Boyz n the hood is a very interesting hip-hop movie, and if you are looking forward to watching movies just like it, then you’ve come to the right place, as this article is written to address such an issue.
Life in the ghetto isn’t always a bed of roses, which is what the movie Boyz n the hood tells us. This 1991 crime and drama movie feature the lives of 3 young black American friends who struggle to live life to the fullest in the Los Angeles ghetto as they come of age.
This article lists movies like Boyz n the hood below, with a brief synopsis of each of these interesting films.
1. South Central (1992)
- Directed by: Stephen Milburn Anderson.
- Casts: Glenn Plummer, Christian Coleman, Byron Keith Minns, Carl Lumbly, Lexie Bigham, and Starletta Dubois.
- IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
- Running Time: 1h 40m.
First on our list of movies like Boyz n the hood is South Central. With the assistance of Muslim prisoner Ali, Bobby Johnson (Glenn Plummer) finds faith and decides to change his ways while serving a 10-year sentence for the murder of a South Central Los Angeles gang rival’s leader.
After being freed, Bobby returns home to discover that his little son, Jimmie (Christian Coleman), has joined his previous crew, the Deuces.
Tensions increase as Bobby tries to persuade Jimmie to leave the gang, which served as his only family during the traumatic years his missing father spent in prison.
2. Cooley High (1975)
- Directed by: Michael Schultz.
- Casts: Glynn Turman, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Garrett Morris, Cynthia Davis, Sherman Smith, Norman Gibson, Corin Rogers, Joseph Carter Wilson, and Juanita McConnell.
- IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
- Running Time: 1h 47m.
Cooley High is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood, and the film features A group of high school students from Chicago’s Near North Side enjoying life to the fullest in 1964, attending parties, hanging out, and making new friends.
Then, two of the guys’ lives are forever altered when they meet a pair of career criminals and are wrongfully detained in connection with stealing a Cadillac.
We are made to follow their lives as they graduate from high school and experience the dramatic conclusion of their academic year.
3. Clockers (1995)
- Directed by: Spike Lee.
- Casts: Harvey Keitel, John Turturro, Delroy Lindo, Mekhi Phifer, Isaiah Washington, Keith David, and Pee Wee Love.
- IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
- Running Time: 2h 8m.
Rodney Little (Delroy Lindo) wants 19-year-old “Strike” Dunham to kill a former dealer who stole from him. The Strike is a part-time street drug dealer for Rodney and is played by Mekhi Phifer.
The Strike is put under suspicion after the man is found dead. Victor (Isaiah Washington), Strike’s brother, confesses to the crime before homicide detective Rocco Klein (Harvey Keitel) can look into it.
Klein suspects Victor, a good family man, is trying to cover up for Strike. This crime drama is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood film.
4. Fresh (1994)
- Directed by: Boaz Yakin.
- Casts: Sean Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, Samuel L. Jackson, N’Bushe Wright, Ron Brice, Jean-Claude La Marre, Jose Zuniga, Luis Lantigua, Yul Vazquez, Cheryl Freeman, Anthony Thomas, Curtis McClarin, and Elizabeth Rodriguez.
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Running Time: 1h 55m.
A 12-year-old drug dealer named Fresh (Sean Nelson) becomes caught in a Brooklyn, New York, web of racial strife, poverty, and corruption.
Fresh draws on the chess techniques he developed while playing with his alcoholic father and speed-chess champion Sam (Samuel L. Jackson) to design a complex plan that will set both himself and his drug-addicted sister Nichole (N’Bushe Wright) free. This is another interesting film and one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
5. Dope (2015)
- Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa.
- Casts: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Kimberly Elise, Chanel Iman, Tyga, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, and ASAP Rocky.
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Running Time: 1h 43m.
Dope is enlisted as one of the movies like Boyz n the hood, and it tells the tales of Malcolm (Shameik Moore), a senior in high school.
His buddies Jib (Tony Revolori) and Diggy (Kiersey Clemons) connect over their love for 1990s hip-hop culture, academic pursuits, and punk rock music.
Malcolm and his friends end up at a drug dealer named Dom’s birthday party after a chance contact with him; when the party turns violent, they depart with the Ecstasy that Dom had hidden in Malcolm’s rucksack.
The young people embark on a crazy adventure as they try to avoid armed gangsters who are after the stockpile.
6. Ill Manors (2012)
- Directed by: Ben Drew.
