''Menace II Society'' (pronounced ''Menace to Society'') is a 1993 American teen

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

directed by the

Hughes Brothers Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes (born April 1, 1972), known together professionally as the Hughes brothers, are American film directors and producers. The pair, who are twins, are known for co-directing visceral, and often violent, movies, inclu ...

in their directorial debut. The film is set in

Watts Watts is plural for ''watt'', the unit of power. Watts may also refer to: People * Watts (surname), list of people with the surname Watts Fictional characters *Watts, main character in the film '' Some Kind of Wonderful'' * Watts family, six cha ...

and Crenshaw neighborhoods of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, and follows the life of Kaydee "Caine" Lawson ( Tyrin Turner) and his close friends. It gained notoriety for its scenes of violence, profanity, and drug-related content, and also received critical acclaim for the performances of Turner,

Jada Pinkett Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (; née Pinkett; born September 18, 1971) is an American actress and talk show host. She is co-host of the Facebook Watch talk show '' Red Table Talk'', for which she has received a Daytime Emmy Award. ''Time'' named ...

, and Larenz Tate, the direction, and its realistic portrayal of urban violence and powerful underlying messages.

Plot

Kaydee "Caine" Lawson and his best friend Kevin "O-Dog" Anderson enter a

liquor store A liquor store is a retail shop that predominantly sells prepackaged liquors – typically in bottles – usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called an off-licence (i ...

to buy some

malt liquor Malt liquor is a type of mass market beer with high alcohol content, most closely associated with North America. Legally, it often includes any alcoholic beverage with 5% or more alcohol by volume made with malted barley. In common usage, i ...

, where a Korean

cashier A retail cashier or simply a cashier is a person who handles the cash register at various locations such as the point of sale in a retail store. The most common use of the title is in the retail industry, but this job title is also used in the ...

and his wife rush them to pay for their drinks and leave, suspecting that they might be trying to steal something. After their purchase, the cashier insults and provokes O-Dog by saying, "I feel sorry for your mother." Consequently, O-Dog argues with him, fatally shoots both the cashier and his wife, takes the surveillance tape, robs the clerk's wallet and the cash register, and flees with Caine. In a

voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non- diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentation ...

, Caine reveals that his father Tat, a drug dealer, was killed in a

drug deal The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...

gone wrong when Caine was 10, and his mother Karen, a

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and bro ...

addict, died of a drug overdose. This led to his grandparents raising him in the crime-ridden Jordan Downs housing projects. O-Dog flaunts the surveillance tape to his admiring friends, greatly annoying Caine. Later, Caine and his cousin Harold are

carjacked Carjacking is a robbery in which the item taken over is a motor vehicle.Michael Cherbonneau, "Carjacking," in ''Encyclopedia of Social Problems'', Vol. 1 (SAGE, 2008: ed. Vincent N. Parrillo), pp. 110-11. In contrast to car theft, carjacking is ...

en route from a party, with Caine being wounded and Harold being murdered. After learning the carjackers' whereabouts, Caine, O-Dog, and their friend A-Wax, an OG, hunt them down and kill them, avenging Harold's death. Caine and O-Dog attempted to steal a car then got caught and bitten by a police dog. The two men get arrested after a failed

car theft Motor vehicle theft (also known as a car theft and, in the United States, grand theft auto) is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle. Nationwide in the United States in 2020, there were 810,400 vehicles reported ...

attempt. Caine's fingerprints match those taken from a beer bottle he dropped in the liquor store on the night of the murders, and though he is interrogated by a detective who tricks him by changing the times to confuse him, he soon walks free nonetheless as the police fail to link him. Caine's friends, Stacy and Sharif, try to convince him to accompany them to

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

, and both his grandfather and Sharif's father warn him that he will either end up dead or imprisoned unless he changes his ways. Caine, nevertheless, ignores all advice. After buying a

Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is a series of American automobiles manufactured by Ford. In continuous production since 1964, the Mustang is currently the longest-produced Ford car nameplate. Currently in its sixth generation, it is the fifth-best selli ...

from a

chop shop A chop shop is a business, often mimicking a body shop, that illicitly disassembles stolen motor vehicles and sells their parts. Chop shops are often linked to car-theft rings as part of a broader organized crime enterprise. In the United St ...

, Caine carjacks another young black man for his gold Dayton wire wheels and his jewelry, subsequently orders some double cheeseburgers at the

fast food restaurant A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast-food cuisine and has minimal table service. The food served in fast-food restaurants is typically ...

