There are crime films, and then there are certain type of crime films that will have you hooked at first glance, before the credits have rolled in. These are the movies that make you question the thoughts of the director and screenwriters.
Here are five black crime films that definitely top the list of crime films with a profound connection to what a crime film should be about. Underrated yet qualified at every glance.
Training Day
The most iconic KING KONG monologue in the history of cinema have been said here, the scene had Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington) surrounded by a gang of armed men after he was defeated by Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke).
“Awwww, you motherf—kers. Okay. Alright. I’m putting cases on all you b—ches! Huh. You think you can do this s—t. Jake! You think you can do this to me?! You motherf—kers will be playing basketball in Pelican Bay when I get finished with you! SHU program, nigga. 23-hour lockdown! I’m the man up in this piece! You’ll never see the light of… who the f—k do you think you’re f—king with? I’m the police, I run sh-t around here. You just live here! Yeah, that’s right, you better walk away! Go on and walk away, ’cause I’m gonna burn this motherf—ker down. King Kong ain’t got sh-t on me! That’s right, that’s right. S—t, I don’t, f—k. I’m winning anyway, I’m winning… I’m winning any motherf—king way. I can’t lose. Yeah, you can shoot me, but you can’t kill me.”
The witness of a surge of drug dealers in South Central Los Angeles leads to the training of Jake Hoyt at the hands of L.A.P.D’s Alonzo Harris for beating the bad guys. Not long into it, his training methods will have others draw objections from it.
American Gangster
This film talks about a man whose life takes a toll with his crime-filled lifestyle, a gangster from North Carolina who smuggled heroin into America through very creative ways, using planes returning from the Vietnam war.
Frank (Denzel Washington) a powerful drug lord whose growing drug business was being undercut by dubious law enforcement officers and smaller street crews. Detective Roberts (Russell Crowe) is the only police officer willing to tackle him.
In Too Deep
For detective Jeffrey Cole (Omar Epps), it was an opportunity of a lifetime as an undercover cop to take down a brutal crime boss.
This film is a gritty urban drama with lots of empathetic emotions.
Dwayne (LL Cool J) a key player behind 80% of the city’s criminal activity.
Harlem Nights
Harlem definitely had the night and wild parties back in the 80s. The place to be in Harlem was club Sugar Ray.
Sugar Ray (Eddie Murphy) must now contend with gangsters, corrupt law enforcement officials, and competitors to keep his business afloat.
Hoodlum
In a city ruled by organized crime, America’s most dangerous man begins a war. A war about power, money, and wills between legends.
“A man wants to be successful in this business, he has to make alliances.”
A war line that should never have been crossed.
#Clique which of these classic films is your go-to for film night?
