Matty Rich made this film when he was just 19 years old for £450,000 using credit cards and donations secured from a local radio station. It was a critical success and grossed $2.7 million at the box office.

This fact is in stark contrast to the events of the film as a young black male tries to free himself and his family from a Brooklyn housing project, via a briefcase full of stolen drug money. Its a hard watch. An American kitchen sink drama that doesn't pull any punches - least of all with the relationship between the mother and her abusive drunk husband, played by George T. Odom. A complex man, broken by a lifetime of racism and persecution by 'the white man', his frustration and rage past down to his son. Lawrence Gilliard Jr, of The Wire fame, also makes a powerful debut, trapped on the wrong side of the river only able to gaze across at the Manhattan skyscrapers beyond.

You can certainly see the film's influence on the 'Urban' genre (especially evident in Juice) and if you're looking for a gritty version of Boyz N The Hood then look no further.