1993 film by the Hughes Brothers
Menace II Society is a 1993 American teen crime drama film directed by the Hughes brothers in their directorial debut. Set in the Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods of Los Angeles, the film follows the life of Caine Lawson (Tyrin Turner) as he struggles with the realities of his gang affiliation and inner-city life with his close friends. The film was released by New Line Cinema on May 26, 1993, and gained notoriety for its scenes of violence, profanity and drug-related content, but received critical acclaim for the performances of Turner, Jada Pinkett (in her theatrical film debut) and Larenz Tate, its direction, and its realistic portrayal of urban violence and powerful underlying messages. It grossed $30 million against a $3.5 million budget.
Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.