gin-soaked, pill-popped view of what it was like to be black and gay in 1960s United States.

Feels like

  • Raw Documentary Interview
  • Underground Cinema Classic
  • LGBTQ+ History Archive
  • Psychological Character Study
  • Gritty Urban Realism
  • Unfiltered Monologue
  • Social Marginalization
  • Experimental Filmmaking
  • Melancholic & Haunting
  • Historical Artifact

Cast

2 of 2

Crew

Directed by
Shirley Clarke
Produced by
Shirley Clarke
Music by
Francis Daniel

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

September 29, 1967 · 1 h 48 min · Strong Language, Drug Use, Sexual Content, Disturbing Imagery

Released
September 29, 1967
Runtime
1 h 48 min
Content
Strong Language, Drug Use, Sexual Content, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Documentary
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Available in
3 countries

Tropes

Abusive Parents, All Gays Love Theatre, Bigger Is Better in Bed +9

  • Abusive Parents
  • All Gays Love Theatre
  • Bigger Is Better in Bed
  • Camp Gay
  • Close on Title
  • Drugs Are Good
  • The End
  • The Faceless
  • Really Gets Around
  • In Vino Veritas
  • Visible Boom Mic
  • Leave the Camera Running

12 of 14 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

4 questions, like "Where can I stream Portrait of Jason?"

Questions about Portrait of Jason

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Portrait of Jason?

KanopyHooplaCriterionOVIDKino Film Collection

In the United States, Portrait of Jason streams on Criterion, OVID, and Kino Film Collection, and it is free with ads on Kanopy and Hoopla. It also streams in 1 other country.

Is Portrait of Jason worth watching?

73
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 73 (IMDb 7, Rotten Tomatoes 100%, and Metacritic 87). Critics rate it higher (94 out of 100) than audiences (74).

Is Portrait of Jason plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on dialogue centrality (10 of 10) and character depth (9 of 10) more than on its plot.

Will I feel good after watching Portrait of Jason?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for melancholy and 8 for bleakness, against 1 for hopefulness.