The Warriors
1979 · Directed by Walter Hill
A Coney Island gang gets framed for the murder of a charismatic gang leader and has to fight their way home across a hallucinatory '70s New York. Baseball Furies. 'Warriors, come out to play.'
Why It's Cult
The Warriors is Walter Hill's pulp-comic fever dream — every gang in New York is a themed performance-art piece, the subway is a battlefield, and the radio DJ narrates the whole thing like a Greek chorus. The Baseball Furies in their war paint. The Lizzies. Luther's clinking bottles. It's a movie that takes place entirely at night and feels like a fever. Rated R for vibes more than content. Every reference you've heard since came from here.
The Plot, Officially
Cyrus, the leader of the most powerful gang in New York City, the Gramercy Riffs, calls a midnight summit for all the area gangs, with all asked to send nine unarmed representatives for the conclave. A gang called The Warriors are blamed for killing Cyrus as he gives his speech. They now have to cross the territory of rivals in order to get to their own 'hood. The Warriors slowly cross the dangerous Bronx and Manhattan territories, narrowly escaping police and other gangs every step of the way.
Starring
Michael Beck, James Remar, Dorsey Wright
Where to Watch
via JustWatch →
