Killer of Sheep
Killer of Sheep
•
1h 21m
Directed by Charles Burnett • 1977 • United States
Starring Henry Gayle Sanders, Kaycee Moore, Charles Bracy
A quiet revelation of American independent filmmaking, Charles Burnett’s lyrical debut feature unfolds as a mosaic of Black life in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Stan (Henry Gayle Sanders), a father worn down by his job in a slaughterhouse, and his wife (Kaycee Moore) seek moments of tenderness in the face of myriad disappointments. Equally attuned to the world of children and that of adults, Burnett—acting as director, writer, producer, cinematographer, and editor—finds poetry amid everyday struggles in indelible images that glow with compassionate beauty. Largely unseen for decades following its completion in 1977, KILLER OF SHEEP is now recognized as a touchstone of the groundbreaking LA Rebellion movement, and a masterpiece that brought Black American lives to the screen with an aching intimacy like no film before.
KILLER OF SHEEP was restored and remastered by UCLA Film & Television Archive, Milestone Films, and the Criterion Collection.
Up Next in Killer of Sheep
-
KILLER OF SHEEP Commentary
This commentary track, recorded in 2007, features director Charles Burnett and film scholar Richard Peña.
-
Charles Burnett Interview, 2025
In this interview, conducted in 2025, Charles Burnett looks back on KILLER OF SHEEP—his thesis film for UCLA—and what inspires him as a director.
-
Henry Gayle Sanders
In this interview, conducted in 2025, actor Henry Gayle Sanders recalls portraying Stan in KILLER OF SHEEP and filming on location in Watts, Los Angeles.
