Menace II Society

Selected by the Writers Branch.

Selected by the Writers Branch. 
 
Caine (Tyrin Turner) is an amoral young drug dealer in South Los Angeles whose life—and that of his sociopathic best friend, O-Dog (Larenz Tate)—spirals into an escalating series of crimes after a pointless double murder. Screenwriter Tyger Williams was 24 when the film—from a story by 21-year-old twin directors Allen and Albert Hughes—was released, and his nihilistic look at contemporary urban life made a huge impact on audiences while updating the gangster genre for a modern era. Lisa Rinzler provided the bold cinematography, and the powerhouse supporting cast includes Jada Pinkett, Bill Duke, Charles S. Dutton, and Samuel L. Jackson.  

DIRECTED BY: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes. WRITTEN BY: Tyger Williams. STORY BY: Allen Hughes, Albert Hughes, Tyger Williams. WITH: Tyrin Turner, Jada Pinkett, Larenz Tate, Bill Duke. 1993. 97 min. USA. Color. English. Rated R. 35mm. Print courtesy of the Tim Hunter Collection at the Academy Film Archive.


Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation. 

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