The Players Club (1998) – Movie Review

Movie Review • 24 years ago today Ice Cube made his directorial debut with The Players Club giving newbie at the time Lisa Raye her first lead in a commercial film. The Players Club gave us a look into how it goes down in a gentleman’s club from an exotic dancers point of view. 

Diamond gave a voice to those dancers that really had to dance their way through school because other jobs weren’t paying enough. That life can either get you where you want to be or it can get you caught up, & this film showed both sides of that. Diamond never got caught up but she knew it changed her when she said “I walked in a young lady & came out a woman.” Ronnie & Tricks were the few that do get caught up in that life & see it as a career. They were the OG’s that ran all things in the dressing room & nobody really stepped to them until Diamond showed up. 

Everything was cool until Diamond’s cousin Ebony showed up and moved in. I’m sure Ronnie & Tricks were hoping to take Diamond under their wings like they did Ebony, but Diamond wasn’t having it. The club changed Ebony too, she came in shy & started doing the most for someone who is living with their cousin as a favor. When she slept with Diamond boyfriend in her own house, I’m glad Diamond whooped her a** because she deserved it. Ebony & Faith (Soul Food) are the definition of “you can’t leave some of your family around your man” because we see how both of those situations went.  

Bernie Mac was the obvious star of the movie with his comedic quotes. “Blue if I raise up, it’s gone be trouble…trouble” has to be my favorite quote of the movie. That bachelor party scene still raises my blood pressure, but it just hit me as I was watching the movie that Junior friends were just as wrong for not going in to stop him. This was the first movie where I hated Ice Cube’s character for what he did, but sometimes it can be a reality. 

The Players Club is another hood classic that is part of the must watch black movie list. Some of the acting was subpar but it didn’t take away from the rest of the movie. The great acting & subpar acting leveled itself out to make a 90’s classic. They gave us one of the greatest quotes for the workplace “Make that money, don’t let it make you.”