Film Genre Research: Menace II Society

The film begins with a black screen with character dialogue and atmospheric noise before showing the two characters enter a market. The dialogue is conversational. A handheld camera captures a two shot of the two talking and walking through the market. A camera on a track shows them walking to the back of the store. The store owner lady comes into the view and stands by the two characters. A back and forth edit between them and the owner lady shows the one character telling her to mind her business and her continuing to  look at them. They pick out beers from the fridge while the camera continues to switch to the lady looking at them. When the one character opens the beer, the camera quickly pans to the store owner man who shouts not to drink the beer in the store. It pans back to the characters who say they are going to pay. The lady follows them as they walk toward the counter, and the one character gets increasingly provoked by her. He curses at her and she tells them firmly to hurry up and buy the beer. A close up of her face shows her anger as she continues to follow them. The owner man tells them to hurry up. He seems on edge about their presence. Several back and forth shots between the man, lady, and characters appear as they purchase the beer. As they leave, the man makes a comment about the character's mother, which provokes him. The camera zooms on his face as he walks back to the counter. The two start arguing while the second character drinks his beer. As the camera is on him, gunshots are heard, followed by the lady screaming. An insert shot of his beer breaking on the floor comes before a shot of the one character shooting behind the counter. A two shot of the one character and the screaming lady follows. He forces her to the back to get the camera footage. An eye-line match of the second character as he looks over the counter shows the man's dead body on the floor. A struggle between the lady and the one character is audible before gunshots silence it. The one character emerges from the back and begins opening the register and looting the man's body. The second character is panicking and telling the other character to hurry up. He runs out and is followed by the other character. A voice-over of the second character plays over them running. Sirens and a car can be heard screeching away.
Budget: 3.5 million
Box Office: 27.9 million
Winning Nominations: Best Movie (MTV Awards), Best Cinematography (Spirit Awards)