Six movies starring black actresses to set the mood for Women’s History Month

Set it Off

The movie stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise, among others.

Plot

Four childhood girlfriends from the ‘hood’ are fed up with their lives of hardship, as working-class inner-city friends who work full-time but can hardly pay their bills. The college-bound young brother of cleaning lady, “Stony”, is needlessly killed by police. Another is falsely accused of conspiring to rob a bank, and she figures she might as well go ahead and rob one.

Bank teller, “Frankie”, is falsely accused of collusion when someone she happens to know from the projects robs her bank. Justifiable anger, resentment, and a sense of futility moves Frankie to suggest they get back at the establishment, use her knowledge of banking procedures, and rob some banks.

“Cleo” is their convicted car thief friend, who provides weapons and getaway car. The last friend, “TT”, who is a struggling single mom, is motivated to participate after she loses her child to social welfare because she can’t afford babysitting while she works.

The hopelessness of black families living in projects is vividly depicted. Do they have it all to make the heist a success, find out in the movie.