Friday (1995)
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Two unemployed friends must navigate a dangerous debt to a drug dealer and a local bully during a single afternoon in South Central Los Angeles.
The story
Craig Jones, a recently fired and unemployed slacker living in South Central Los Angeles, spends Friday with his best friend Smokey, a small-time drug peddler. The pair smoke a brokered consignment of marijuana, which Smokey was tasked to sell for his drug supplier, Big Worm. When Big Worm attempts to collect his money, he involves Craig and issues a harsh ultimatum: if they cannot produce $200 by 10:00 PM that evening, they will be killed. The two men must navigate their neighborhood, dealing with various acquaintances and a local bully, to find the money before time runs out.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Craig Jones, an unemployed slacker in South Central Los Angeles, spends the day with his friend Smokey, a small-time drug peddler. After they smoke a consignment of marijuana intended for Smokey's supplier, Big Worm, the man demands $200 by 10:00 PM or they will be killed. Craig attempts to gather funds from family and friends, including his mother, sister, and girlfriend Joi, who suspects him of infidelity. Meanwhile, the neighborhood bully Deebo forces Smokey to participate in a burglary, but Deebo steals the $200. After a series of tense encounters and a shootout with Big Worm's men, Craig defeats Deebo in a physical altercation. Smokey eventually settles his debt with Big Worm, declaring he will quit selling drugs and enter rehabilitation, ending the film with a humorous remark to the camera.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 91
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- F. Gary Gray
- Writers
- Ice Cube · writer; DJ Pooh · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ice Cube · Craig Jones; Chris Tucker · Smokey; Nia Long · Debbie; Tiny "Zeus" Lister Jr. · Deebo; Anna Maria Horsford · Betty Jones; Regina King · Dana Jones; Paula Jai Parker · Joi; John Witherspoon · William "Willie" Jones
- Genres
- buddy stoner comedy; comedy; musical
- Themes
- friendship; neighborhood life
- Tone and mood
- comedy; vibrant; crass
- Premise and plot tags
- buddy comedy; stoner comedy; crime; urban
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics who praised the comedy, writing, and performances, particularly from the leads. It was a commercial success and gained a large cult following, inspiring memes and pop-culture references.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 77% · review count: 30; Metacritic · score: 54 · scale: 100 · review count: 9
- Production trivia
- The film was one of the few Hollywood productions with an all-Black principal cast and crew.; A scene in the film is the source of the internet meme 'Bye, Felicia'.; Director Quentin Tarantino counted Friday as one of his 20 favorite movies from 1992 to 2009.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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