While promoting Sinners (2025), Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan spoke with JustWatch about their ultimate guilty pleasure movies. Coogler's A Walk to Remember (2002) response (which you can read about HERE) plunged Jordan into giggles that he never entirely recovered from. But between the laughter, Jordan managed to chime in with his own response: A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994).
WATCH: Michael B. Jordan Can't Stop Laughing At Ryan Coogler's Guilty Pleasure Movie
Boosting an impressively bad 4% on Rotten Tomatoes and a similarly poor critical reception across the board, A Low Down Dirty Shame is one of those films that critics hated, but audiences adored.
As far as the story goes, A Low Down Dirty Shame is pretty standard stuff. Keenen Ivory Wayans plays Andre Shame, a former LAPD detective turned private investigator who gets a chance at revenge and redemption after a break in an old case. As the brain behind comedy classics like In Living Color (1990), Scary Movie (2000), and White Chicks (2004), Wayans also directed and wrote the script. However, unlike those aforementioned titles, A Low Down Dirty Shame didn't receive quite the same mainstream praise.
While critics, like Roger Ebert, took issue with the film's shallow characters, weak plot, and overuse of cliches, not all audiences agreed, including Jordan, who called it "a good one." The actor also specifically gave a shout-out to Peaches, the energetic, unfiltered character memorably played by Jada Pinkett Smith. Like all the best guilty pleasure movies, A Low Down Dirty Shame has a divisive legacy, and that's what makes it all the more fun!
'A Low Down Dirty Shame' Is An Underrated '90s Comedy
Listen, when it comes to tropey action comedies like this one, not everyone will get it, but that's okay. Some of the best hidden gems lie off the beaten path, which is precisely the case with A Low Down Dirty Shame. The movie never asserts itself as a cinematic masterpiece. Instead, it aims to entertain with ridiculous one-liners, absurd action, and over-the-top scenes across the board. Not every joke has aged perfectly, but in some ways, that lends to the film's '90s charm. However, if "shock" comedy like that doesn't sit right with you these days, then consider passing.
For the right audience, though, A Low Down Dirty Shame is the perfect popcorn movie. It homages and spoofs some of the best and most well-loved blaxploitation movies of the 1970s, like Shaft (1971), while tossing out references to TV favorites like Soul Train (1971) and Good Times (1974). Although the movie has a then-present-day setting, the blaxploitation throwback vibes offer a nostalgic layer perfect for fans of that era of filmmaking.
Again, it's not the type of film you throw on to feel something; it's what you watch when you need to turn your brain off. Perhaps one of the commenters on our YouTube interview with Jordan summed it up best: "It's hilarious every single time." Yeah, that pretty much hits the nail on the head.
Why To Watch 'A Low Down Dirty Shame' (And What To Watch After)
If you're tired of revisiting the same old '90s comedies, then boot up A Low Down Dirty Shame. Those already familiar with Wayans' In Living Color-style comedy will feel right at home in this action spoof. Honestly, watching any of Wayans' comedies, like the aforementioned White Chicks and even Scary Movie, makes excellent peers for this style of movie.
That said, if you're craving more over-the-top action and comedic violence with a crime drama conceit, look to movies like Bad Boys (1995) and Money Talks (2007). And, hey, maybe even consider rewinding to the '80s and '70s. Movies like I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988) deliver on the wild, ridiculous parody vibes A Low Down Dirty Shame also throws out, while Trouble Man (1972) offers cool action with a more grounded detective story if you're craving something more serious in the blaxploitation genre.
