In inner-city Los Angeles, Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) is fired from her job as a bank teller and gains employment at a low-wage janitorial service with her friends Tisean (Kimberly Elise), a single mother; Cleo (Queen Latifah), a brash, butch lesbian; and Stony (Jada Pinkett Smith), who is simply trying to keep her head above water. The four women turn to armed bank robbery to pay the bills. Their newfound success brings unwanted attention from an obsessive detective (John C. McGinley), causing distrust among the close friend group as they attempt to evade the consequences of their crimes. Directed by acclaimed music video and film director F. Gary Gray (Friday), Set It Off reinvigorated the heist film through its focus on Black women’s lives and use of a contemporary R&B and hip-hop soundtrack, making it one of the most well-regarded films of 90s Black cinema.
Presented by The Connector.