Outlaw Johnny Black

Outlaw Johnny Black is a 2023 American western comedy film directed by Michael Jai White, who co-wrote the script with Byron Keith Minns. It is a spiritual sequel to Black Dynamite, with White and Minns reprising their roles. It was released theatrically on September 15, 2023, and received mixed reviews from film critics. It is also the final film appearance of Erica Ash due to her death in 2024.^[1][2]

Outlaw Johnny Black
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Michael Jai White
Written by	Michael Jai White Byron Keith Minns
Produced by	Donovan de Boer Michael Jai White Grant Gilmore Byron Keith Minns
Starring	Michael Jai White Anika Noni Rose Erica Ash Byron Keith Minns Kevin Chapman Kym Whitley Tommy Davidson Buddy Lewis Chris Browning Barry Bostwick Gary Anthony Williams Tony Baker Glynn Turman
Cinematography	Keith L. Smith
Edited by	Scott Richter Ryan Eaton
Music by	Michael Bearden
Production company	Jaigantic Studios
Distributed by	Samuel Goldwyn Films
Release date	September 15, 2023 (2023-09-15)
Running time	135 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$319,848

Premise

Johnny Black is a saint turned sinner, who is hell-bent on avenging his father's death. Johnny Black vows to gun down Brett Clayton and becomes a wanted man in the process, all while posing as a preacher in a small mining town that's been taken over by a notorious land baron.

Cast

• Michael Jai White as Outlaw Johnny Black
• Anika Noni Rose as Jessie Lee
• Erica Ash as Bessie Lee
• Byron Keith Minns as Reverend Percy
• Chris Browning as Brett Clayton
• Barry Bostwick as Tom Sheally
• Randy Couture as Bill Basset
• Kevin Chapman as U.S. Marshal Cove
• Kym Whitley as Sister Betty
• Tommy Davidson as Clancy
• Buddy Lewis as Deacon Fry
• Gary Anthony Williams as Mayor Williams
• Tony Baker as Sherriff Yarbrough
• Eme Ikwuakor as Elmer
• Jalyn Hall as Young Johnny Black
• Donald Cerrone as Crackshot Bob
• Jill Scott as Maw Belle
• Roger Yuan as Lee
• Tomm Voss as Kane
• Michael Madsen as Dutch
• Josh Barnett as Bobo
• Glynn Turman as Bullseye Black
• Paul Sloan as Eddie
• Heath Freeman as Jed Clayton
• Russell Peters as Big Chief

Release

Outlaw Johnny Black was released by Samuel Goldwyn Films on September 15, 2023.^[3] In the United States and Canada it opened to $178,176 in 307 theaters, and grossed a total of $319,848.^[4]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 66% of 29 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10.^[5] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.^[6]

Joe Leydon of Variety wrote that the film was "not nearly as free-wheeling and fleet-footed as Black Dynamite, the 2009 satirical comedy that cast White as a Shaft-like action hero, the new film nonetheless provides more than a few good laughs, even when it seems to be taking horse opera clichés a tad too respectfully, and showcases a fine cast of actors dedicated to both the silliness and the seriousness of the enterprise".^[7] RogerEbert.com's Rendy Jones gave the film a score of two and half out of four and wrote, "Though it takes too long to get his gun out, Outlaw Johnny Black is a well-crafted and funny Spaghetti Western comedy with a refreshing goofiness and a delightful lead".^[8]

Sarah-Tai Black writing for Los Angeles Times said, "Overall, Outlaw Johnny Black mostly seems unsure of how to navigate its Monty Python-inspired parodic impulses alongside its clear reverence for the genre. Instead, White has offered a jumbled array of all-too-well-trod tropes and stereotypes that, all in all, can't seem to hit the mark in terms of finding the sweet spot of being "so bad it's good"."^[9] Writing for The New York Times, Brandon Yu felt the film "struggles to establish a comedic rhythm" and went on to say "the laughs are lost within an overly long, meandering plot and scenes that miss visual polish or comedic concision".^[10]