Do The Right Thing (1989)

Tempers flare, emotions run high, and a white-run pizza parlor in a black Brooklyn neighborhood becomes the center of a violent conflict on a hot summer day in Spike Lee’s acclaimed, controversial look at race relations. Lee stars as Mookie, who delivers pizzas for Sal (Danny Aiello), but soon finds himself caught up in the brewing racial tension. Giancarlo Esposito, John Turturro, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Bill Nunn, and Rosie Perez also star. 120 min. C/Rtg: R

Mo’ Better Blues (1990)

Spike Lee’s enthralling, beautifully photographed look at the jazz world stars Denzel Washington as Bleek Gilliam, a talented, driven trumpet player who puts his career above the two women in his life, and loyalty to his ineffectual manager (Lee) above his combo’s success. Cynda Williams, Joie Lee, Wesley Snipes, and Giancarlo Esposito co-star; lively jazz score by Bill Lee, Branford Marsalis, and others. 130 min. C/Rtg: R

Jungle Fever (1991)

Romance blooms between a black Harlem architect and his secretary, an Italian-American from Bensonhurst, but relatives and friends on both sides have strong reactions to their steamy, stormy relationship in Spike Lee’s controversial comedy-drama. Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, John Turturro, and Lee star; Stevie Wonder performs his own score. 132 min. C/Rtg: R

Crooklyn (1994)

Spike Lee’s compassionate, free-spirited film looks at the joys, sorrows and struggles of a black family living in Brooklyn in the early 1970s. Schoolteacher Carolyn (Alfre Woodard) and unemployed jazz musician Woody (Delroy Lindo) are confronted by domestic and financial crises as they courageously try to raise their four boys and one girl. Zelda Harris, David Patrick Kelly, and Lee co-star. 114 min. C/Rtg: PG-13

Clockers (1995)

Spike Lee’s forceful adaptation of Richard Price’s acclaimed novel focuses on a young drug dealer named Strike who is asked by his boss to commit a murder. When Strike’s law-abiding brother confesses to the crime, a police detective doesn’t believe him--and searches for the truth in the case. Harvey Keitel, Delroy Lindo, John Turturro, and Mekhi Phifer star. 129 min. C/Rtg: R

Inside Man (2006)

What appears to be a Wall Street bank heist becomes a dangerous hostage incident for NYPD detective Denzel Washington, assigned to negotiate with master thief Clive Owen. Things take yet another turn when mysterious power broker Jodie Foster, sent to the scene by bank president Christopher Plummer, arrives and hidden agendas emerge. Spike Lee’s gripping thriller also stars Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor. 129 min. C/Rtg: R

BlacKkKlansman (2018)

In 1979, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) became the first African-American cop to serve in Colorado Springs. He very improbably drew the duty of engineering an infiltration of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan...and just as stunningly, with his white Jewish partner (Adam Driver) acting as the front, he brought it off. Spike Lee’s audacious, timely, and "based on some fo’ real fo’ real sh*t" comedy co-stars Laura Harrier, Alec Baldwin, Ryan Eggold, and Topher Grace as David Duke. 135 min. C/Rtg: R