, then purchases a large quantity of

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

, planning to sell it as crack. Caine also meets a local girl named Illena and eventually has sex with her. While driving one night, he and Sharif are pulled over and beaten by cops. The two are dumped in a

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

neighborhood, but the Hispanic gang members surprisingly take them to a

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emergen ...

rather than beat them further as feared. During his hospitalization, Caine's friend Ronnie invites him to accompany her to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, where she has found a job. Initially hesitant, he ultimately agrees. At a party, Chauncey, a confederate of Caine in an insurance scam, drunkenly moves sexually towards Ronnie. Caine rescues her and starts pistol-whipping Chauncey, prompting Stacy and Sharif to restrain him. Illena calls Caine and tells him she's pregnant, but he denies paternity and drops her. Chauncey retaliates by sending a copy of the surveillance tape to the police, who begin hunting Caine and O-Dog, now wanted for the liquor store crimes. Doc, Caine & O-Dog's friend, alerts O-Dog and others of Chauncey's actions, forcing O-Dog and Caine to hide out at Ronnie's and other friends' houses. O-Dog vows to murder Chauncey if the police don't catch him first. Meanwhile, Caine brutally stomps Illena's cousin when he confronts Caine outside his grandparents' house about the pregnancy. After witnessing the stomping, Caine's grandparents decide that it is best for him to not live with them anymore, despite his pleas to stay until he moves to Atlanta. Meanwhile, Illena's cousin gathers his friends to get revenge on Caine. As Caine and Ronnie are preparing to leave for Atlanta, Illena's cousin and his friends drive by Ronnie's house and engage in a

drive-by A drive-by shooting is a type of assault that usually involves the perpetrator(s) firing a weapon from within a motor vehicle and then fleeing. Drive-by shootings allow the perpetrator(s) to quickly strike their target and flee the scene before ...

shootout. Sharif is killed instantly, while Caine is fatally wounded trying to protect Ronnie's son, Anthony. Stacy and Ronnie come running out of the house screaming for help. O-Dog retaliates at the attackers and is unharmed and Stacy tells him to get help. As Caine slowly dies, he recalls his grandfather asking him if he cares whether he lives or dies, and he realizes in his dying moment that he does.

Cast

* Tyrin Turner as Kaydee "Caine" Lawson ** Brandon Hammond as five-year-old Caine *

as Ronnie * Larenz Tate as Kevin "O-Dog" Anderson * MC Eiht as A-Wax *

Glenn Plummer Glenn E. Plummer (born August 18, 1961) is an American film and television actor best known as Timmy Rawlins in '' ER'' (1994-2007), and Vic Trammel in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008-2009). Biography Plummer was born in Richmond, California. Career ...

as James "Pernell" Richards * Clifton Powell as Chauncey * Arnold Johnson as Thomas Lawson * Pooh-Man as Doc *Julian Roy Doster as Anthony *

Too Short Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966), better known by the stage name Too Short (stylized as Too $hort), is an American rapper and record producer. He became famous in the West Coast hip hop scene in the late 1980s, with lyrics often based on ...

as Lew-Loc * Khandi Alexander as Karen Lawson *Vonte Sweet as Sharif Butler *

Bill Duke William Henry Duke Jr. (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor and film director. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke works primarily in the action and crime drama genres often as a character related to law enforcement. Frequently ...

as Detective * Samuel L. Jackson as Tat Lawson * Charles S. Dutton as Mr. Butler * Saafir as Harold Lawson *Ryan Williams as Stacy *

Reginald Ballard Reginald Ballard (born October 13, 1965) is an American character actor and comedian from Galveston, Texas, who is best known for his recurring roles as Bruh-Man in the sitcom ''Martin'' and W.B. on ''The Bernie Mac Show'', which both aired on F ...

as Clyde

Production

Originally, rapper MC Ren was set to play A-Wax, but later turned down the role when he joined the

Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...

in late 1992. MC Eiht replaced MC Ren's role as A-Wax. Rappers Spice 1 and

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

were initially set to play Caine and Sharif respectively, but they were later fired, with director Allen Hughes stating that Shakur was causing trouble on the set. Shakur was angry for not being told why Sharif would turn Muslim. When Shakur was cast in the role of Sharif who, as described in the film was “an ex-knucklehead turned Muslim”, he did not agree with how the character was written. While many of his rap music contemporaries, that were also staring in the film, were portraying roles similar to their gangsta rap personas, playing Sharif would have required Shakur to portray the character with as a stoic & pious Muslim. According to MC Eiht, who played A-Wax in the film: ''“My take on it was, everytime we got ready to reherse, he had an opinion about his character…He wanted them to write in the script WHY he turned Muslim…”'' ''“Show me why I turned Muslim and they wouldn’t do it and that’s what angered him…”'' ''“You’re not just going to give people that ideal that Tupac is just this yeah you know, “preach my brother”, fuck that!”'' Six months after the firing, Shakur assaulted Hughes, resulting in Shakur being found guilty of assault and battery. Shakur did not want to play the role of Sharif, as he did not believe, in regard to the authenticity of such a role, that a Muslim could also be a gangbanger. He wanted to play O-Dog, which was later played by Larenz Tate. Tyrin Turner replaced Spice 1's role as Caine, and Vonte Sweet replaced Shakur's role as Sharif.