- Casts: Riz Ahmed, Ed Skrein, Keef Coggins, Andrew Okello Lee Allen, Nick Sagar, Ryan De La Cruz, Anouska Mond, Saleh Ahmed, and Natalie Press.
- IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
- Running Time: 2h 1m.
Ben Drew, also known as musician Plan B, wrote, co-composed the score for, and directed the British crime thriller film Ill Manors (stylized as ill Manors). Eight main characters, played by Riz Ahmed, Ed Skrein, Keef Coggins, Lee Allen, Nick Sagar, Ryan De La Cruz, Anouska Mond, and Natalie Press, are the focus of the movie.
It also includes six original songs by Plan B that serve as the movie’s narration, and this film is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
In the seven-day-long Ill Manors narrative, which features multiple characters, everyone struggles for respect.
The brutality surrounding the main protagonists as they battle to survive on the streets is the movie’s main theme. Additionally, a piece of separate rap music by Plan B is used to represent each of the stories.
7. Adulthood (2008)
- Directed by: Noel Clarke.
- Casts: Noel Clarke, Scarlett Alice Johnson, Adam Deacon, Jacob Anderson, Femi Oyeniran, Red Mandrell, Ben Drew, Nathan Constance, and Danny Dyer.
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Running Time: 1h 39.
Noel Clarke wrote and directed Adulthood, a 2008 British criminal drama movie (stylized as AdULTHOOD). It is the follow-up to the 2006 film Kidulthood and is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
Sam (Clarke), given a six-year prison term for the murder of Trife, tries to turn his life around in the movie, but a new gang led by Jay (Deacon) wants to avenge Trife’s death by killing Sam.
The movie garnered largely neutral to favorable reviews and was a box office hit, earning £1,203,319 in its first weekend in the U.K. and £6 million total.
8. 8 Mile (2002)
- Directed by: Curtis Hanson.
- Casts: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Evan Jones, Omar Benson Miller, De’Angelo Wilson, Eugene Byrd, Taryn Manning, Larry Hudson, and Anthony Mackie.
- IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
- Running Time: 1h 50m.
Scott Silver and Curtis Hanson’s American drama 8 Mile was released in 2002. Along with Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Michael Shannon, Anthony Mackie, and Kim Basinger, Eminem makes his acting debut.
The film is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood. It features autobiographical parts from Eminem’s life; it centers on white rapper Jimmy Smith Jr., aka B-Rabbit (Eminem), as he attempts to break into the primarily African-American-dominated hip-hop music industry.
The song’s name refers to 8 Mile Road, which connects the primarily white suburban areas to the north of Eminem’s native home in Detroit, a city with a substantial African American population.
9. Poetic Justice (1993)
- Directed by: John Singleton.
- Casts: Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Tyra Ferrell, Regina King, and Joe Torry.
- IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
- Running Time: 1h 49m.
Poetic Justice is a 1993 American romantic drama film starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur, with Regina King and Joe Torry playing supporting roles. It was written and directed by John Singleton.
In Poetic Justice, Justice (Jackson), a poet who lost her boyfriend to gun violence, travels from South Central Los Angeles to Oakland with her buddy (King) and a postal worker (Shakur), whom she initially despises but who soon assists Justice in overcoming her sadness. This movie is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
10. Jason’s Lyric (1994)
- Directed by: Doug McHenry.
- Casts: Allen Payne, Jada Pinkett, Bokeem Woodbine, Anthony Treach Criss, Eddie Griffin, and Forest Whitaker.
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Running Time: 2h.
This is a 1994 American erotic romantic psychological drama film and is enlisted as one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
The story, which takes place in the Third Ward of Houston, Texas, is about two mentally damaged brothers who decide to deal with their sad upbringing in two different ways.
When the older brother falls in love, he is faced with a difficult decision: does he want to stay in the family and take care of his younger brother, or does he want to follow his heart and be with his girlfriend?
11. Training Day (2001)
- Directed by: Antoine Fuqua.
- Casts: Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Scott Glenn, Cliff Curtis, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg.
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Running Time: 2h 2m.
A 2001 American crime thriller called Training Day was written by David Ayer and directed by Antoine Fuqua. It is set over a day in Westlake, Echo Park, and South Central Los Angeles gang-infested areas.
Those who have pledged to enforce the law are breaking them to clean up the streets in Los Angeles, where drug dealers overrun them.
