7 Movies like 'Menace II Society' That Explore the Insides of the World of Crime

"Menace II Society" is a 1993 crime drama movie brought to life by the Hughes Brothers in their directorial debut. It explores the topic of crime, specifically drugs and gang-related crimes, which several similar films have also focused on.

"Menace II Society" revolves around the harsh lives of crime faced by youth in the Los Angeles suburbs of Watts and Crenshaw in the early 1990s. The film became famous for its violence and profanity and was applauded for its leading cast performances, including Larenz Tate and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

Several movies have focused on themes like those in the film. These include "Boyz n the Hood," which was made before "Menace II Society," and "Blue Story," which was released more than two and half decades later but still had the same feel.

'Boyz n the Hood' (1991)

As a precursor of "Menace II Society," one could argue that "Boyz n the Hood" inspired or at least paved the way for making the 1993 film. Indeed, "Boyz n the Hood" is known to have been instrumental in introducing a new film genre, "hood film," which focused on life in the previously ignored poor urban black communities.

Furthermore, the film broke several barriers for black filmmakers as its director, a then-23-year-old John Singleton, was nominated for an Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay. That made him the youngest person to have an Oscar nomination for Best Director and the first African American nominee in the category.

The coming-of-age movie, like "Menace II Society," traces its roots to the Crenshaw areas of Los Angeles and explores issues of race, violence, relationships, and life decisions. Similarly, both films follow the lives of friends played in "Boyz n the Hood" by then-upcoming stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, and Morris Chestnut.

'Belly' (1998)

Released five years after "Menace II Society," "Belly" also tells the story of criminal activities by the youth in underprivileged communities in the United States. Friends Tommy and Sincere, portrayed by rappers DMX and Nas, respectively, in their movie debuts, are the main characters the story revolves around.

The two are immersed in a life of criminal activities that seem to get deeper into it as the movie progresses. However, as they get involved in more illegal activities, the friends individually begin to think about changing their lives and follow a more positive direction. Later, they discuss their plans and are happy about them.

The film ends with Sincere having managed to follow through on his plans of leaving the life of crime and moving his family to Africa. He reflects on the recent happenings and is satisfied with where he ends up. Tommy's fate is left in the balance as the movie doesn't exactly show how it ended for him and his family.

'Sugar Hill' (1993)

Released the same year as "Menace II Society," "Sugar Hill" also follows the life in the hood plot. It is centered around the Sugar Hill parts of Harlem and highlights tales about the major drug dealing that happens there and the circle of crime gripping the families in the crime-infested New York City neighborhood.

The story is told through the lives of two brothers whose parents had struggled with two dangerous elements that dominate their society: drugs and guns. Their mother died from a drug overdose, while their father, a drug addict, had been a victim of gun violence.

One of the brothers, Romello, played by Wesley Snipes, avenges his father's shooting by killing the alleged shooter. However, like in "Belly," the character later rethinks his life's path and decides to leave the dirty life. His brother, Raynathan, is not in agreement, and the film ends in a Biblical or Shakespearian-style tragedy.

'New Jack City' (1991)

Before his role in "Sugar Hill," Snipes had given a memorable performance in the action crime drama "New Jack City." The film is only similar to "Menace II Society" in that it demonstrates the life of crime in predominantly black communities in urban areas, especially before the turn of the millennium.

However, the film provides more thrilling action scenes and a more serious atmosphere. Rather than telling the story from the perspective of regular street criminals, it explains it from the eyes of a millionaire who has made his money selling drugs to poor black people while he lives a comfortable life in his luxurious house.

The film aims to show the rise and fall of big players in the illegal drug-selling industry. In this case, a drug kingpin is face-to-face with hard-edged street cops, one of which is Scotty, played by Ice-T, who is seeking revenge for his mother's needless death decades earlier. Chris Rock is also featured in the movie.

'Deep Cover' (1992)

Another one that left critics applauding is "Deep Cover," starring a youthful Laurence Fishburne alongside Jeff Goldblum. The movie diverts from telling the crime story from the criminal's viewpoint to telling it from a police officer's point of view. Fishburne's character goes undercover and masquerades as a cocaine dealer.

Recruited by a DEA Special Agent who sees his talents as more valuable undercover than a uniformed officer, Fishburne infiltrates and becomes a central part of one of the West Coast's most significant drug traffickers. The drug importers are led by a South American diplomat who uses his diplomatic immunity to his advantage.

However, he later comes in close contact with the undercover police officer who had developed close ties with Jason, a criminal, and romance with Betty, who was part of the money laundering scheme. The New York Times described the film as a "rapt exploration of all the vice and viciousness that make the drug kingpin's life so popular."

'Internal Affairs' (2002)

It's not often that a non-western film woos American audiences with its brilliant storyline and excellent acting performances. "Internal Affairs" presented one of those few occasions. The film, which features some of Hong Kong's leading talents in the performing arts, also follows the life of crime.

However, there is little day-to-day drug trafficking and drug dealing activities. Instead, it is a cat-and-mouse game between two police officers, one undercover in the drug world and the other a spy placed in the police ranks by the drug dealers. The two serve as informants and soon realize that there is a mole in both organizations.

In a race to discover who the mole is, the film displays a much more complex crime thriller that leaves audiences at the edge of their seats for most of the nail-biting saga.

Although the film may have been later overshadowed by the more financially successful American Martin Scorsese remake, "The Departed," (starring Hollywood A-listers Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, and Matt Damon) the Asian film provided a fresher and more nuanced story and characters.

'Blue Story' (2019)

"Blue Story" is a movie with all the traits of a hood crime storyline but tells it from a British, more specifically, London, point of view. For American audiences, this gives a glimpse into how gang violence has no boundaries and plays out in another part of the world.

"Blue Story follows the story of a feud between two neighborhoods, which eventually turns two best friends against each other. The gangs presented in the films exist in real life, which gives the film a more realistic look at the daily happenings in the crime-infested parts of South London.

Timmy and Marco, two friends who always looked out for each other, become enemies after they end up in rival gangs. An unfortunate incident leads Marco to kill Timmy's girlfriend, which sets Timmy on a revenge mission.

The film takes on themes of betrayal, love, crime, and family, perfectly demonstrated in its direction and brilliant acting performances. Rapman, who directed the film, says the film is meant to be educational. He said, "I want people who see the film to learn that these kids are not all spawns of Satan."