The Return of Superfly (1990)

The Return of Superfly has that scrappy, streetwise energy that makes a late-night crime flick feel like a time capsule you can’t stop watching: lean, pulpy, and powered by attitude. Nathan Purdee gives Priest a cool, guarded charisma that sells the character’s push-pull between doing the right thing and getting pulled back into the undertow, while Margaret Avery adds welcome spark and presence whenever she’s on screen. And then there’s Curtis Mayfield’s music, which doesn’t just accompany the action—it gives the movie its heartbeat, turning even familiar genre beats into something smoother and more seductive. It’s not a polished prestige crime drama, but if you’re in the mood for an entertaining B-movie with style, swagger, and a soundtrack that does heavy lifting, this one earns its place in the lineup.

The Return of Superfly is clearly aiming for a gritty comeback story: Priest returns older, supposedly wiser, and trying to pursue justice without falling back into the life that made him infamous. The problem is it rarely feels like a confident continuation—between a lead performance many will find miscast, uneven acting, and writing that leans on clichés instead of tension, it comes off more like a cheap echo than a real sequel. If you’re coming for the style, swagger, and sharp edge of the original, this is the kind of follow-up that can feel like a letdown almost immediately. It may still work as a low-rent crime watch if you have nostalgia and a high tolerance for rough execution, but it’s not the triumphant return the title promises.