Do the Right Thing

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Do the Right Thing

R

1989

2h 0m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

92%

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151 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

Mar 21, 2025

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

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Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

Mar 21, 2025

[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.

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Derek Malcolm

Guardian

Mar 21, 2025

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

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James Profetto

Reel James (YouTube)

Jul 4, 2026

10/10

Easily one of the best movies I've ever seen!

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 22, 2026

4/4

An out-and-out masterpiece, Spike Lee's best movie also remains the most penetrating film ever made about race relations in these United States.

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Peter Keough

Boston Phoenix

Apr 1, 2025

In Do the Right Thing Lee has progressed beyond tour de force and experiment; he’s succeeded in wedding subject and form in an aesthetic whole.

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anthony j

Feb 27, 2026

so good. still relevant as ever.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 4, 2026

Do The Right Thing = a *4 and 1/2* star movie!

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Ari S

@RT76826585 Aug 9, 2026

Do the Right Thing is funny, furious, vibrant, and deeply human. A film that can make you laugh one minute and leave you sitting in silence the next. The performances are extraordinary, filled with energy, humor, anger, and heartbreaking authenticity. Every character feels alive, carrying their own history, pride, frustrations, and contradictions. Beneath the heat and rhythm of the neighborhood is a powerful question about what we owe one another when everything starts to boil over. A brilliant, unforgettable film that still feels painfully alive.

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Edin S.

@sefer1 Jul 25, 2026

A reflective film of its era and prescient at the same time. Simply great.

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Ketemama B.

@Ketemama Jun 12, 2026

Brilliant, a true slice of life in Brooklyn NY.

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Christopher M

@RT27122576 Jun 7, 2026

I really enjoyed this movie. The complex characters, a message that's still relevant today, great cinematography, and the way the message so perfectly conveyed in the end; all make for an amazing experience.

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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

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Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Fight the Power

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

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Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - No Nasty

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

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

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Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - LOVE and HATE

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Do the Right Thing: Official Clip - Racist Stereotypes

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

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

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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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