Clockers 1995

In a gritty Brooklyn housing project, a group of “clockers”—street-level drug dealers—work under the watchful eye of Rodney Little (Delroy Lindo), a feared local drug lord. Rodney informs Ronald “Strike” Dunham (Mekhi Phifer), one of his main operators, that competitor Darryl Adams (Steve White) is pilfering from their operation and must be eliminated. This sets off a chain of dark events as Strike confronts his brother, Victor Dunham (Isaiah Washington), urging him to commit the act against Darryl.

Meanwhile, seasoned homicide detectives Rocco Klein (Harvey Keitel) and Larry Mazilli (John Turturro) are called to the scene of Darryl’s murder. Their investigation takes an unexpected turn when they receive a tip that a man has confessed at a local church to the shooting. The detectives find Victor at the church, where he claims he shot Darryl in self-defense. However, Rocco soon starts to unravel the truth behind Victor’s story, discovering his seemingly perfect life—two jobs, a loving wife, two kids, and no criminal past. It becomes clear to Rocco that Victor is lying to protect Strike.

As the pressure mounts, Rocco confronts Strike, but despite the mounting evidence, Victor remains steadfast in his defense of his brother. Using strategic manipulation, Rocco convinces Rodney that Strike has ratted him out, leading to Rodney’s arrest. In a cruel twist, Rocco further humiliates Strike in front of his peers, pushing him towards a desperate escape. As Strike accumulates some money with plans to leave town, fate intervenes when a younger admirer, attempting to emulate him, shoots Errol, Rodney’s enforcer, with Strike’s own gun.

In a surprising turn, Rocco allows Strike to flee, setting the stage for a volatile climax in a world where loyalty is scarce and betrayal is commonplace, underscoring the tragic choices that lead to inevitable consequences.