Indie 90s: Menace II Society (1993)
- Tue, Sep 22
- Wed, Sep 23
Director: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes Run Time: 97 min. Rating: R Release Year: 1993
Starring: Glenn Plummer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Larenz Tate, Samuel L. Jackson, Tyrin Turner
Country: United States
Language: English
Indie 90s: The Revolution That Changed Cinema
The ’90s didn’t just give us great movies, it changed what movies could be. Independent filmmakers that were breaking the rules, finding new voices, and reshaping American cinema.
Indie 90s features twenty-two films in all — all independent, all revolutionary.
See the full lineup
About the film:
In an unflinching look at the mean streets of the contemporary urban American ghetto, a Black youth — despite his dreams for a better life — ultimately succumbs to the cycle of violence that pervades his community.
The Hughes Brothers’ milestone feature directorial debut premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
“The movie’s very bleakness — not the movie makers’ youth — is what makes Menace II Society so radical, so rare and so important.”
—Caryn James for New York Times
About the filmmakers:
Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes are acclaimed filmmakers whose work combines powerful imagery with complex examinations of race, identity, and American life. The twin brothers began making films together at the age of 12, developing their craft through short films and music videos before making their feature debut at age 20 with Menace II Society (1993). The film premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and is celebrated for its raw performances, distinctive visual language, and unflinching depiction of violence, poverty, and survival. The Hughes brothers continued their collaboration with the feature films Dead Presidents (1995), American Pimp (1999), From Hell (2001), and The Book of Eli (2010).
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