Poetic Justice (1993)

Poetic Justice is a 1993 American romantic crime drama film written and directed by John Singleton. Its plot follows a poet (played by Janet Jackson), mourning the loss of her boyfriend from gun violence, who goes on a road trip from South Los Angeles to Oakland on a mail truck, along with her friend (played by Regina King) and two postal workers (played by Tupac Shakur and Joe Torry), in order to deal with depression.

Following the success of his debut film, Boyz n the Hood, Singleton decided to make a film that would focus on young African-American women. Jada Pinkett, Lisa Bonet, Monica Calhoun, and many other popular actresses auditioned for the role of Justice, though Singleton knew from the script's draft that the role was solely intended for Jackson.

Filmed between April 11 and July 4, 1992, Poetic Justice was released in the United States on July 23, 1993, to mixed reviews from critics, who criticized the screenplay but praised Jackson's and Shakur's performances and chemistry. It topped the box office in its opening weekend, grossing $11,728,455, and eventually grossed a total of $27,515,786. Jackson received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song for "Again", which also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as two MTV Movie awards for her role in the film, including Most Desirable Female. The film has developed a cult following, especially for the chemistry between Jackson and Shakur.