X
- 1996
- R
- New Line Cinema
- 2 h 3 m
- 1996
- R
- New Line Cinema
- 2 h 3 m
Summary Desperation drives four inner-city women to bank robbery in Los Angeles, then they start mistrusting each other.
Directed By: F. Gary Gray
Written By: Takashi Bufford, Kate Lanier
- 1996
- R
- New Line Cinema
- 2 h 3 m
- 1996
- R
- New Line Cinema
- 2 h 3 m
Set It Off
62
4.5
Where to Watch
Summary Desperation drives four inner-city women to bank robbery in Los Angeles, then they start mistrusting each other.
Directed By: F. Gary Gray
Written By: Takashi Bufford, Kate Lanier
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 24 Critic Reviews
62
71% Positive
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
21% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
8% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 24 Critic Reviews
62
71% Positive
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
21% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
8% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Set It Off is advertised as a thriller about four black women who rob banks. But it's a lot more than that. It creates a portrait of the lives of these women that's so observant and informed; it's like “Waiting to Exhale” with a strong jolt of reality.
There is an interesting intelligence at work in Set It Off. This, a number of far-better-than-average performances, and a kind of unique naivete all combine to make a film that, like the robberies these women commit, might have gone terribly awry and didn't. [15 Nov 1996, p.L30]
The action sequences deliver, as do the performances. You want these characters to make it, and their destinies are compelling to behold.
There is a sequence where his four felons parody a sitdown from The Godfather that is both inept and painfully out of place. But there's enough in Set It Off to set it apart and to argue that, when it comes to putting a new spin on the inner-city heist, you're better off with the ladies. [06 Nov 1996, p.E01]
The actresses work hard to give spark to some of the predictable scenes and dialogue in the screenplay by Kate Lanier and Takashi Bufford. Their fine work eclipses the fact that the film gives us very little information about most of them.
The problem is that their heists are poorly executed, and most of the actresses (especially Queen Latifah) wildly overact. [08 Nov 1996, p.A]
Stupid and exploitive, the movie is loaded with cartoonish gunplay, car chases and strange allusions to The Godfather. This is an offer you'll gladly refuse. [06 Nov 1996, p.5D]
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 6 User Ratings
4.5
50% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
17% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
33% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 6 User Ratings
4.5
50% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
17% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
33% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Awards
Acapulco Black Film Festival
• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations
Image Awards (NAACP)
• 3 Nominations
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