Reception

''Menace II Society'' received generally positive reviews from critics. The film has an 84% approval score on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 7.40/10. The consensus reads, "Told with grit and verve by the Hughes brothers in their feature debut, ''Menace II Society'' is a gangland epic that breathes with authenticity while steeped in style." ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by ...

'' critic Jonathan Rosenbaum stated, "This is a powerful, convincing, and terrifying look at teenage crime in contemporary

." Owen Gleiberman from ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'' gave it a positive review, stating, "''Menace II Society'' is bleak, brilliant, and unsparing." Emanuel Levy gave the film an A, saying it is "The most stunning feature debut in the new African American cinema, even more so than ''

Boyz n the Hood ''Boyz n the Hood'' is a 1991 American coming-of-age hood drama film written and directed by John Singleton in his feature directorial debut. It stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long, Regina King, and An ...

'' to which the coming of age feature bears thematic resemblance." The film was placed on both

Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the '' Chicago Tribune''. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his ...

and

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

's 10 best films of 1993 lists, with Ebert praising "the way the filmmakers tell Caine's story without making him seem either the hero or victim". However, the film has also received some negative reviews. Geoff Andrew of ''

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an engine ...

'' stated, "Regrettably, the Hughes Brothers' first feature is a

compendium A compendium (plural: compendia or compendiums) is a comprehensive collection of information and analysis pertaining to a body of knowledge. A compendium may concisely summarize a larger work. In most cases, the body of knowledge will concern a s ...

cliché A cliché ( or ) is an element of an artistic work, saying, or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being weird or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was consi ...

s." Stephen Holden of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' stated, "If ''Menace II Society'' is terrific on ambiance, it is considerably less successful in revealing character." At the

1994 MTV Movie Awards The 1994 MTV Movie Awards was hosted by Will Smith. Performers included Bon Jovi, Nate Dogg & Warren G., Toni Braxton and John Mellencamp with Me'Shell NdegeOcello. In addition, the supergroup Backbeat featuring Mike Mills of R.E.M., Dave Grohl of ...

, the film was awarded Best Movie, beating out the likes of ''

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

'',''

Jurassic Park ''Jurassic Park'', later also referred to as ''Jurassic World'', is an American science fiction media franchise created by Michael Crichton and centered on a disastrous attempt to create a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. It began in 1990 when ...

'' and ''

Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel ''Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film f ...

''. The film also won an

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...

for Best Cinematography and was nominated for

Best First Feature Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation ...

, but lost to '' El Mariachi'' (the first installment in the

Robert Rodriguez Robert Anthony Rodriguez (; born June 20, 1968) is an American filmmaker, composer, and visual effects supervisor. He shoots, edits, produces, and scores many of his films in Mexico and in his home state of Texas. Rodriguez directed the 1992 ac ...

's '' Mexico Trilogy''). The film grossed $27.9 million in the United States and Canada but only $1.6 million internationally for a worldwide total of $29.5 million.

Soundtrack

A soundtrack containing hip hop music was released on May 26, 1993, by

Jive Records Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, ...

. It peaked at #11 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and #1 on the

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated ...

Home media

The director's cut of ''Menace II Society'' was released on

LaserDisc The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diameter typical ...

in 1994 via

The Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home video, home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scho ...

. In August 2021, Criterion announced that ''Menace II Society'', alongside 5 other films, would be released as a part of its first 4K Ultra HD releases. Criterion indicated each title will be available in a 4K UHD+Blu-ray combo pack including a 4K UHD disc of the feature film as well as the film and special features on the companion Blu-ray. The titles were released in November 2021.

Legacy

In 2013, rapper and record producer

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

cited ''Menace II Society'' as one of his "most-watched" favorite films on an episode of the

Bret Easton Ellis Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author, screenwriter, short-story writer, and director. Ellis was first regarded as one of the so-called literary Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique, as a ...

Podcast.

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Menace II Society 1993 films 1993 crime drama films 1993 directorial debut films 1990s coming-of-age drama films 1990s gang films 1990s teen drama films 1993 independent films American independent films American coming-of-age drama films American crime drama films American gang films American teen drama films African-American–Asian-American relations Asian-American drama films African-American drama films Bloods Crips Films about death Films about drugs Films directed by the Hughes brothers Films set in Koreatown, Los Angeles Films set in Los Angeles Hood films New Line Cinema films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films