Three friends growing up in South Central Los Angeles navigate a neighborhood plagued by violence, unemployment, and crime, each responding differently to the harsh realities of street life. As tragedy strikes close to home, their friendship, choices, and hopes for a better future are put to the ultimate test.
"Once upon a time in South Central L.A. ... It ain't no fairy tale."
Top Billed Cast
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Tré Styles
Laurence Fishburne
Furious Styles
Ice Cube
Doughboy
Morris Chestnut
Ricky Baker
Angela Bassett
Reva Styles
Nia Long
Brandi
Tyra Ferrell
Mrs. Baker
Regina King
Shalika
Detailed Critic & Audience Reviews
J John ChardVerified TMDB Critic
2019-05-13
Rick, it's the Nineties. Can't afford to be afraid of our own people anymore, man.
1991
"One out of every twenty-one Black American males will be murdered in their lifetime"
"Most will die at the hands of another Black male"
"Increase The Peace" is the closing message of John Singleton's powerful, intelligent and affecting call for calm in South Central Los Angeles. Often mistakenly presumed by those who haven't seen it to be a film that glamorises violence, Singleton's debut film takes us into South Central and holds us there by just shooting the story. No trickery or overtly m...
G GenerationofSwineVerified TMDB Critic
2023-01-14
John Singleton really isn't my thing. I mean, the movie came out in '91 but didn't get much exposure out in the country where I grew up until it was on HBO. However "Poetic Justice" DID and when I finally came around to watching "Boyz n the Hood" I had extremely low expectations.
I honestly thought it was going to be as absolutely pointless as "Poetic Justice" was.
And, yeah, I did kind of like "Higher Learning," which I also saw before this, but I still kind of feel that he was pointing the finger at white people and telling the viewers that we are all evil and the cause of all the prob...
T T.J paco LopezVerified TMDB Critic
2026-06-19
instant Classic . . . One of the Most Convincing Roles EVER Played, it was 100% Authentic about South Central Los Angeles California in The 1990's...
