Modern reworkings of ancient drama offer a valuable interpretative and didactic lens through which scholars can re-examine issues and themes of ancient plays. This paper analyzes some correspondences and divergences between Aristophanes’ Lysistrata and Spike Lee’s film Chi-Raq (2015) to demonstrate that not only does Lee’s film make the ancient world relevant by re-envisioning Aristophanes’ play for modern audiences, but it also draws attention to issues inherent in the play itself by recasting them in a modern context.