Paid in Full

Paid in Full follows Ace, a young man toiling in a dry cleaning shop who finds himself pulled into Harlem's cocaine trade. When his friend Mitch lands behind bars, Ace crosses a line by teaming up with a dealer named Lulu. With a keen eye for people and timing, Ace learns the ropes, turning small deals into big ones as his circle expands among hustlers, hustling crews, and rival schemes. The path to power comes through a mix of luck and savvy, but the drug world is unforgiving. As Ace rides the wave, underhanded colleagues and backstabbing partners threaten to derail his ascent.

Directed by Charles Stone III, Paid in Full arrived in 2002 as a crime drama rooted in an original screenplay by Matthew Cirulnick and Thulani Davis. The film pairs street scenes with a clear eyed look at ambition in Harlem.

The film's cast mirrors the era's rising hip hop energy, with Wood Harris leading a lineup that includes Cam'ron, Mekhi Phifer, and Chi McBride. Its gritty Harlem setting and brisk dialogue helped shape later urban crime dramas, giving audiences a stylized but authentic flavor of the period.

Critics found Paid in Full to be a lean, efficient exploration of drive and risk. It uses stylish, grounded performances to show how power shifts in a world built on deals and distrust, and how loyalty is tested when opportunity knocks. The movie remains a snapshot of early 2000s cinema.