There aren’t many black filmmakers who have achieved the level of success of F Gary Gray. While he may not be a popular name in film and television, many of Gray’s films have been back-to-back box-office hits. Yet, it isn’t only filmmaking that he has been known for.
Before Gray began directing films, he had earned a reputation as a director of several award-winning, critically acclaimed music videos. Gray directed music videos of popular artists like Ice Cube, Usher, Dr. Dre, Whitney Houston, Jay-Z, and a lot of others. Honoring his creative talents in film, these are the top 7 F Gary Gray films.
Friday (1995)
Friday (1995) is one of the most popular black-cast films of the mid-90s. Although it was a sleeper hit, it has received a large cult following and pop culture references over the years. Interestingly, Friday was F. Gary Gray’s directorial debut. The film became the first installment of the Friday trilogy. Although not the highest-grossing film in the franchise, it had the lowest production budget and was still a Box Office hit. It grossed $27.4 million on a $3.5 million budget. It holds a 91% Audience Score rating and a 76% Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Friday’s star-studded cast includes Ice Cube, Chris Tucker, Bernie Mac, Regina King, Nia Long, Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr., and John Witherspoon.
Set It Off (1996)
F. Gary Gray is definitely one of the directors who beat the sophomore slump. After breaking into the film industry with the successful Friday (1995), he returned the next year with the heist crime action film Set It Off (1996). The film’s plot is set in Los Angeles, California, and sees four women plan and execute a plan to rob a bank. Set It Off starred Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise in her feature film debut. Everything about the movie was a hit. Critics and audiences loved it; chemistry and performances were praised, and its soundtrack peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200. Set It Off grossed $41.6 million on a $9 million production budget.
The Negotiator (1998)
By the end of the ’90s, F Gary Gray had positioned himself as one of the fastest-rising black directors in Hollywood. With a larger production budget of $43.5 million, Gray directed the action thriller The Negotiator (1998). The film cast Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey as its lead stars. Although The Negotiator received positive reviews, holds a 79% Audience Score rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and did moderately at the Box Office, promotion and distribution costs left Warner Bros. with a $13 million loss.
The Italian Job (2003)
The Italian Job was the second of F Gary Gray’s films released in 2003. The movie was loosely based on and also a remake of the 1969 British film of the same name. Besides the plot, name, and characters, Gray ensured the film had a unique spin from its original. While not an easy thing to do, Gray pulled it off successfully, with critics comparing it favorably to the original film. 2003 The Italian Job became Gary’s first film to cross the $100 million mark at the Box Office. It earned $176.1 million on a $60 million budget. Unsurprisingly, a significant part of the budget was for the salaries of the film’s star-studded cast. They included Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron, Donald Sutherland, Edward Norton, Jason Statham, Seth Green, and Mos Def.
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
F Gary Gray’s next film after The Italian Job, Be Cool (2005), did moderately at the Box Office. However, he returned four years later with another successful film. Law Abiding Citizen (2009) is a vigilante action thriller that stars Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler as its lead cast. While the audience greatly received it (judging by its box office earnings), critical reviews were mostly negative. It has a 26% Tomatometer rating from 163 critics’ reviews and a 75% Audience Score rating from over 250,000 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. F Gary Gray was hired after Frank Darabont walked away because of creative differences with the film’s producers.
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Straight Outta Compton (2015) was F Gary Gray’s first biographical drama film as a filmmaker. The movie was based on the popular Hip Hop group N.W.A. Gary worked closely with them and their family members to ensure a better portrayal of the group members. N.W.A. members included Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella. Ice Cube’s real-life son, O’Shea Jackson Jr., portrayed his father’s character in the film. Straight Outta Compton was unarguably an all-round success. It crossed the $200 million mark at the Box Office, grossing $201.6 million on a $28–50 million budget. The film’s soundtrack topped the Rap Albums and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.
The Fate of the Furious (2017)
The Fate of the Furious (2017) is the eighth installment in the Fast & Furious film franchise. It wasn’t the first time F. Gary Gray was working with Vin Diesel, having worked with him as the lead actor in A Man Apart (2003). The Fate of the Furious set a new record for F. Gary Gray in a few ways. With a $250–270 million budget, it became Gray’s highest budget to work with. The movie’s juggernaut Box Office earnings ($1.236 billion) helped the director become one of Hollywood’s directors to have a film cross the billion-dollar mark.
Besides Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious became the second movie in the franchise to cross $1 billion. Although F Gary Gray’s next film, Men in Black: International (2019), was considered a box-office bomb (when promotion and distribution costs are factored in), fans of his work look forward to his next film, Lift (2024).
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