It’s crazy watching a movie that you first watched as a child as an adult. Specifically one as groundbreaking as F. Gary Gray’s Set it Off. I was about 12 or 13 when Set it Off hit the theaters in 1996. I remember feeling like it was one of those films that I could only watch once because I had grown so attached to the characters and seeing them die at the end really bothered me.
Although I enjoyed the film, my 12-year-old mind couldn’t truly appreciate it. It wasn’t until revisiting the film 20 years later, that I was able to see it for the revolutionary piece that it truly is. Each of the actresses brought their all to the screen and because the characters were so relatable, so human, viewing it is an empowering experience. Yes, it does remind you of Thelma and Louise. However, this film takes several steps forward as it affirms the beauty and strength in black female friendships while carefully documenting the intersections of gender, race and socioeconomic status which led these women to make the decisions that they made.
I’m obsessed with “behind the scenes” featurettes and documentaries…so I was elated when I found Set it Straight: The Making of Set it Off online. It’s wonderful to see how the cast and crew came together to make this classic.