I recently watched J.D.’s Revenge and discovered it has only been reviewed by 10 critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It also only has 50% on the site, which is a travesty. This movie is actually really interesting, feels Shakespearean enough that I know half of these critics are lying when they say this movie is unwatchable.
Part of the reason I created this column is to strike back at reviews that label something an “Urban Thriller” and discard it. That’s giving, “I see Black people and will not engage,” and it makes me want to throw my computer out of a window. Screenwriter Jaison Starkes took problematic tropes and used them to get into really cool and smart conversations. This movie deserves your attention and a chance to win over audiences who do engage with Black art.
J.D.’s Revenge lives up to its title. We meet a gangster, J.D. Walker (David McKnight), on the night he dies. In 1942, New Orleans, he walks in on the murder of his sister, Betty Jo Walker (Alice Jubert), at the hands of her lover. Theotis Bliss (Fred Pinkard) then frames J.D. for his crime and also kills him in cold blood. This Shakespearean Blaxploitation moment then jumps 34 years into the future, where we meet Isaac (Glynn Turman). He’s on the opposite side of the law than the criminals we met in the opening. He’s in law school and thriving with the love of his life, Christella (Joan Pringle). However, that comes to a crashing halt when he agrees to be hypnotized one evening, and J.D. begins to possess his body.
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This possession gives Turman a vehicle for what has to be one of the best performances in Blaxploitation cinema. As J.D. takes over Isaac’s mind and body, we see the struggle as he tries to fight back. The way Turman plays the villainous highs and subtle struggles of a man for control of his body is nothing short of brilliant. While I don’t think J. D.’s Revenge needed the character to sexually assault Christella, nor for her to be so easy to forgive, I cannot help seeing the Shakespeare plot points remixed through a Black horror lens. Even the way J.D. goes about revenge and revealing the truth of what happened that night is so theatre-coded.
This possession is interesting because it’s not just a spirit using someone’s body for its own agenda. It is also a commentary on men in the 1940s versus the more evolved men of the 1970s. Don’t get me wrong, men are always a problem. However, over those thirty-something years, society had started to begrudgingly acknowledge that women might be people. Civilized men knew it was no longer trendy to abuse their spouses in public. Even better, the decent guys realized they shouldn’t be abusing their partners at all. So, when Isaac starts beating Christella, they are both shocked because that’s not who he is. J.D.’s Revenge’s treats this possession as a symptom of outdated gender ideas infecting its protagonist. It is changing his programming and bringing about all of the things he never wanted to be.
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While we laugh at Isaac donning outdated suits and changing his hair, those are the surface changes. They signal that there is a sickness creeping in that is also bringing dangerously problematic behaviors. This makes his dynamic with other male characters interesting. His friend Tony (Carl W. Crudup) tries to excuse his abrupt personality change, and tells him Christella will be back. He even claims women like it when men get mean. He’s not an ally, but is a stand-in for men who let other men get away with murder because the patriarchy is what he’s faithful to.
Then you have Carl (James Watkins) Christella’s ex, who is a cop. He gets involved when her parents call him because they don’t know why Christella isn’t getting the law involved. While I am ACAB, I love that he’s the one who keeps reminding us this dude assaulted his girlfriend. He is also ready to throw hands on her behalf. He doesn’t have patience for this possible supernatural angle because he sees another shitty man who should be in prison. J.D.’s Revenge positions him as the person who might have to take the protagonist down. Watching from today’s lens, and knowing what facts he has to work with, he is the only logical character in this world.
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Another highlight in this overlooked film is the late Louis Gossett Jr. as Rev. Elija Bliss. Bliss was part of the criminal underworld alongside J.D. and Theotis, but got his life together to raise his daughter. One of the many things working for J.D.’s Revenge is Gossett Jr.’s portrayal of a man who strives to do good every day. He put this world behind him and did a complete about face. Knowing he’s about to have his world upended when the secrets of that fateful night in 1942 come out, is a little heartbreaking. He and his daughter, Roberta (also Alice Jubert), are left to deal with the fallout of what happens between J.D.’s spirit and Theotis. While this film gives the standard happy ending for Isaac and his squad, these two are discovering their whole life has been a lie.
I get that everyone’s mileage may vary with J.D.’s Revenge. However, there is no way you can watch this film and say it’s not worth the journey. Much like Abby, it deserves way more praise than it has gotten. This movie has amazing performances, a complicated and messy plot, and it also challenges viewers to unpack many interesting things. This is easily one of the Blaxploitation titles that should be reevaluated now that criticism is a little less biased. There is a hell of a lot to unpack here, and the themes are still too relevant. The film is an overlooked gem.
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