Netflix This: Spike Lee’s 25th Hour

This week on Netflix This, I’ve got a great recommendation to add to your queue. The film is 25th Hour, and is, in my opinion, the best, most powerful and most compelling film from director Spike Lee’s 30+ year career. I know, I know, “but what about Malcom X, Do The Right Thing, He Got Game, etc.?” Nah dude. 25th Hour is not only Lee’s crowning achievement as a director, but it is also one of the most powerful dramas I’ve ever seen. It’s THAT good.

The cast is absolutely amazing, featuring: Edward Norton, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson, Brian Cox, Barry Pepper and Anna Paquin., all of whom give powerhouse performances. The story is simple, Norton plays Monty, a 30-something drug dealer living in New York City who gets busted by the DEA. With the amount of cocaine Monty is caught with, he is set to go to prison for a long time. The film then follows Monty as he tries to salvage the tattered relationships with his friends (Hoffman and Pepper), his girlfriend (Dawson) and his father (Cox) during his last 24 hours of freedom. Not to mention try and convince the Russian mob boss he works for that he didn’t snitch.

The film was shot in 2002 and highlights the post-9/11 New York City atmosphere. As always, Lee stirs up deep-seeded racial issues and holds up a mirror to society and every movie-goer’s stereotype perceptions, whether they would like to admit them or not. It’s a truly powerful experience that should quench any film fan’s thirst for great acting, a great story and a truly great film.

Netflix This: 25th Hour

What Do You Think? Discuss.