Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Def by Temptation

Play trailer Poster for Def by Temptation R Released Mar 23, 1990 1h 35m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
75% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 40% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Joel (James Bond III), a quiet divinity student from North Carolina, starts to question his faith. So he heads to New York to visit his friend K (Kadeem Hardison), a struggling actor, who takes him out bar-hopping. They meet a gorgeous seductress (Cynthia Bond) who turns out to be a succubus, a demon spirit luring black lotharios to their deaths. When she sets her eyes on Joel, K turns to the help of Dougie (Bill Nunn), a drunken cop who specializes in supernatural investigations.
Watch on Peacock Stream Now

Where to Watch

Def by Temptation

Critics Reviews

View All (16) Critics Reviews
Tim Pulleine Guardian After a tolerably promising start the strain involved in parodying material that is to begin with essentially parodic increasingly betrays strain. Mar 13, 2021 Full Review Steve Simels Entertainment Weekly Def by Temptation is a relatively classy affair, redeemed by good performances. Rated: C+ Oct 26, 2020 Full Review Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times "Def by Temptation" is vital and funny, but is also reflective in ways not typical of genre fare. Oct 26, 2020 Full Review Trace Thurman Horror Queers Podcast Don't let the Troma label fool you: Def By Temptation has a lot more on its mind than just shock value. Rated: 3.5/5 Jun 21, 2022 Full Review Joe Lipsett Horror Queers Podcast The low budget hampers some of the storytelling, but there's plenty to like in James Bond III's succubus film. Kadeem Hardison is a stand-out, but it's the neon-soaked cinematography from future director Ernest R. Dickerson that truly shines Jun 17, 2022 Full Review Randall King Winnipeg Free Press Cinematographer Ernest R. Dickerson would go on to be a notable horror director himself ... Mar 17, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (44) audience reviews
Scott S This movie is one that, on the surface, would never give it a watch. However, I am glad I did. Even though there are some elements that are cheezy, it is a smart horror film that attacks a lot of themes from faith to politics. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/11/23 Full Review damian l It was scary and sexy Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Suffers a little from a low budget and moments that don't make sense. It still has a decent plot and great cast. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/20/22 Full Review R P Def by Temptation was a fun ride but not for everybody. (Read: foreverfinalgirl.com/def-by-temptation/) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/07/21 Full Review Matthew D Notable as being of two Troma movies with an all black cast (the other being 'Bugged'), this is a fine blend of horror and comedy that is surprisingly stylish and well acted for such a low-budget movie, providing, as Troma often does, that low funds doesn't have to mean low ambition. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/16/20 Full Review Audience Member RUBBISH ! I note that IMDb member "babygraceblue" rated this film 10/10, titling his/her review "Def By Temptation: High Caliber Horror". Hmmm... yet another very suspicious rating, and when I checked the member's record, I find he/she has reviewed only TWO movies in 17 years! So is the person a cast or crew member, or a friend or relative? That sort of review is plain ridiculous and does a disservice to the IMDb, imho. This "blaxploitation" movie is not worthy of being called a movie ~ do the people playing the characters actually consider themselves actors? Really? They come across as hideous caricatures. Another lamentably bad joke. Melba Moore's "guest appearance" was probably the highlight of this motion picture. The sex scenes are asinine and embarrassing, disgusting, in awful taste, made me cringe. This picture is a painful, amateurish attempt at movie-making, pitiful and despicable. I honestly cannot think of one good point about this dreadful flick. Was it supposed to be a horror film? Well, it sure was horrible! AVOID it at all costs. I've seen, rated and reviewed thousands of movies over decades (horror is one of my favourite genres), and recommend running away from this horrible thing unless you want to punish yourself for some reason. 1/10. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Def by Temptation

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Tales From the Darkside: The Movie 46% 45% Tales From the Darkside: The Movie Watchlist Nightbreed 55% 60% Nightbreed Watchlist TRAILER for Nightbreed Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III 13% 30% Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III Watchlist Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan 11% 26% Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan Watchlist TRAILER for Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan Stepfather II 13% 35% Stepfather II Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Joel (James Bond III), a quiet divinity student from North Carolina, starts to question his faith. So he heads to New York to visit his friend K (Kadeem Hardison), a struggling actor, who takes him out bar-hopping. They meet a gorgeous seductress (Cynthia Bond) who turns out to be a succubus, a demon spirit luring black lotharios to their deaths. When she sets her eyes on Joel, K turns to the help of Dougie (Bill Nunn), a drunken cop who specializes in supernatural investigations.
Director
James Bond III
Producer
James Bond III
Distributor
Troma Films, Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Bonded Filmworks, Orpheus Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 23, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 18, 2016
Runtime
1h 35m
Most Popular at Home Now