Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- angry
- somber
- tense
- crime movie night
- 1990s film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a satisfying socially conscious heist elevated by strong performances from its four leads, despite its familiar plot.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Stony, Cleo, Frankie, and Tisean turn to bank robbery after financial hardship and discrimination leave conventional survival routes blocked.
The four women initially cooperate as a survival unit, while increasing money, risk, and suspicion strain their bonds.
A policeman connected to the shooting of one woman’s brother becomes central to the pursuit and the group’s anger toward authority.
Bank robberies, police pursuit, and the climactic heist unfold as tense, consequential confrontations in Los Angeles.
Films like Set It Off, and why
Thelma & Louise
female-led crime partnership, social anger, and escalating outlaw desperation
Widows
socially conscious heist plotting with charismatic criminals and moral tension
Sugar & Spice
female buddy dynamics, urban crime, and pressured characters taking control through criminal action
Bound
women-centered crime drama balancing genre momentum with intimate character relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- F. Gary Gray
- Release Date
- 1996-11-06
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (412)
Cast
- Jada Pinkett Smith
- Queen Latifah
- Vivica A. Fox
- Kimberly Elise
- Blair Underwood
- John C. McGinley
- Anna Maria Horsford
- Ella Joyce
- Charles Robinson
- Chaz Lamar Shepherd
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Set It Off about?
- Four economically cornered Black women turn bank robbery into a dangerous bid for autonomy, solidarity, and survival in Los Angeles.
- What is Set It Off like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Set It Off as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Set It Off violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Set It Off as brutal.
- What did critics think of Set It Off?
- Critics broadly found the film a satisfying socially conscious heist elevated by strong performances from its four leads, despite its familiar plot.
- Which films are like Set It Off?
- Films with a similar feel include Thelma & Louise, Widows, Sugar & Spice, and Bound.
- How long is Set It Off?
- Set It Off runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch Set It Off?
- In United States, Set It Off streams on Starz Apple TV channel.