Alonzo Harris is an experienced L.A.P.D. investigator who enforces the law in questionable ways, if not in corruption.
In “Training Day,” Harris trains rookie Jake Hoyt over a single day. Hoyt and the audience face moral problems as they debate whether or not Harris’ strategy for cleaning up South Central Los Angeles’ drug-filled streets is good or wrong. This is also one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
12. One Eight Seven (1997)
- Directed by: Kevin Reynolds.
- Casts: Samuel L. Jackson, John Heard, Kelly Rowan, Clifton Collins Jr, Tony Plana, Karina Arroyave, Demetrius Navarro, and Kathryn Leigh Scott.
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Running Time: 2h.
The 1997 American criminal thriller One Eight Seven, often known as 187, was directed by Kevin Reynolds and is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
Samuel L. Jackson, who plays a Los Angeles teacher caught up in gang conflict in an urban high school, was playing his first leading role.
The section of the California Penal Code that defines murder—section 187—is where the movie gets its name.
13. Bullet Boy (2004)
- Directed by: Saul Dibb.
- Casts: Ashley Walters, Luke Fraser, Leon Black, Clare Perkins, Aaron Breakbeat Fagan, and Curtis Walker.
- IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
- Running Time: 1h 29m.
Saul Dibb and Catherine Johnson wrote and directed the 2004 British criminal drama film Bullet Boy, which features Ashley Walters. Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja created and played the original music for the movie, and he also recorded it.
This is one of the movies like Boyz n the that tells The story of a family in violent Hackney, East London; the involvement of the eldest son in gun crime and the consequences for his younger brother is the focus of the movie.
14. In Too Deep (1999)
- Directed by: Michael Rymer.
- Casts: Omar Epps, LL Cool J, Nia Long, Stanley Tucci, Hill Harper, and Pam Grier.
- IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
- Running Time: 1h 44m.
Jeff Cole, a new Cincinnati police academy grad who desires to work covertly, wish comes true. As a result of his achievement, he is assigned to eliminate “God,” Dwayne Gittens, a state-wide crack dealer.
Gittens is renowned for being a devoted father and a man of the people who give back to his neighborhood and aids those in need.
He also has a nasty side as the dictator of a criminal empire who will kill or torture anyone. Gittens and Cole grow good friends over time.
Cole’s bosses are concerned that the distinction between a cop and a bad guy is blending and merging into one. Just as there is sufficient evidence to take Cole to task, Cole’s loyalty is put to the final test. This interesting film is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
15. Belly (1998)
- Directed by: Hype Williams.
- Casts: D.M.X., Nas, Taral Hicks, Tyrin Turner, Hassan Johnson, Louie Rankin, Jay Black, Stanley Drayton, James Parris, Benjamin Chavis, Sean Paul, and Mr. Vegas.
- IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
- Running Time: 1h 36m.
This American crime drama, Belly, is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood. The story follows that of Sincere (Nas) and Buns (D.M.X.), who have always lived on the edge and done whatever it takes to survive.
As adults, they base their kingdom of crime on robbery and drug selling. But Sincere becomes tired of the illegal way of life and joins a black Muslim sect.
Buns, on the other hand, delves further into crime and risks serving a lengthy prison sentence. However, the police offer him a deal: kill the leader of the Muslim gang, and he will be let off the hook.
16. Straight Outta Compton (2015)
- Directed by: F. Gary Gray.
- Casts: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Paul Giamatti, and Marlon Yates Jr.
- IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
- Running Time: 2h 27m.
In 1987, five young guys used the most potent tool they possessed—their music—to channel their frustration and outrage over living in the most dangerous location in America through brutally honest rhymes and tough beats.
Straight Outta Compton, which takes us back to the beginning of it all, tells the true history of how these cultural rebels, armed only with their rhymes, swagger, bravado, and raw ability, faced up to the people who wanted to keep them down and created the most dangerous group in the world, the N.W.A.
And when they revealed life in the hood and shouted the truth that no one had before, their voice sparked a social movement that is still going strong today. This is a true life-inspired story and one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
17. Baby Boy (2001)
- Directed by: John Singleton.
- Casts: Tyrese Gibson, Snoop Dogg, Ving Rhames, Omar Gooding, A.J. Johnson, and Taraji P. Henson.
- IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
- Running Time: 2h 10m.
Baby boy is among the movies like Boyz n the hood. He tells the tale of Jody (Tyrese Gibson), a foolish 20-year-old African-American who is just a baby boy who is ultimately made to confront the responsibilities of real life despite his protests.
