Do the Right Thing (1989)
0.2891Canon Score · ranked #52 all time
Aggregated from 13 of 31 authoritative lists, weighted by authority and adjusted for each list's scope and age. How scoring works →
About the film
Sal is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.
Why it ranks #52
Every list on which Do the Right Thing appears, with its position as published.
| List | Authority | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Variety 100 Greatest (2022) | Critics' canon | #14 / 100 |
| Sight & Sound Critics' 250 (2022) | Major international poll | #24 / 264 |
| Time Out 100 Best (2026 ed.) | Critics' canon | #24 / 99 |
| Sight & Sound Directors' 100 (2022) | Major international poll | #29 / 104 |
| Letterboxd Top 500 (2026-07 snapshot) | Editorial list | #65 / 500 |
| Empire 100 Best (2025) | Editorial list | #67 / 100 |
| Entertainment Weekly 100 (2013) | Editorial list | #91 / 87 |
| WGA 101 Greatest Screenplays (2006) | Critics' canon | #93 / 101 |
| Halliwell's Top 1000 (2005) | Critics' canon | #376 / 1041 |
| Empire 500 Greatest (2008) | Editorial list | #403 / 500 |
| Ebert Great Movies (I–IV) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| 1001 Movies (2003-2024 union) | Critics' canon | Selected |
| NYT Best 1000 Movies (2004) | Critics' canon | Selected |