Chi-Raq

Set in the Southside of Chicago, where the toll of gun violence has led residents to nickname their city "Chi-Raq," the film follows two rival gang factions whose running conflict claims the lives of bystanders, including a young child. In response, a group of women led by Lysistrata organizes against the bloodshed and takes an unconventional stand, a sex strike aimed at forcing the men to end the killing. Their movement grows into a broader challenge to the violence, race and sexual politics surrounding them. The story is a modern-day adaptation of Aristophanes' ancient Greek comedy Lysistrata.

Spike Lee directed and produced the film and wrote the screenplay with Kevin Willmott. It is the twenty-second of the twenty-six features he has directed in chronological order, coming after Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth and before BlacKkKlansman. Teyonah Parris leads as Lysistrata, opposite Nick Cannon as Demetrius "Chi-Raq" Dupree. Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett, Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack are among the main cast, with seventy-one credited cast members and forty-four credited crew.

Released in December 2015 by Amazon Studios, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks and Roadside Attractions, the film runs 127 minutes and blends comedy, crime and drama. On IMDb it holds 7.4/10 from 151 reviews, while on TMDB it sits at 5.7/10 from 233 votes.