Friday after Next (2002)
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After a robbery leaves them broke and facing eviction, two cousins must navigate a chaotic Christmas Eve filled with odd jobs and neighborhood drama.
The story
On Christmas Eve, cousins Craig and Day-Day have their apartment burglarized by a man dressed as Santa Claus, who steals their presents and rent money. Faced with the threat of eviction from their landlady, Ms. Pearly, the two take on jobs as security guards at a local shopping center. While patrolling, they encounter various neighborhood characters, including their fathers who run a nearby BBQ rib restaurant. The cousins must navigate a series of comedic mishaps, including being chased by thugs and dealing with the eccentricities of their new employer, all while trying to secure enough money to keep their home.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
On Christmas Eve, a robber dressed as Santa Claus breaks into Craig and Day-Day's apartment, stealing their presents and rent money. Their landlady, Ms. Pearly, threatens eviction unless they pay by the end of the day, leading the cousins to work as security guards for Moly at a shopping center. During their shift, Day-Day causes trouble with carolers, and the cousins are robbed again by the same man. They also encounter Donna and her pimp, Money Mike, and later get fired after a gang of thugs beats up Moly. To recoup their money, Craig and Day-Day host a rent party. The party becomes chaotic as Money Mike is confronted by Ms. Pearly's son, Damon, an ex-con with homosexual tendencies. Meanwhile, Craig's mother, Betty, catches Ms. Pearly trying to seduce Willie. The cousins eventually ambush the robber in his hideout, retrieve their belongings, and tie him up. They eventually buy off the police with marijuana and Craig successfully woos Donna.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 85
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Marcus Raboy
- Writers
- Ice Cube · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ice Cube · Craig Jones; Mike Epps · Daymond "Day-Day" Jones; John Witherspoon · Willie Jones; Don "D.C." Curry · Elroy Jones; Anna Maria Horsford · Betty Jones; Clifton Powell · Pinky; Bebe Drake · Ms. Pearly; K. D. Aubert · Donna
- Genres
- stoner comedy; Christmas comedy; buddy comedy; musical; crime comedy; LGBTQ-related comedy
- Themes
- financial struggle; family dynamics; neighborhood life
- Tone and mood
- raunchy; chaotic; low-down humor
- Setting
- A shopping center and apartment complex during Christmas Eve in the early 2000s.
- Premise and plot tags
- security guards; robbery; rent party; holiday comedy
- Franchise connections
- Friday trilogy
- Content notes
- LGBTQ-related; cannabis
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews, though it was considered an improvement over its predecessor. It was described as shapeless and stale by some critics, while others praised its raunchy humor.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 35 · scale: 100 · review count: 24; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- A fourth film is in early development.; The film grossed $33.5 million against a $10 million budget.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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