A few years before Friday came out, films like Boyz N the Hood and Colors depicted Black neighborhoods as something purely scary. These were rightfully gritty films that shed light on the bleak reality of poverty and gang violence. But for many, the hood was also a source of communal joy and neighborly friendship; a setting that saw people come of age, fall in love, and learn the ways of adulthood. Ice Cube, who also starred in Boyz N the Hood, recognized the lack of joyful, lighthearted representation and immediately went to work on the script for Friday, which follows two friends, Craig (Ice Cube) and Smokey (Chris Tucker), watch their neighbors go about their day from their front porch. It’s a simple premise that yields plenty of laughs, thanks in large part to how nosy Craig and Smokey are. Their livewire performances and ridiculous stoner jokes give the film hilarious heft, while the specificities of their lives color the entire thing with a realism that makes it less stereotypical and more believable than other movies. The film was made by and for Black communities all over the country, but there’s a universality to it, too, that makes it very easy to appreciate. Whether it’s Craig trying to win over a woman out of his league or Smokey standing up to the neighborhood bully, there’s sure to be something to relate to and love about in Friday.