Crime Thriller Starring The Most Iconic Rapper Is Being Forgotten, Stream Without Netflix
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 30 years, you’re almost certainly familiar with the ultra-prolific 90’s rapper Tupac Shakur, who tragically died at the age of 25 in 1996. Now that it’s been nearly 30 years since the passing of the celebrated poet, many young people may not realize that Shakur was also an accomplished actor, appearing in the leading roles of a number of classic films. One of Tupac’s best movies, 1992’s Juice, is criminally underrepresented on streaming platforms, with only a few options to watch currently available.
Juice Written And Directed By Ernest R. Dickerson
Juice was written and directed by Ernest R. Dickerson, in his feature film debut. Dickerson previously held experience as a cinematographer, working on films such as Spike Lee’s 1989 classic Do The Right Thing.
Since finding success with Juice, Dickerson has gone on to direct films such as Bulletproof, Bones, and Never Die Alone, as well as a wide array of television spots, including nearly a dozen episodes of AMC’s The Walking Dead.
Starring Tupac Shakur And Omar Epps
The film stars Jermaine Hopkins, Khalil Kain, and House‘s Omar Epps alongside Tupac Shakur, with small supporting roles taken on by Samuel L. Jackson and Queen Latifah.
Juice centers on a group of young, misguided kids from Harlem, who regularly ditch school to steal from local stores and get into coming-of-age shenanigans.
The boys, Bishop, Q, Raheem, and Steel, are plagued by violence and systemic poverty in their neighborhood, witnessing police brutality and gang activity on a daily basis.
Tupac Shakur’s Star Turn
Bishop, portrayed by Tupac Shakur, decides that he can no longer sit by and watch as he and his friends remain victims and chooses to procure a gun in an effort to earn more respect or “juice” in the streets.
Though the other three youths have great trepidation, they agree to join Bishop on a robbery at a local convenience store.
During the robbery, Bishop panics, and fatally shoots the store owner, elevating a simple play for respect into a full-on homicide.
The Plot Thickens
As the plot of Juice continues to thicken, Bishop begins to systematically take out his friends, fearing that they’ll turn him into the police. Additionally, Q begins to suspect that Bishop has developed an addition to the thrill of murder, making his once-best friend a bloodthirsty rival.
In the end, Q and Bishop fight one another for their survival, resulting in one victor truly earning the respect of the gangsters within their Harlem community.
A Hit With Critics
Juice was immediately beloved by critics, resulting in an 80 percent certified fresh critic score on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. The film is reported to have made over $20 million at the global box office, against an estimated production budget of only $5 million.
Despite the film not being available to view on most traditional streaming platforms, Juice is a certified classic.
Streaming Juice
For those interested in catching Juice, the film can be streamed on Pluto TV, or Paramount+ with an Apple TV+ add-on package. The classic movie can also be purchased on a number of digital retailers such as Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV.
