Outlaw Johnny Black, 2023.
Directed by Michael Jai White.
Starring Michael Jai White, Anika Noni Rose, Chris Browning, Erica Ash, Byron Minns, and Barry Bostwick.
SYNOPSIS:
Hell-bent on avenging the death of his father, Johnny Black vows to gun down Brett Clayton and becomes a wanted man in the process while posing as a preacher in a small mining town that’s been taken over by a notorious Land Baron.
If you were a genre film fan in the 90s and 00s, you’d know it’s hard to overstate the power of Michael Jai White. Action, horror, and sci-fi films from this time often feature this incredibly underrated talent, usually with White giving his all for some minor roles. Then you have feature film leading man debut with Spawn or his campaign to play Jax in any form of Mortal Kombat, and you’d surely appreciate everything he’s done to solidify his name.
That makes Outlaw Johnny Black feel like a victory lap in so many ways; we’re seeing an actor-turned-director celebrate his work within genre filmmaking and celebrating Black cinema. It’s fantastic to see Michael Jai White grow from starring in something like Black Dynamite to crafting his now-iconic piece of Black genre filmmaking.
Outlaw Johnny Black is not without faults, but by the time the credits roll, you can’t help but rejoice in experiencing the wildness that is this film.
What serves the film best is the straightforward story. While the tone and action can be all over the place, I respect the simple tale of Johnny Black seeking revenge while also having to hide out in an unfamiliar town. It mixes the best of all the classic Western stories, helping back up the love-letter quality of the story. It’s apparent Michael Jai White knows his Western history, and it informs almost every narrative choice in the film.
The film’s first act does a beautiful job of setting up what we’d come to expect from the film. Outlaw Johnny Black starts strong with White offering some of his signature intense fights and finding time for vital social commentary. All of this is carried by some out-there comedy. Trying to describe the type of humor here is near-impossible as it walks the line between satire/parody and loving homage fairly well; think of this somewhere between Scream and Scary Movie in terms of spoof. The film makes informed choices by poking fun at Westerns, but it never becomes a parody film.
While posing as a reverend in Hope Springs, the strong comedic nature of White begins to take shape. It’s wild that we’ve spent so long thinking of the filmmaker as such a strong actor in action films that we never stopped to highlight his comedy abilities. We got to see it a bit in the blaxploitation parody Black Dynamite, but maybe under his own direction is where White can really bring out the laughs.
Again, humor is at the film’s heart, but that doesn’t mean the action isn’t as strong. The bad-ass fights and kick-ass moments take a backseat during the second act, where the comedy and character-building take over, but when it returns, you appreciate the violence a bit more.
Not to turn this review into a love letter to the work of Michael Jai White, but it’s great to see how much he’s grown in the entertainment world. As his third feature as director, White feels more confident than ever behind the camera. While his first two outings helming a movie were more straightforward action projects, White had to find his voice as a comedic filmmaker here. It’s not always perfect; some jokes go on for far too long, while others shouldn’t have made it to the screen. It’s still refreshing to see what White finds funny and how it crafts that cinematically.
What the film needed, though, was more vital visuals. That goes from the camera team down to the art department, as nothing screams “low-budget indie” than cheap-looking costumes and uninspired cinematography. Outlaw Johnny Black is undoubtedly a smaller-scale production than some of its Western peers, but you try to hide the flaws of your low budget through these mediums. You’d be quickly immersed if the sets and costumes had more depth. And if the camera felt motivated with its movement, you’d appreciate the fights more.
Still, it’s safe to say that Michael Jai White understands these limitations and did his best to hide any flaws with solid acting across the board. White’s talents for fights and comedy have been mentioned, but the entire cast does their best with the material given. Standouts include Anika Noni Rose, Erica Ash, and Byron Minns, who all help give Outlaw Johnny Black a strong supporting cast.
The same goes for one of the film’s baddies, Chris Browning, who plays Brett Clayton; what a wonderfully disgusting performance that makes you root to see Johnny Black handle him.
Outlaw Johnny Black is one of the surprise comedies for me, not only for its own merits but because it came from a filmmaker we wouldn’t normally associate with straight-up comedy movies. It feels like Michael Jai White hasn’t even begun to peak yet, with a likely shift to full-time director and producer in the near future. We never want to see White step away from his kick-ass roles, but this Black Western comedy shows we could be looking at a future B-movie directing icon.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
EJ Moreno