Streetwise and jobless, he has not only fathered two children—Yvette (Taraji P. Henson) and Peanut (Tamara LaSeon Bass)—by two different women, but he also continues to reside with his mother. He struggles to maintain equilibrium and find purpose in his chaotic life.
18. New Jack City (1991)
- Directed by: Mario Van Peebles.
- Casts: Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Chris Rock, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Bill Cobbs.
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Running Time: 1h 40m.
The Cash Money Brothers, led by drug tycoon Nino Brown (Wesley Snipes), have quickly ascended to the top of the New York City drug trade. The drug business has expanded into a multimillion-dollar empire under Nino’s callous management.
Two policemen familiar with the Harlem neighborhood, Scotty (Ice-T) and Nick (Judd Nelson) seek to capture Nino and his cronies.
But they’ll have to follow Nino’s instructions and pose as someone else to do that. This is an interesting crime film and is one of the many movies like Boyz n the hood.
19. The Wood (1999)
- Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa.
- Casts: Taye Diggs, Omar Epps, Richard T. Jones, and Sean Nelson.
- IMDb Rating: 7/10
- Running Time: 1h 46m.
The Wood is a 1999 American coming-of-age movie and is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood that chronicles the lives of three friends as they mature and discover the fundamentals of life.
One of the buddies is getting married at the film’s start but disappears a few hours beforehand. When the other two discover him, they recall their childhood experiences as teenagers.
The lighthearted, entertaining film introduces you to the misadventures, love, and weird things that occur in a teen’s life. The Boyz N The Hood-like portrayal of a life of crime is absent from the film, which instead emphasizes the value of friendship.
20. Juice (1992)
- Directed by: Ernest R. Dickerson.
- Casts: Omar Epps, Tupac Shakur, Khalil Kain, Jermaine Hopkins, Cindy Herron, Vincent Laresca, Samuel L. Jackson, George O. Gore, and Treach.
- IMDb Rating: 7/10
- Running Time: 1h 35m.
The 1992 American crime thriller Juice followed the challenges of four friends as they grew up in Harlem. The children encounter police harassment, conflicting communities, and families regularly.
They frequently snatch items from stores and carry out minor thefts. They still harbor dreams of abandoning this existence and leading a moral life.
However, a negative event causes their lives to change drastically. The movie demonstrates how challenging it may be to leave a life of crime once you’ve started. Juice is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
21. Menace II Society (1993)
- Directed by: The Hughes Brothers.
- Casts: Tyrin Turner, Brandon Hammond, Jada Pinkett, Larenz Tate, MC Eiht, Glenn Plummer, Bill Duke, Samuel L. Jackson, Charles S. Dutton, Saafir, Clifton Collins Jr, Ryan Williams, and Reginald Ballard.
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Running Time: 1h 37m.
The Hughes Brothers make their directorial debut with the teen drama movie Menace II Society, and it takes its place as one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
The lives of Kaydee “Caine” Lawson and his close pals are depicted in the movie. It demonstrates how a bright child is reared in difficult conditions only to experience the end he has always despised.
The story of Caine and numerous others like him who were harmed by a setting that didn’t allow their inherent talent to flourish is told in the film. They are compelled to choose the gangster lifestyle instead, which never results in peace.
22. American Gangster (2007)
- Directed by: Ridley Scott.
- Casts: Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Cuba Gooding Jr, Josh Brolin, Ted Levine, Armand Assante, John Ortiz, John Hawkes, and R.Z.A.
- IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
- Running Time: 2h 56m.
Frank Lucas becomes the top heroin importer in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem after the passing of his boss and mentor, Bumpy Johnson.
He accomplishes this by purchasing heroin from the producer in South East Asia and devising a novel method of bringing the drugs into the country. His pricing is lower, and his product is, therefore, better than what is currently on the market.
His position is guaranteed by his relationship with the New York Mafia. It also tells the tale of Richie Roberts, a committed and honorable police officer in charge of a joint federal and state drug task team. based on a real account. American Gangster is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
23. Do The Right Thing (1989)
- Directed by: Spike Lee.
- Casts: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Spike Lee, Bill Nunn, John Turturro, and John Savage.
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
- Running Time: 2h.
This movie depicts a sweltering summer Sunday in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. Sal Fragione starts his 25-year-old pizzeria as he does every day.
