In violence-ridden South Central L.A. in 1984, 10-year-old Tre lives with his mother. She is worried about Tre’s future and sends him to live with his father. Her ex-husband, Furious, is a real estate agent who is a strict father and exhorts his son to take responsibility for his actions. The lessons stick. Seven years later, Tre has matured into a serious young man, while other young men in the ’hood have landed in prison, become teen fathers or, in one case, been crippled by a gunshot wound. Tre and his friend Ricky, a football star, have plans to go to college. But then Ricky’s half-brother provokes a confrontation with a local gangbanger.
With its commitment to realistic discourse on the economic situation in the Black neighbourhood, its nuanced characters, and a hip-hop soundtrack, ‘Boyz n the Hood’ was intended to appeal to a broad audience, underlining that it was possible to escape the ’hood. Shot on location in South Central, it depicts both the strengths and the dysfunction of the Black community, ranging from a welfare recipient to a sadistic cop. For this, his debut film, John Singleton became the first African-American to be nominated for an Oscar as best director.

USA 1991, directed by John Singleton, 112 min, rated: 16