Movie Review: Soul Man (1986)

★★★★★

It’s uncomfortable and outdated, but Soul Man is the kind of movie that reminds you how far we've come.

Juan L.

New York

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Soul Man

1986

If you grew up in the ’80s, chances are you remember Soul Man and if you rewatch it today, chances are you're doing it with one eye open. Released in 1986, Soul Man follows Mark Watson (C. Thomas Howell), a privileged white student from Los Angeles who pretends to be Black yes, in full blackface in order to receive a scholarship to Harvard Law School meant for African-American students.

Let’s be real: the premise alone is enough to make most modern audiences wince. And rightfully so. But here’s the thing Soul Man wasn’t made as a mean-spirited film. In fact, it’s surprisingly earnest in its attempt to address racism, privilege, and ignorance even if it often falls flat (or worse, offends) in how it delivers those messages.

At BoxReview.com, we try to revisit films like this with a critical but honest lens not just to dismiss them, but to see what they were trying to say, how well they said it, and what it means to watch them now.

The Intention vs. The Impact

Let’s start with the obvious: this movie would never be made today, and that’s not a bad thing. The central conceit a white man in blackface is inherently problematic, no matter how well-intentioned the narrative might be.

And here’s the interesting part: Soul Man knows it’s problematic… at least on a surface level. The story isn’t played as a simple comedy. It actually tries sometimes awkwardly, sometimes sincerely to address real social issues like systemic racism, tokenism, and white privilege.

Mark doesn’t get away scot-free. He’s regularly called out by his Black peers, especially by Sarah (Rae Dawn Chong), a fellow Harvard student who becomes his love interest, and by Gordon (Ari Meyers), a classmate who sees through the disguise. The movie doesn’t pretend his actions are okay it shows how out of touch and clueless he is.

But here’s where the problem lies: the humor is rooted in the deception. The movie often wants us to laugh with Mark as he fumbles his way through this identity and that undercuts the serious themes it's attempting to explore.

The Missed Opportunity for Satire

One thing most reviews don’t touch on is that Soul Man could’ve been a razor-sharp satire something in the spirit of Blazing Saddles or Trading Places if it had pushed further into actual critique. Instead, it plays it safe, trying to have it both ways: a lighthearted college comedy and a message movie.

But what’s really frustrating and interesting is that the bones of a better film are here. The script occasionally lands on important observations: how affirmative action is misunderstood, how being Black in America involves more than just appearances, and how privilege is invisible to those who have it. These moments are real. They hit. And they make you wonder what Soul Man might have been if it were written with sharper wit or directed with a more nuanced hand.

Unfortunately, the movie leans too heavily on fish-out-of-water gags and awkward stereotypes, diluting its own message in the process.

Performances That Deserved Better Material

C. Thomas Howell is a solid actor, and to his credit, he tries to play Mark with some internal conflict. You can tell he’s trying to balance humor with guilt, and in certain scenes, it works. There’s a particular monologue toward the end where he admits he never understood the Black experience until he walked in someone else’s shoes that feels sincere, even if it comes way too late.

But the real MVP here is Rae Dawn Chong, who brings groundedness and integrity to a role that easily could’ve been sidelined. Her character isn’t just a love interest she’s the film’s moral compass, and she calls out Mark’s behavior plainly. She also delivers the film’s most powerful line: “You’ll never know what it’s like. Not in a million years.”

Her performance, along with James Earl Jones in a brief but commanding role as a professor, elevates Soul Man beyond what it probably deserved.

An ’80s Time Capsule with Modern Lessons

Revisiting Soul Man today is a complicated experience. On one hand, it’s filled with outdated jokes, uncomfortable moments, and a central idea that’s inherently offensive. On the other hand, it’s trying to say something, and that intent however clumsy opens the door to meaningful conversations about race, privilege, and how media portrays identity.

One of the least-discussed yet most revealing elements of the film is how Mark is never denied anything because of his behavior only his appearance. That’s the crux of the message, even if it’s not perfectly delivered. When he “becomes” Black, he suddenly faces housing discrimination, racist comments, and isolation things he never considered before. And when he reveals his true identity? The consequences are practically nonexistent which is, ironically, the most accurate social commentary in the film.

Final Thoughts from Box Review

At Box Review, we believe in looking at movies not just for what they were, but for what they are now. Soul Man is a film that tried to explore privilege and race through comedy, and while its heart might’ve been in the right place, its execution was flawed and often cringe-inducing.

But that doesn’t mean we should pretend it never happened. Movies like this are part of the cultural conversation, and revisiting them with clear eyes is one way to better understand how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go.

If you’re going to watch Soul Man today, do it with context. Don’t expect brilliance. But do expect a few moments of accidental insight, and maybe even a deeper appreciation for how stories about race need to be told by the people who live that experience.

Act Fast... Limited Time Offer!

Soul Man

1986