Chi-Raq

Chi-Raq
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySpike Lee
Written by
Based onLysistrata
by Aristophanes
Produced bySpike Lee
Starring
CinematographyMatthew Libatique
Edited by
  • Ryan Denmark
  • Hye Mee Na
Music byTerence Blanchard
Production
companies
Distributed byRoadside Attractions
Lionsgate[1]
Release date
  • December 4, 2015 (2015-12-04) (United States)
Running time
127 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15 million[3]
Box office$2.7 million[4]

Chi-Raq (/ʃˈræk/ ) is a 2015 American musical crime comedy drama film, directed and produced by Spike Lee and co-written by Lee and Kevin Willmott. Set in Chicago, the film focuses on the gang violence prevalent in neighborhoods on the city's south side, particularly the Englewood neighborhood.[5]

The story is based on Aristophanes' Lysistrata, a classical Greek comedy play in which women withhold sex from their husbands to put an end to the Peloponnesian War.[6] It stars Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Teyonah Parris, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, John Cusack, and Samuel L. Jackson.

It was the first film to be produced by Amazon Studios, released in select theaters on December 4, 2015, and on their video on demand service Amazon Instant Video on December 29.[7]

  1. ^ "Chi-Raq (2016)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
  2. ^ "Chi-Raq (15)". British Board of Film Classification. September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  3. ^ "Review: 'Chi-Raq' Is The Year's Most Relevant Film". Forbes.com.
  4. ^ "Chi-Raq (2015)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  5. ^ joeygelman1wgnam (July 9, 2015). "Nina Metz: Englewood resident, "This is Chiraq" | WGN Radio - 720 AM". WGN Radio. Retrieved November 3, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Smith, Bryan (October 22, 2015). "Spike Lee Sounds Off on Chi-Raq, Gun Violence, and Rahm". Chicago.
  7. ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (December 30, 2015). "Amazon will make Chi-Raq free to Prime subscribers on February 4th". The Verge (online). Vox Media. Retrieved December 30, 2015.