Def by Temptation is a movie I respect more every rewatch. As a kid, I liked it because it was horror, and had Black people at the center of the story. However, I foolishly wrote it off because I didn’t fully grasp everything it was doing. I also didn’t understand all of the visual cues that cinematographer Ernest R. Dickerson was showing my kid brain. So, while I am happy that most of the 16 critics on Rotten Tomatoes understand the assignment, I wish there were more reviews. Which is why this Run It Back Review is dedicated to this lowkey gem that not enough people talk about, if you ask me.
The film follows an evil succubus (Cynthia Bond) who mostly preys on promiscuous Black men in New York City. However, when an aspiring young minister questioning his faith visits his friend in the city, she makes him her next target. She will stop at nothing to get her claws (and teeth) into him, which is bad news for the few people who try to stop her.
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Def by Temptation is a 1990 Black horror film that simultaneously feels ahead of its time and very much of its era. At first glance, this supernatural story seems like another messy morality tale. However, the film does so much that should be celebrated that this review could be a book. This isn’t just an important film to study if you are a cinephile, Black horror connoisseur, or curious about this Troma Entertainment title. It rewards viewers every rewatch and reminds us why we love first-time filmmakers who make up for a lack of budget with a vision. James Bond III is the writer, director, and producer in addition to playing Joel, the kid whose soul is on the line. He also surrounded himself with a stellar supporting cast, Dickerson as his cinematographer, and pulled off something engaging, cool, and disturbing.
The film’s biggest secret weapon is the special effects team of Christina Bone and Pericles Lewnes. We get a lot of blood and disgusting skin situations. Because so much of it is practical, it still holds up and looks nasty. Each death is a gross event shot from the most stressful camera angles imaginable. Some kills are sick even by today’s standards.
The TV death sequence almost belongs in one of the better A Nightmare on Elm Street sequels. Def by Temptation is also unique in that all of the victims are men. I would love a documentary to ask visual effects artist Rob Benevides how this was achieved on this small budget. This film has style points to spare. It keeps its cool factor as it dips its toe into some pretty bizarre stuff that somehow always feels earned.
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Def by Temptation was the first time I remember seeing men stalked by a woman. It was refreshing to see guys being chased by the lady they thought they were about to screw over. Watching them be the naked, helpless victims screaming and running is delightful. The film also has a scene with male full frontal nudity instead of putting that on our temptress. Most movies would expect us to believe this powerful being would be boobs out as men wore their Sunday best to have sex. Not only did this movie add another woman monster into the canon, but it also allowed her to break so many gender-based horror rules of the time.
Temptation (Cynthia Bond) is sexy, mean, and driven. She is not afraid of anything and is used to getting her way. While she’s willing to do anything to get her next meal, she truly gets off on terrorizing men who fucked around and found out. I love how vicious she is and wish we could have had so much more time with her. This magical baddie living in a giallo-lit apartment is one of the most overlooked monsters in horror. It is no wonder Joel was considering throwing it all away for her. I also love that she had an appetite in 1990 when the media made it seem like a taboo for women to have yearnings and cravings. Whether it was intentional or not, Def by Temptation let this woman eat in every meaning of the word.
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Obviously, the supporting cast of Def by Temptation plays a huge part in this tale of an aspiring minister at a crossroads. The late and great Bill Nunn plays Dougy, a guy habitually striking out at the bar that Temptation haunts. He is fun to watch, but gets way more involved when it is revealed that he’s basically a pre-The X-Files cop investigating our girl. We also have haunting flashbacks of Samuel L. Jackson as Minister Garth, Joel’s father, who died when he was a kid. We discover that death might be part of a grander plan, as a woman in a black veil (Temptation) has been plaguing Joel’s dreams. Minnie Gentry as Grandma is also a sight to behold. This praying granny did not play about her grandson and shows up at the home of this succubus right before things come to their chaotic end.
Yet, Kadeem Hardison as K, Joel’s best friend who left the ministry life to pursue acting, is the MVP. His scenes with Joel bring out the best in James Bond III. We buy into this friendship that has become a brotherhood. We also see moments of Black joy as they have intimate conversations, and we watch them pick an outfit for Joel to wear to the bar. Def by Temptation also paints their relationship as a judgment-free zone. Wherever they are with their own religious journeys, it does not matter. They love each other and will support each other, even if Joel wants to order milk at the bar because he does not drink.
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Def by Temptation is smart, sexy, chaotic, and weirdly progressive in so many ways. More people should check it out and discover that it is one of the movies that genuinely deserve multiple watches. The film’s visual language was out of this world. So, the more genre movies you watch, the more you understand it, and the better the rewards. Worst-case scenario, audiences will watch a fun exploration of how we can elevate the intersection of Black folks and spirituality into something better than we typically see.
Def by Temptation is currently streaming on AMC+, Plex, Pluto TV, Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Shudder, and Tubi.
Do you also wish Def by Temptation got more love? Then we should talk about it on Bluesky.
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