Every Spike Lee Movie Ranked Worst To Best

25th Hour, based on the novel of the same name by Game of Thrones co-creator David Benioff, follows a convicted drug dealer (Edward Norton) during his last day of freedom before a seven-year prison sentence.

A film all about acceptance, growth and closure, it's been acclaimed over the years for its portrayal of a post-9/11 New York, with Lee integrating the tragedy into Benioff's script in hopes of catching a glimpse of life in a nation forever shaken and still lost in mourning.

What follows is a startlingly personal film where Norton reconnects with old friends (Barry Pepper, Philip Seymour Hoffman), his father (Brian Cox), and his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson), and confronts his failures, flaws and future.

It's a sombre assessment of grief and fear, complete with a set of career-best performances, an epic monologue courtesy of a rarely-better Norton, and a final scene that stands tall as Lee's most unforgettable movie finale.