In Watts, an urban and mostly African-American section of Los Angeles, Stan (Henry Gayle Sanders) spends his days toiling away at a local slaughterhouse. His macabre profession seeps into his personal life as he struggles to keep his family afloat and content. Other life situations also prove to be difficult, since it seems that dark intentions lurk within the people he meets outside his family. The layers of stress cause Stan to question whether a better quality of life is possible.

Charles Burnett’s KILLER OF SHEEP was one of the first 50 films to be selected for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry and was chosen by the National Society of Film Critics as one of the 100 Essential Films. But, due to music licensing problems, the film was rarely screened, and then only in ragged 16mm prints.  Montclair Film is proud to share the UCLA Film & Television Archives’ dazzling restoration of this masterpiece of independent American cinema.