10 gritty films like La Haine that grapple with urban unrest

La Haine (Hate, 1995) by Matthieu Kassovitz’s is not just a movie that depicts urban unrest—it’s a socio-political gut punch and an attempt that does not shy away from stripping the reality all bare. Unlike other films, this was shot in black and white, adding more gravity to the already intense tale.

The movie is a thrilling exploration of 24 volatile hours during the riot-stricken suburbs of Paris. The narrative follows three young men—Vinz, Saïd, and Hubert as they navigate their lives in a time of unrest. It all emerges after a case of in-custody death and police brutality fuels a riot in their area. For viewers who loved the urgency of storytelling and brilliant cinematography, La Haine remains a memorable watch.

The film went on to receive a standing ovation at the screening of the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, eventually earning the Best Director award.

Here are some more films that explore the themes of youth unrest, defranchisement, state violence, and urban unrest, like La Haine

Disclaimer: This article is based on the writer's opinion. Readers' discretion is advised.

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10 gritty films like La Haine that grapple with urban unrest

1. Do the Right Thing (1989)

In Brooklyn’s Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood, it is a hot summer day. Mookie, a young Black man, is employed in an Italian-American family-owned pizzeria. This neighborhood consists of diverse ethnicities, but soon unrest grips the area, and an apparently small disagreement leads to a tragic climax.

Like La Haine, this film also tackles themes of racial tensions, police brutality, and urban unrest that spreads like wildfire.

If you loved La Haine, you can try streaming this on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV (Rent/Buy).

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2. Athena (2022)

Like La Haine, Athena too is set in the French banlieue and follows a riot-stricken time. This gritty tale, directed by Romain Ravras, centers around a young boy who tragically dies during a violent police encounter. As a result, his brothers and the neighborhood area of Athena fume in rage. The treatment of the movie is raw ,and the makers do not rush with the visuals, giving it long, uninterrupted shots,

Both movies are set in French suburbia and deal with subjects of state violence, and youth-led rebellion in the wake of trauma.

You can stream this on Netflix.

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3. City of God (Cidade de Deus, 2002)

This film by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund is another raw depiction of urban unrest, but this time the makers take you to Rio de Janeiro. It all starts in a slum with visually electric scenes. The narrative focuses on two boys growing up amidst escalating gang violence, but contrary to expectations, one of the brothers becomes a photographer, the other a drug lord.

With a fast pace and visually appealing cinematography, this is a raw depiction of poverty and gripping violence.

Like La Haine, here also you get a gritty exploration of two youths trapped in a dreadful fate.

You can stream the movie on Netflix, Prime Video

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4. American History X (1998)

Directed by Tony Kaye, American History recounts the story of a former neo-Nazi, Derek Vinyard. He tries his best to stop his younger brother from subscribing to the same racist ideology. The storytelling is nonlinear, with scenes of flashbacks and haunting visuals.

Like La Haine, this movie also explores topics of hatred and its consequences, indoctrination, and prison-industrial complex, hatred and its consequences through the eyes of conflicted youth, with an unforgettable, tragic ending.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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5. The Battle of Algiers

This movie is based on a novel by Saadi Yacef of the same name (La battaglia di Algeri, in Arabic). The movie depicts a time of conflict in North Africa during French rule. It is one of the rawest and powerful portrayals of the conflict, charged by documentary-style filmmaking and a dramatic narrative.

The film explores themes of resistance, unrest, oppression, and the moral complexities of revolution, and so on.

You can find this movie on Amazon Prime Video

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6. Tsotsi (2005)

Directed by Gavin Hood, this movie is set in Johannesburg’s townships, Tsotsi follows a young gang leader whose life shifts dramatically after he accidentally kidnaps a baby during a carjacking. The film interrogates both the hardness of survival and the potential for redemption.

Like La Haine, this gritty tale offers you a street-level storytelling in the life of a young man shaped by violence and poverty.

You can watch this film on Prime Video, Peacock.

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7. Les Misérables (2019)

This 2019 crime thriller captures the aftermath of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Montfermeil, a commune located in the suburbs of Paris. We can say that this movie is a spiritual successor—it tackles themes of police violence, urban unrest, and gripping instability.

What aligns this with La Haine is the raw depiction by Ladj Ly.

You can watch this on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu

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8. The Selfish Giant (2013)

Clio Barnard's gritty social-realist British drama is one that takes Oscar Wilde’s short story, as the basis of it and gives it a thrilling cinematic treatment.

The story recounts the tale of two working-class boys in Bradford who are met with a gripping challenge in gaining a daily livelihood. The only way they survive is by collecting scrap metal. The story is gentle yet brutal, with a twist that gut-punches you unapologetically.

Like La Haine's gritty, intense tale, this movie also depicts the plight of disaffected youth, financial deprivation, and disoriented youth.

You can watch it on Kanopy, Criterion Channel,and Amazon (Rent)

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9. ’71 (2014)

The setting of this movie, like La Haine, is during the riots. Set in Northern Ireland conflict, during a highly tense period of conflict, a British soldier is abandoned during the riots in Belfast. What happens afterwards is visceral, gripping, and intense.

This film received accolades at the British Independent Film Awards in 2014.

If you loved La Haine and are looking for something similar, you can stream '71 on Amazon Prime.

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10. Made in Britain (1982)

Directed by Alan Clarke, Tim Roth’s made his debut with this film. Made in Britain depicts the story of a teenage skinhead living during the Thatcher-era Britain. The protagonist battles through the challenges of the criminal justice system and deep existential dread.

You get the key thematic explorations dealing with youth, nihilism, urban hostility, and many more that align the movie with La Haine.

You can watch it BFI Player, Amazon (UK)

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