Do the Right Thing

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Do the Right Thing

R

Released Jun 30, 1989

2h 0m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

92%

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150 Reviews

89%

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50,000+ Ratings

Salvatore "Sal" Fragione (Danny Aiello) is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito), becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.

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Critics Consensus

Smart, vibrant, and urgent without being didactic, Do the Right Thing is one of Spike Lee's most fully realized efforts -- and one of the most important films of the 1980s.

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Eleanor Ringel Cater

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Spike, baby, you're beautiful when you're angry.

Mar 21, 2025

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Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

[Do the Right Thing] uses its abundant energy simply to knock down bridges that have been built and raise the wall of the ghetto mentality a row or two higher.

Mar 21, 2025

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Derek Malcolm

Guardian

...Do the Right Thing is a welcome return to Spike Lee's best form after the disappointment of School Daze...

Mar 21, 2025

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Stephen Hunter

Baltimore Sun

..."Do the Right Thing" is like a prism: You beam your own hot glare of racial animosity onto it, and it refracts it into a rainbow spray of understanding. It tells you why you hate, which may be the way to stop hating.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 21, 2025

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Hal Lipper

Tampa Bay Times

Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing is the most poignant, disturbing and frighteningly real film about race relations ever made by a black American film maker.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 21, 2025

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Michael D. Reid

Victoria Times Colonist (B.C., Canada)

As the ugliness of racism flares up in our own backyard, Do the Right Thing couldn't be more timely. It begs for understanding with a bracing freshness and compassion.

Rated: 5/5

Mar 21, 2025

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Jerrod G

The weak "Time to fight back" plot with not too much acting just can't hold the test of time

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/21/25

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Benjamin H

An essential, thematically rich and impactful piece of 80s cinema that is both lively and thought provoking, Do the Right Thing is a very intelligent and affecting movie that manages to balance comedy with hard hitting social commentary, which can be attributed to the level of quality presented in Spike Lee's writing and direction plus the excellent work by the talented cast.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/14/25

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Audience Member

To this day, I refer back to this movie's urgent message in conversation. It has left an important impact on me. I am a white, middle-class woman of 69 years. Was in my 30s when this movie grabbed me into its world. Spike Lee is a genius.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/01/25

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Farah R

I understand its cultural significance, but Do the Right Thing was overstimulating and unenjoyable.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/21/25

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Fer S

It is a good movie with great cinematography, but I thought it was unnecessarily long.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/20/25

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Grant P

This film was amazing. I really liked all the saturated and bright colors which added to the fact that the movie was set on the hottest day of the summer. All of the fun and interesting characters made the film a fun watch, but the death scene added an unexpected seriousness. Also, the quotes at the end of the film really wrapped everything up nicely. I would definitely recommend this movie to others.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/16/24

Full Review

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Spike Lee

Director

Danny Aiello

Sal

Ossie Davis

Da Mayor

Ruby Dee

Mother Sister

Richard Edson

Vito

Giancarlo Esposito

Buggin Out

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Da Mayor & Mother Sister

1:38

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Fight the Power

3:00

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Your Jordans Are F***ed Up!

2:23

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - No Nasty

3:17

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Destroying Sal's

2:59

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - 20 "D" Batteries

1:15

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - LOVE and HATE

1:51

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Racist Stereotypes

3:04

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Boycott Sal's!

3:00

Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Today's Forecast

1:24

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Do the Right Thing: Do The Right Thing's Best Scenes

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Synopsis

Salvatore "Sal" Fragione (Danny Aiello) is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out (Giancarlo Esposito), becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.

Director: Spike Lee
Producer: Spike Lee
Screenwriter: Spike Lee
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 30, 1989, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jun 28, 2019
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 30, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.0M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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