Common Sense Media Review
By Alistair Lawrence
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
'90s crime drama has drugs, racism, violence, swearing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Clockers
What's the Story?
CLOCKERS tells the story of Strike (Mekhi Phifer), an inner city drug dealer who becomes a suspect in a murder case.
Is It Any Good?
It might lack the memorable set pieces and performances of director Spike Lee's better-known work, but this tightly-plotted crime drama has become something of a cult favorite. Adapted for the screen from Richard Price's lengthy novel, Clockers removes much of the book's setup and instead focuses on the events that spiral out of control following a drug dealer's murder. Phifer might not have the star power to truly shine as central character Ronald "Strike" Dunham, but from the lengthy, music video-esque opening set piece he plays Strike with an every man quality to make his long-since compromised sense of morality understandable. Delroy Lindo and Harvey Keitel get the more interesting roles as drug kingpin Ronald and unrelenting police detective Rocco, and neither shy away from making their presence felt.
Clockers is of its time and now feels slightly dated because of it. A more modern take would've perhaps given us more of the lives of the supporting characters endangered by the local drug trade, as was explored in later seasons of The Wire and other TV series. But it remains a well-crafted crime drama and feels real and true enough to still hit close to home.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Clockers. Did the blood and gore seem over the top? Did the violent scenes help tell the story in an effective way? Is it shocking or thrilling? Why? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
How did the movie portray drug dealing and drug use? Did you think it was an accurate portrayal? Were there consequences for those involved? Why is that important?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie -- particularly the homophobic and racist slurs. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
Talk about Rocco's murder investigation. How was he different to the other police officers? Did he ever use tactics that were confusing, or that you thought were wrong?
Discuss the world in which the movie is set. Did it remind you of any other movies that you've seen?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 13, 1995
- On DVD or streaming : January 5, 1999
- Cast : Mekhi Phifer , Harvey Keitel , Delroy Lindo
- Director : Spike Lee
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Director(s) , African American Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Book Characters
- Run time : 128 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong graphic violence, strong language and drug content
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate