[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysSan Diego Comic-ConSummer Watch GuideToronto Int'l Film FestivalIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
IMDbPro

Changing the Game

  • 2012
  • R
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
4.0/10
540
YOUR RATING
Changing the Game (2012)
Trailer for Changing the Game
Play trailer1:26
2 Videos
2 Photos
ActionCrimeDrama

A young star at a Wall Street firm finds that the white-collar world is filled with as much crime and death as the dangerous hood where he was raised.A young star at a Wall Street firm finds that the white-collar world is filled with as much crime and death as the dangerous hood where he was raised.A young star at a Wall Street firm finds that the white-collar world is filled with as much crime and death as the dangerous hood where he was raised.

  • Director
    • Rel Dowdell
  • Writers
    • Aaron R. Astillero
    • Rel Dowdell
  • Stars
    • Jakobi Alvin
    • Suzzanne Douglas
    • Thomas Staten
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.0/10
    540
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Rel Dowdell
    • Writers
      • Aaron R. Astillero
      • Rel Dowdell
    • Stars
      • Jakobi Alvin
      • Suzzanne Douglas
      • Thomas Staten
    • 20User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos2

    Changing the Game
    Trailer 1:26
    Changing the Game
    changing the game
    Trailer 1:32
    changing the game
    changing the game
    Trailer 1:32
    changing the game

    Photos1

    View Poster

    Top cast53

    Edit
    Jakobi Alvin
    • Young Darrell Barnes
    • (as JaKobi Alvin)
    Suzzanne Douglas
    Suzzanne Douglas
    • Mrs. Davis
    Thomas Staten
    • Young Andre 'Dre' Newell
    Karen Issac
    • Ms. Brown
    Summer Valentine
    • Angelina
    Irma P. Hall
    Irma P. Hall
    • Grandma Barnes
    Dennis L.A. White
    Dennis L.A. White
    • Dre as an Adult
    • (as Dennis LA White)
    Sean Riggs
    Sean Riggs
    • Darrell as an Adult
    Shannon Dorsey
    • Nichole
    Tony Todd
    Tony Todd
    • Curtis the Diabolical…
    Kendia Jones
    • Reba Jones
    • (as Kendia R. Jones)
    Ernest Butts
    • Troy
    Sticky Fingaz
    Sticky Fingaz
    • Craig
    • (as Kirk 'Sticky Fingaz' Jones)
    Nicoye Banks
    Nicoye Banks
    • Goldie
    Brandon Ruckdashel
    • Marty Levine
    Mari White
    Mari White
    • Jennifer
    John Frisby
    • Vince
    Ming Leone
    • Marty's Masseuse
    • Director
      • Rel Dowdell
    • Writers
      • Aaron R. Astillero
      • Rel Dowdell
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews20

    4.0540
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    10troyparham

    Changing The Game, is living up to its name...

    Twiintone Entertainment gives this film two thumbs up.. The Twiins enorse Rel Dowdell's writing and directing. Looking forward to seeing it again! I thought the characters really brought our the time period of the 80's, in the early parts of the film, and the casting was great. The end really surprised me, and I'm glad to see that it was a story with a message. Being a native of Philadelphia, Im glad that Rel Dowdell actually filmed here, in our hometown. I thought the locations that he picked were excellent, and even the soundtrack and score made me feel the film like I was actually there. Being a screenwriter and actor myself, I'm very hard to impress. Rel, job well done!
    10geraldinejames996

    Great Movie! Forget idiots like White Chocolate Assassin!

    This was such a wonderful film with colorless and timeless messages. It could not have come at a better time. If you grew up as a suburbanite who was never exposed to urban America, or as one from Sweden who was privy and never for a moment growing up in the type of environment shown in this film, then this will definitely be like watching a foreign film without the subtitles. One has to know what it's like to overcome obstacles and succeed in life despite having everything against you to appreciate everything this uplifting film has to offer. Also, you have to be one who has someone in your life who has introduced you to having faith in a higher being to appreciate this film, like the grandmother (played by the incredible Irma P. Hall) did for the main character (superb newcomer Sean Riggs.) It is definitely not for the atheist. This film is SO much better than films like "Empire" which could never hold a candle to it. Changing the Game gets the highest of recommendations.
    10trulyvanes

    Very effective, very poignant, very ambitious

    This film was one that was one of the most pleasant surprises I've seen this year. I really did not know what to expect. What I got was one of the most ambitious and satisfying journeys in film that I have seen in a very, very long time. Protagonist Darrell Barnes takes us on a journey from childhood to adulthood where he learns that the unforgiving streets of North Philadelphia and the corporate private rooms of Wall Street are cut from the same corrupt cloth with many memorable characters in between. The film, for an independent, is truly ambitious in every regard. The cast is eclectic and consummate, and one scene in particular brought me to tears with its realism and heartfelt emotion. I also commend the chutzpah to pull of that very clever surprise ending. Kudos to the filmmaker and the entire production team from top to bottom for not being afraid to venture into unchartered independent film territory and pull it off so well.
    10bmorestlady

    Changing The Game!!! I loved it!!

    Changing The Game!! This movie most def changed the game!! It's not the typical type of movie, it's different it's original, it stands alone. There's not another movie that I seen that can be related to this movie. That's another reason why I loved it so much. All the characters were well developed. The actors/actress play their roles really well. The plot was put together very well... The movie contain the good, the bad, the sad, all had me sitting at the edge of my seat!

    This is the type of independent film that I love.1st let me say, it was a hard time getting this film. Every time I went to red box it was (rented out) . Finally I was able to get my hand on it after a 2 week waiting period. The wait was well worth it. I watched the movie over twice!! Job well done!!!
    2armnkm

    A low budget movie with a painfully weak predictable script and an aspiring but amateur cast.

    All the wonderful reviews posted here are obviously planted. No one in their right mind could call this movie excellent. It very obviously a low budget movie made by aspiring but as yet unskilled actors, writer and director. It is more like something an aspiring high school movie maker would make if he could find any funding. Think of taking a paint by numbers craft project and trying to pass it off as art. The script is very loose and predictable and the acting awkward and stiff.

    I regretted spending time watching this but I did learn a lesson. Do not trust ratings for movies with a relatively small number of reviews. It is to easy for those who must have obviously been involved to stuff the ballot box.

    The only reason to watch this home made movie would be if you are the odd sort of person who occasionally enjoys sitting through bad movies just so you can get a kick out of laughing at it's many flaws.

    If you are truly looking to be entertained look elsewhere. Watching this thing is painful if you expect to be truly entertained.

    More like this

    Changing the Game
    6.4
    Changing the Game

    Related interests

    Bruce Willis in Piège de cristal (1988)
    Action
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in Les Soprano (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Quotes

      Mrs. Davis: Darrell, who take care of you? Is it just your grandmother?

      Young Darrell Barnes: Yes.

      Mrs. Davis: Where are you mother and father?

      Young Darrell Barnes: My dad was shot when I was a baby. A bad person killed him. My mom was not responsible enough to take care of me and gave me to my grandmother. She's my father's mother.

    • Soundtracks
      Tears In My Eyes
      Written by Eddie Caldwell

      Produced by Eddie Caldwell

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 11, 2012 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Production companies
      • Philly First Entetainment
      • Pendragon Film
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 44m(104 min)
    • Color
      • Color

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.