Dead Presidents (1995)

The Hughes Brothers, an ensemble cast of talented actors, and a multi-million-dollar heist make for a potent combination in the taut urban crime drama Dead Presidents (1995). Set in the tumultuous years of 1968 through 1974, the film stars Larenz Tate as a Bronx-born teen who experiences a swift coming-of-age in Vietnam. After returning from the war, Anthony (Tate) struggles to provide for his family while wrestling with his demons. Together with a gang of pals, Anthony resolves to pull off a mammoth heist involving a stockpile of bills that have been retired from circulation (i.e. “Dead Presidents”). The Hughes Brothers successfully wring social and political truths from their action-movie set-up, but it’s actress Rose Jackson who speaks loudest and clearest with her scantily clad starring turn.