Threat (1999, 2006) is an independent film about a straightedge "hardcore kid" and a hip hop revolutionary whose friendship is doomed by the intolerance of their respective street tribes. It is an ensemble film of kids and young adults living in the early-to-mid-90s era of New York City's all-time highest ever murder rate, each of them suffering from a sense of doom brought on by dealing with HIV, racism, sexism, class struggle, and general nihilism.
The intellectual issues are played out amid an aesthetic of raw ultraviolence that has earned director Matt Pizzolo both accolades and condemnations (such as Film Threat's rave review stating "great art should assail the status quo, and that is what Pizzolo and Nisa's film has skillfully accomplished" in contrast to Montreal Film Journal's scathing review saying the film "openly glorifies murderous revolt").
Threat has been called a cult-classic and a "punk classic," winning multiple film festival awards, and touring punk and hip-hop venues across the U.S. and Europe, including over 100 dates on the Van's Warped Tour. Threat garnered a theatrical release and wide distribution after its appearance at Coachella.
Unlike past urban dramas, the film does not outright condemn its characters' violent outbursts. Although it does show harsh consequences for acts of violence, numerous critics have pointed out that it is unclear whether or not the film intends to glorify violence and/or class conflict.
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