Honey

Set in Harlem and its bustling dance scene, Honey Daniels hustles to turn her love of movement into a career as a hip hop choreographer. By day she teaches kids at a community center and by night she hits downtown clubs with a crew of friends, chasing opportunities to break into the video world. A glamorous director spots her during a club audition and offers her a chance to choreograph a high profile music video, a moment she has waited for. But the encounter soon reveals a dark side of the industry when he asks for sexual favors in exchange for work. Honey must decide how to protect her dream and her integrity while navigating power, ambition, and friendship.

Aired in 2003 and directed by Bille Woodruff, Honey comes from an original screenplay by Kim Watson and Alonzo Brown. The film uses Harlem's dance world as its backbone, pairing flashy choreography with a coming of age arc about seizing opportunities while staying grounded in community and mentors who shape Honey's path.

Honey helped spotlight a young Jessica Alba in a dance heavy drama and reinforced the late 2000s trend of glossy hip hop choreography on screen. Its routine sequences influenced music video aesthetics and offered a clear female lead who asserts her artistic agency against a male gatekeeper, while the film itself nods to Harlem's vibrant culture.

Critics praised the film for its polished dance sequences and its direct take on empowerment, exploitation, and the price of fame. The story centers on remaining true to community while pursuing bigger dreams, balancing friendships and responsibilities with the temptations of a fast moving industry, and treating art as a form of resistance.

Box office: Honey drew audiences to theaters with its dance heavy setup, reflecting a niche appeal for this kind of drama. While not a blockbuster, its performance helped keep Jessica Alba in the public eye as a versatile leading woman.