Boyz 'N The Hood

"Boyz N the Hood has maturity and emotional depth: There are no cheap shots, nothing is thrown in for effect, realism is placed ahead of easy dramatic payoffs..."

"An absorbing, smartly made dramatic encyclopedia of problems and ethics in the black community, 1991."

"A passionate drama shot with fluency and style, a study of what amounts to life during wartime..."

"Singleton adroitly lets the emotions wash over the didacticism, his feet placed squarely on direct experience and timeliness."

"A film any seasoned director would be proud of, but as a debut is nothing short of amazing."

"Singleton and his actors... take us inside the ghetto in a way mainstream films almost never do."

"It’s... earnest straightforwardness that provides the film much of its power..."

"Ice Cube’s stripped-back performance should be remembered as one of the best of the ’90s."

"It's always risky to proclaim a new force in film based upon just one film, but Boyz N the Hood is good enough to suggest that John Singleton is going to be a major player for a long time."

"The dialogue is hilarious, loaded, questioning."