With a tragic hero at its heart, the Hughes brothers’ debut drama painted nuanced portraits of characters rarely fleshed out in other films.

| Original Score: A | Oct 13, 2023

The Hughes brothers are torn between the hopelessness of what they depict and a kind of haloed view of a better life.

| Mar 7, 2021

Don't let the silly styling of the title put you off; this is a powerful, convincing, and terrifying look at teenage crime in contemporary Watts.

| Mar 17, 2008

Bleak, brilliant, and unsparing: a full-scale vision of the madness that is tearing up the black inner city.

| Original Score: A | Mar 17, 2008

Lewd and violent, but undeniably affecting.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 17, 2008

Fierce, violent and searing in its observation, the film makes previous excursions seem like a stroll through the park.

Full Review | Mar 17, 2008

Regrettably, the Hughes brothers' first feature is a compendium of clichs.

| Feb 9, 2006

If Menace II Society is terrific on ambiance, it is considerably less successful in revealing character.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | May 20, 2003

Nothing the Hughes brothers have done in their videos for Tone Loc, Tupac Shakur and others prepares you for the controlled intensity and maturity they bring to their stunning feature debut.

Full Review | May 12, 2001

As uncomfortable as it is to have your nose shoved in this nightmare, it's unforgettable in its violent lyricism and the bloody power of its message.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 1, 2000

Anyone who views this film thoughtfully must ask why our society makes guns easier to obtain and use than does any other country in the civilized world. And that is only the most obvious of the many questions the film inspires.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Jan 1, 2000

It's maddening and enlivening. It's brilliant and tacky. It's funny and horrifying. It will gratify the worst elements in the crowd; it will engage the very best.

| Jan 1, 2000