Do the Right Thing

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Do the Right Thing

R

1989

2h 0m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

150 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

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

03/21/2025

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

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Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

03/21/2025

[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

03/21/2025

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

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 22

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

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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Stephen Hunter

Baltimore Sun

03/21/2025

3.5/4

..."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.

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anthony j

Feb 27

so good. still relevant as ever.

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rex W

@RT11010153 1d

This didn't do it for me then or now. The negative stereotypes are alarming. No one in the entire community seemed to work except Spike Lee's character, who was always late. I think this film gets more praise than it deserves because, surprisingly, it shows great sympathy for the white characters' points of view.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Jan 27

I'm not a Spike Lee fan, and I haven't seen many of his movies, but I think this is a really good one by him. It's really vibrant and unique style wise.

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Noah H

@Noah85 Jan 10

It's a good movie with a good message but there's a LOT of swearing. Definitely DON'T watch it with any kids around.

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Michael H

@Mixhael Dec 8

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

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Chris M

@RT42095019 Aug 23

Amateurish writing with overacting that was typical of the 80s. Good strong message though that needed to be heard.

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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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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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