American music and film enthusiasts were shocked when news emerged of the death of popular rapper Coolio, who rose to prominence in 1995 with his song Gangsta’s Paradise, on Wednesday, September 28, 2022, in Los Angeles.

The track Gangsta’s Paradise was used in the 1995 film Dangerous Minds, which was directed by John N Smith. The track soared Coolio’s popularity through the roof, helping him to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 1996.

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The Dangerous Minds was produced by producer duo Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and was based on an autobiography by former US Marine LouAnne Johnson, titled My Posse Don’t Do Homework. It earned $179.5 million at the box office and resulted in a television series of the same name. Let’s take a look at five similar movies like Dangerous Minds.

Freedom Writers (2007)

Directed by Richard LaGravenese, the 2007 film Freedom Writers is based on a 1999 book titled The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell and her students at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School. 

The film portrays Erin Gruwell in Long Beach, California, in 1994, when she was appointed as the English teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School. The school was one of the most sought-after institutions in the past but declined later. The timeline is also only two years after the Los Angeles riots, and the school has also been facing racial stress. The film goes on to show how Erin worked to establish a bond among her students while witnessing many fights among them, who are part of rival gangs.

Lean on Me (1989)

The 1989 film shows principal Joe Clark, played by Morgan Freeman, taking charge of the Eastside High School, which is on a steep decline. Clark comes to notice students wearing gang colors and walls full of related graffiti, which results in him becoming determined to turn the situation around.

He goes on to expel students who are suspected of dealing drugs inside the school premises and takes several other actions. The film shows the determination of one man to build the future of the school and hundreds of students from an impossible scenario. Will he be able to do it?

Life of a King (2013)

Based on a true story, Life of a King shows Eugene Brown, played by Cuba Gooding Jr, and how he goes on to change the lives of homeless kids from the streets of Washington DC, following his release from prison after 18 years. He establishes a chess club, where children from the streets come to work towards the goal of developing their lives. This is an inspirational story.

Stand and Deliver (1988)

This 1988 film portrays a mathematics teacher in a Spanish-speaking area, Jaime Escalante, played by Edward James Olmos. He becomes convinced of his students’ abilities, who are also members of rival gangs and goes on to adopt several unorthodox methods of teaching. He tries to turn them into the best mathematics students in the country. 

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The Principal (1987)

When Rick Latimer, played by Jim Belushi, takes the charge of principal at Brandel High, he comes to realize the job is more demanding than he earlier thought it to be. The school is infested with gang members, who deal drugs, commit assault, rape and burglary using deadly weapons. He decides to change the situation along with the head of security, he becomes entangled with the gangs, who threaten his life and career.