Belly

Ever since they were kids, Sincere (Nas) and Buns (DMX) have lived life close to the edge, doing whatever it takes to survive. As adults, they build up their kingdom of crime on drug dealing and robbery. But Sincere grows weary of the criminal lifestyle and joins a black Muslim religious group. Buns, on the other hand, sinks deeper into criminality and faces serious prison time. The cops offer him a deal—assassinate the head of the Muslim group, and he will go free.

Written and directed by Hype Williams, one of the most celebrated and prolific music video directors of all time (Wu-Tang Clan, The Notorious B.I.G., OutKast, Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, Missy Elliott, DMX, TLC, Dr. Dre, Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dog, Future, Jack White, Beyoncé, et al.), BELLY (1998) was plagued by production issues and seen as a dud by critics despite making millions from its relatively limited budget, much of which was spent on the dramatic opening sequence. Magic Johnson even refused to screen it at his theater chain.

Today, the film still has one of the biggest Rotten Tomatoes divides (20% critics, 87% audience) in history. But it’s now considered a cult film, seen in a new light by audiences almost 30 years later. Critic Khris Davenport recently wrote that Williams “blazed a trail in Black cinema that some filmmakers are only just now starting to understand and build upon.”