In cinemas: Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Watch the trailer for Boyz n the Hood (1991).

USA 1991
Directed by John Singleton
With Cuba Gooding Jr, Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Angela Bassett
112 min
A BFI release in association with Park Circus and Sony Pictures

Remarkably, Singleton was just 23 when he wrote and directed what is now recognised as a seminal film, one that was instrumental in ushering in a new phase of black filmmaking in the US. Set against the backdrop of early eighties South Central LA, the film focuses upon Tre Styles (Gooding Jr), a young man who is trying to navigate life in a community ravaged by drug addiction, poverty, gangs and police harassment. Hard-hitting and direct, Singleton’s story has an authenticity that is ably delivered by a fine cast, including Angela Basset, Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding Jr and Ice Cube who brings to his acting debut the same presence and rawness that characterised his writing and rapping for the notorious and influential N.W.A. 25 years on from its first release, with racial tension between black communities and the police in the US at fever pitch, this film feels as urgent and relevant as ever.

Stuart Brown (Head of Programme and Acquisitions)

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