Since he’s been living there, the area has undergone significant transformation and now predominantly consists of African-Americans and Hispanics.
Pino, his son, despises life there and would do anything to get the restaurant moved to their area. Sal, though, sees the restaurant as a component of the community and as something that is a part of his life.
It all starts with a simple complaint from one of his patrons, Buggin Out, who questions why he only has portraits of notable Italian Americans on the wall when most of his clients are Black people, which leads to a huge commotion and violence. This is an African American film and is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
24. Paid In Full (2002)
- Directed by: Charles Stone III.
- Casts: Wood Harris, Mekhi Phifer, Cameron, Kevin Carroll, Esai Morales, Chi McBride, Remo Green, Cynthia Martells, Elise Neal, Regina Hall, and Doug E. Fresh.
- IMDb Rating: 7/10
- Running Time: 1h 38m.
Paid in full is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood, and it features Ace, a young man who works for a dry cleaning company and is impressionable.
Mitch, a drug dealer, and his companion is sent to prison. He discovers some cocaine in a pants pocket in a completely unrelated occurrence.
Ace soon finds himself supplying Lulu with cocaine. Ace ascends to the top of the Harlem drug trade thanks to fortunate encounters and strong interpersonal abilities. Of course, Ace’s downfall is planned by dishonest coworkers and rivals.
25. New Jersey Drive (1995)
- Directed by: Nick Gomez.
- Casts: Sharron Corley, Gabriel Casseus, Saul Stein, Donald Faison, Heavy D, Roscoe Orman, Michael Pincus, and T.K. Kirkland.
- IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
- Running Time: 1h 38m.
Two young black adolescents named Jason and Midget reside in Newark, New Jersey, the unofficial car-theft capital of the world. Their neighborhood’s favorite past activity is auto theft and joyriding, which is everyone else’s.
The police undertake a harsh offensive that includes beating and even shooting suspects after they steal a police vehicle, which sets off turmoil. This is one of the many movies like Boyz n the hood.
26. City of God (2002)
- Directed by: Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund.
- Casts: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Alice Braga, Jonathan Haagensen, Phillipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva, Daniel Zettel, and Seu Jorge.
- IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
- Running Time: 2h 10m.
The 1997 Paulo Lins novel of the same name served as the basis for the epic crime movie City of God, produced in Brazil in 2002.
This film is one of the movies like Boyz n the and The narrative also contains some true events from the 1970s, according to author Bráulio Mantovani.
The film examines the emergence of organized crime in the Rio de Janeiro suburb known as Cidade de Deus or the city of God in Portuguese. We witness a confrontation between drug kingpin Li’l Zé and the former vigilante-turned-criminal Knockout Ned by the film’s conclusion.
The movie received much attention and was nominated for four 2004 Academy Awards. Several critics have also recognized it as one of the greatest films ever made.
27. Hoodlum (1997)
- Directed by: Bill Duke.
- Casts: Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, Vanessa Williams, Andy García, Cicely Tyson, Chi McBride, Richard Bradford, and Clarence Williams III.
- IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
- Running Time: 2h 10m.
Bumpy Johnson (Laurence Fishburne), who was just freed from prison, resumes his criminal activities as a key player in the African-American-run numbers scam.
But Bumpy’s old pal Illinois Gordon (Chi McBride) and lover Francine Hughes (Vanessa Williams) want to get him back on the right path.
However, a simmering conflict involving Mafia leader Lucky Luciano (Andy Garcia) and his goon Dutch Schultz (Tim Roth) could escalate the stakes to extremely high levels. Hoodlum is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood.
28. Blue Story (2019)
- Directed by: Rapman.
- Casts: Stephen Odubola, Micheal Ward, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Khali Best, Karla-Simone Spence, Richie Campbell, Jo Martin, and Junior Afolabi Salokun.
- IMDb Rating: 6.2/10
- Running Time: 1h 31m.
The Blue story is one of the movies like Boyz n the hood, and it features Close associates Timmy and Marco, who reside in different London boroughs but attend the same high school in Peckham.
When one of Timmy’s elementary school pals beats up Marco, the two boys find themselves on opposite sides of a never-ending cycle of gang fights where there are no winners, only helpless victims.
Conclusion
As seen above, movies like Boyz n the hood also have released in the 90s and 80s, and these movies never get old.
If you haven’t seen any of the movies listed above, you can pick one out of the list and enjoy it with your family and friends.
