Juice

Juice (1992) is a gritty crime drama directed by Ernest R. Dickerson — watch it online on iFILM. Four friends growing up in Harlem — Bishop, Q, Steel and Raheem — are caught between street life and something better. Q has a DJ set lined up for the night. Bishop has a gun and a plan to rob a convenience store.

Omar Epps plays Q, the one with real talent and real options. Tupac Shakur plays Bishop, whose hunger for power — for "juice," for respect — takes the group somewhere none of them can walk back from. Samuel L. Jackson and Queen Latifah appear in supporting roles. Dickerson, who had previously worked as cinematographer on Spike Lee's early films, shoots Harlem with an insider's eye.

The film holds up as a sharp portrait of how one night can close every door. Stream Juice (1992) on iFILM.