Dog Days of Summer

DO THE RIGHT THING exploration of racial tensions is, unfortunately, always timely. Set in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, what begins as an uproarious comedy evolves into a provocative, disquieting drama as director Spike Lee chronicles a sweltering day in a largely Black neighborhood—and the trivial events that explode into violence and tragedy.

When inexperienced criminal Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) leads a bank robbery in Brooklyn, things quickly go wrong, and a hostage situation develops. As Sonny and his accomplice, Sal Naturile (John Cazale), try desperately to remain in control, a media circus develops and the FBI arrives, creating even more tension.