Juice

Movie review by Brian Costello, Common Sense Media
Juice Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 17+

Gun violence, profanity in gritty '90s crime drama.

R 1992 95 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 11+

Based on 1 review

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 4 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

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 suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Juice is a 1992 crime drama in which four teenage friends in Harlem go down a violent path after an attempted gunpoint robbery of a corner store goes horribly wrong. The lead characters shoplift at a record store, drink malt liquor, and smoke marijuana before one of the four (played by Tupac Shakur) becomes increasingly violent, resorting to his gun to solve any conflicts with friends or enemies. Shooting deaths and injuries, often at close range. Frequent profanity, including the "N" word, "f--k," and "motherf---er." Racial and homophobic slurs. A man attempts to rob a bar with a shotgun; a news report shortly after says that the man was shot and killed by the police. Some bullying -- members of a rival gang verbally and physically accost one of the lead characters. Lead characters talk about sex, claiming to have had sex with different girls in the neighborhood.

Community Reviews

lisa S.
lisa S. Adult
August 9, 2019
age 11+

Great Hood movie

There is a decent amount of language in this movie and a graphic scene or two but all in all it is a friendship movie and also shows some consequences of falling for peer pressure.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Q (Omar Epps), Bishop (Tupac Shakur), Raheem, and Steel are four teens growing up in Harlem in JUICE. Inseparable, they spend their days hanging out, facing frequent harassment from a Puerto Rican street gang, and running from the police. But Q has bigger dreams, hoping to pass an audition to compete in a local DJ competition. Meanwhile, Bishop is tired of running of feeling disrespected on the streets and wants the group to take part in an armed robbery of a neighborhood corner store. Q is hesitant, as the night of the planned robbery coincides with the DJ competition, but succumbs to Bishop's manipulation. The four enter the corner store, and just before they leave, Bishop shoots and kills the clerk. While Q, Steel, and Raheem struggle with being an accessory to a homicide, Bishop grows increasingly disturbed and violent. As Bishop begins to turn on friends and enemies alike, Q must find a way to stop him.

Is It Any Good?

Decades after its initial release, this film has stood the test of time. Its message of the lengths young men will go to find some control over their own destiny remains eternally relevant. Tupac Shakur's portrayal of a teen who grows increasingly dependent on gun violence to overcome feelings of powerlessness with friends and enemies alike manages to retain some depth and nuance, even as the character becomes more like a two-dimensional bad guy as the movie goes on.

The plot loses some of the initial energy and originality as Shakur's character grows more evil. The horror movie tropes of Bishop (Shakur's character) appearing seemingly out of nowhere (with the requisite horror movie background music) is cheesy and superfluous. This aspect is what keeps Juice from being a classic crime drama. And yet, despite this, the themes of the movie remain central to the story, and what ultimately resonates is the coming-of-age tragedy of four friends, lost lives, and lost dreams.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about crime dramas. What are some of the elements of crime dramas, and what are some of the ways in which Juice can be classified as a crime drama?

  • One of the lead characters is portrayed by Tupac Shakur, who has since become a hip-hop icon. Does the criminal behavior of the character he portrays set a bad example for impressionable viewers, or do you think viewers can separate fiction from reality?

  • How are the characters shown resisting and succumbing to peer pressure?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

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