8. Menace II Society (1993)
Here's the debut that put the Hughes Brothers on the map (though it's safe to say they haven't made a better movie since).
Menace II Society, perhaps inspired by the success of similar urban crime thrillers like
Boys 'N The Hood, tells the story of Caine, a car thief and drug dealer struggling to find his way in an incredibly dangerous and impoverished area of Los Angeles. It's bleak, nightmarish and brilliant. Don't let the weird title put you off, okay?
The Influence?Menance II Society was a clear and obvious influence for that of
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, right down to some very specific details. The overall setting and tone are obviously comparable here, but several characters in the Grove Street Family are noticeably based on O-Dog from
Menace. There's also a whole section of the game that resembles a part of the movie, where characters are left stranded in rival gang territory. A line of dialogue from
Menace ("I feel sorry for your dad,") is repeated in
San Andreas under similar circumstances, too.