Style Wars (1984) on Netflix
NR19841h 10mDocumentaryMusic
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, graffiti artists paint New York subway cars while city officials try to curtail their work. The documentary also covers breakdancing and rapping.
- Netflix4.0/5
- IMDb8.0/103,640 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes80%
Trailer
Plot summary
Set in New York during the late 1970s and early 1980s, the documentary captures hip-hop culture as it takes shape, with an emphasis on subway graffiti. Graffiti artists paint subway cars and argue that a lack of accessible venues drives them to use public spaces for their work. City officials and law enforcement take measures to curtail graffiti, including building barriers at subway entry points and deploying police dogs. Other stakeholders, including police officers, subway maintenance personnel, and citizens, offer their own perspectives. Some participants act as intermediaries, acknowledging the art while criticizing its methods. Breakdancing and rapping appear to a lesser extent.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Style Wars (1984)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, actors Brad Pitt and James Franco and director Spike Jonze donated items to a June 2011 eBay auction that raised money to restore the film negatives of Style Wars.
- Dialogue from Style Wars was sampled by DJ Mutt on "Big Lights, Big City", by Black Star in the intro to "Respiration", and by drum and bass group Ganja Kru, made up of DJ Hype, DJ Zinc and Pascal, in "Plague That Never Ends".
