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Usher holds a school hostage and somehow you're rooting for him.
TMDB
67
IMDb
60
Rotten Tomatoes
40
Audience Score
76
Google
71
Watch(US)

Light It Up (1999)

90s griturban pressure cookeryouth rebellion

Overview

DramaThriller

On a winter day in a southside Queens high school, events collide and six students are suddenly in an armed standoff with the NYPD. At the school, classrooms freeze, teachers come and go, resources are scant.

Flag of USUS
Content warning

Standout Aspects

Acting

Usher's surprisingly gripping dramatic debut.

Writing

Tight script that humanizes every side.

Best for:Solo: Late night when you want to feel something raw.·Friends: With someone who argues about cop movies after.
Heads up:Violence: Gun violence, police standoff with casualties.
C

Director

Craig Bolotin

ReleasedNov 4, 1999
Runtime1h 39m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast
Intensityhigh
Tonedark
Feelheavy
Budget$13M·Revenue$6.0M
Fox 2000 Pictures
Edmonds Entertainment Group

Top Cast

Usher

Usher

Lester Dewitt

Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams

Audrey McDonald

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker

Officer Dante Jackson

Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson

Stephanie Williams

Robert Ri'chard

Robert Ri'chard

Zacharias 'Ziggy' Malone

Judd Nelson

Judd Nelson

Ken Knowles

Fredro Starr

Fredro Starr

Rodney J. Templeton

Sara Gilbert

Sara Gilbert

Lynn Sabatini

Clifton Collins Jr.

Clifton Collins Jr.

Robert 'Rivers' Tremont

Glynn Turman

Glynn Turman

Principal Allan Armstrong

Vic Polizos

Vic Polizos

Capt. Monroe

Dale Rivera

Dale Rivera

Security Guard (Bob)

LeShay N. Tomlinson

LeShay N. Tomlinson

Student

Adam Gifford

Adam Gifford

Cop #2

Ask about Light It Up

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

This was Usher's first major dramatic role; he took it specifically to prove he could act beyond his R&B image.

Cultural

Released two years after the real-life shooting of Amadou Diallo, the film deliberately echoes NYPD tensions that defined late-90s New York.

YouTube

90s Week: Light It Up (Theatrical Trailer)

90s Week: Light It Up (Theatrical Trailer)

Gallery

Reviews

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