La Haine

1995
France
15

Directed by: Mathieu Kassovitz
Cast: Hubert Koundé, Vincent Cassel, Saïd Taghmaoui

As racial and class tensions run high on a Parisian housing project in the aftermath of a riot, three young guys (Cassel, Koundé, Taghmaoui) find a gun. Kassovitz's blistering portrayal of underclass anger and police brutality is fuelled by star-making performances from the three leads, especially Cassel in his breakout performance as the hotheaded Vinz, but it's a true ensemble film and a landmark of 90s cinema.