Friday After Next
Friday After Next is a 2002 American stoner comedy film directed by Marcus Raboy and starring Ice Cube (who also wrote the film) and Mike Epps. It is the third installment in the Friday series. The film was theatrically released on November 22, 2002, to generally negative reviews. This film has since gained a cult following.
Friday After Next | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Marcus Raboy |
Produced by | Ice Cube Matt Alvarez |
Written by | Ice Cube |
Based on | Characters by Ice Cube DJ Pooh |
Starring | |
Music by | John Murphy |
Cinematography | Glen MacPherson |
Edited by | Suzanne Hines |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
Release date |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $10 million |
Box office | $33.5 million[1] |
Plot
The film begins when a robber, disguised as Santa Claus, breaks into Craig and Day-Day's apartment at 3:37 AM on Christmas Eve. Craig fights with the robber, trashing their apartment while making frantic but futile attempts to wake Day-Day. The robber escapes with Craig and Day-Day's Christmas presents and rent money. The same morning, the police come over to get a report.
After the police leave, Craig and Day-Day are confronted by their landlady Mrs. Pearly, who warns them that if the two do not pay their weeks-overdue rent by the end of the day, she will evict them. Furthermore, she promises to send her homosexual ex-convict son, Damon (who just got out of prison after 12 years), after them if they do not pay in a timely manner. The same day, Craig and Day-Day get jobs as "Top Flight Security Guards" from Moly, the property manager and owner of a notoriously squalid doughnut shop and the shopping center that they are assigned to patrol.
The shopping center is also the home of a BBQ rib restaurant called 'Bros. BBQ', owned by the cousins' fathers, Willie and Elroy. Shortly after they come on duty, the power of being a security guard goes to Day-Day's head, and he begins hassling shoppers left and right, forcing Craig to reel him in and keep him in line. The two and Elroy are then robbed at assumed gunpoint by the same robber who burglarized their apartment, and subsequently chase him down, but are unable to catch him. Later that day, the two meet Donna and her pimp Money Mike, who run a fledgling shop called 'Pimps and Hoes'.
Soon after, a couple of baseheads pull off a scheme to try to shoplift from Money Mike's store, but Craig and Day-Day catch them both and turn them over to the police. Mike offers them a cash reward, but Craig refuses it and instead invites him to his and Day-Day's Christmas Eve party. In 'Bros. BBQ', as the adults entertain some of the neighborhood children while dressed up as Christmas figures, Willie and Elroy begin having trouble with some of them due to their bad attitudes. When one of them kicks Elroy, he retaliates by taking out his belt and starts a series of beatings on the kids.
Then, shortly after Moly gives Craig and Day-Day a lunch break, a gang of thugs (supposedly the grandsons of some of the carolers that were chased off by Day-Day for loitering in front of the corner store) chase after Craig and Day-Day. After failing to catch them, the gang members proceed to beat up Moly for supposedly hiding them, resulting in Craig and Day-Day (who witnessed the entire ordeal) throwing away their uniforms and quitting after witnessing what happened to Moly, and this later causes Moly to confront and "fire" them on the spot (due to Moly accusing them of lazing around and allowing him to be beaten, even though they were just given a lunch break). As revenge, Willie rats Moly out to the Department of Health, whose inspectors then proceed to chase him around the shopping center when he runs away.
Later that night, Craig and Day-Day convert their Christmas Eve party into a rent party to recoup their stolen rent money and stay in their apartment. Day-Day's old boss Pinky later shows up, bringing several women with him for Craig and Day-Day. While Money Mike is in the bathroom, Damon comes in and attempts to sexually assault him, but fails when Money Mike crunches his testicles with pliers & sings "The Nutcracker" doing so. Damon then proceeds to chase Money Mike when he tries to run away. Also, Mrs. Pearly comes on to Willie when he uses her bathroom, causing Craig's mother, Betty, to come in and attack her when she catches the two. Later, Craig and Day-Day see the robber and after ambushing him inside his hideout, chase him all over the neighborhood, running into several obstacles (including a psychotic but comedic old man armed with a double-barreled shotgun, played by Epps) in the process and are ultimately successful after the robber gets hit by Pinky's limousine.
The film ends with Craig and Day-Day retrieving their stolen rent money and Christmas presents and tying the robber up on his roof. During the credits, it is revealed that Craig and Donna hooked up after Craig returned, Damon is still chasing Money Mike throughout the neighborhood, and that Ms. Pearly tried to stop the party by calling the police, but they left after receiving marijuana as a bribe.
Cast
- Ice Cube as Craig Jones / Narrator
- Mike Epps as Day-Day Jones / Old Man with Shotgun
- John Witherspoon as Willie Jones
- Don "D.C." Curry as Elroy Jones
- Anna Maria Horsford as Betty Jones
- Clifton Powell as Pinky
- Terry Crews as Damon Pearly
- Katt Williams as Money Mike
- K.D. Aubert as Donna
- Maz Jobrani as Moly
- Reggie Gaskins as Officer Brian Dix
- Brian Stepanek as Officer #3
- Rickey Smiley as Santa Claus
- Sommore as Cookie
- Gerry Bednob as Moly's Father
- Starletta DuPois as Sister Sarah
- Bebe Drake as Mrs. Pearly
- Joel McKinnon Miller as Officer Alvin Hole
- Chris Williams as Broadway Bill
- Trina McGee-Davis as Cinnamon
- Khleo Thomas as Bad Boy #1
- Daniel Curtis Lee as Bad Boy #2
- Marc John Jefferies as Kid (uncredited)
Reception
Box office
Friday After Next grossed $13 million in its opening weekend, finishing third at the box office. It made $7.4 million in its second weekend (including $10.6 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame), falling to sixth. It went on to gross $33.5 million worldwide.[2]
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 26% based on 72 reviews, with an average rating of 4.19/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "This Friday installment is more shapeless and stale than its predecessors."[3] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 35 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews."[4] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[5]
Soundtrack
Friday After Next | ||||
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Soundtrack album by various artists | ||||
Released | November 19, 2002 | |||
Recorded | 2002 | |||
Genre | Hip hop | |||
Label | Hollywood Records | |||
Producer | ||||
Friday soundtracks chronology | ||||
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Singles from Friday After Next | ||||
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Friday After Next is the soundtrack from the film of the same name. It peaked at number 23 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[6]
Track listing
# | Title | Performer |
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1 | It's the Holidaze | Westside Connection |
2 | Just Chill | Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga and Spliff Star |
3 | High Times (Ride With Us) | F.T. and Tha Eastsidaz |
4 | Got All 'At | Nappy Roots |
5 | Wonderful World | Krayzie Bone, La Reece, K-Mont and Asu |
6 | Bad News | G-Unit |
7 | Mardi Gras | Whateva |
8 | Get Ready | Roscoe and Kokane |
9 | Go to the Club | Calvin Richardson |
10 | I Wanna Do Something Freaky to You | Leon Haywood |
11 | Slide | Slave |
12 | This Christmas | Donny Hathaway |
13 | Santa Baby | Eartha Kitt |
14 | Silent Night | The Temptations |
References
- "Friday After Next (2002)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 11, 2014.
- https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl961906177/weekend/?ref_=bo_rl_tab#tabs
- "Friday After Next (2002)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
- "Friday After Next Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Friday After Next" in the search box). CinemaScore. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- "Soundtrack". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2020.