Poetic Justice
“'Cause nobody, but nobody can make it out here alone.”
Synopsis
Still grieving after the murder of her boyfriend, hairdresser Justice writes poetry to deal with the pain of her loss. Unable to get to Oakland to attend a convention because of her broken-down car, Justice gets a lift with her friend, Iesha, and Iesha's postal worker boyfriend, Chicago. Along for the ride is Chicago's co-worker, Lucky, to whom Justice grows close after some initial problems. But is she ready to open her heart again?
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Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2020-09-17
Top Cast
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Janet Jackson
Justice
Tupac Shakur
Lucky
Regina King
Iesha
Joe Torry
Chicago
Roger Guenveur Smith
Heywood
Maya Angelou
Aunt June
Dina D.
Dina
Rose Weaver
Aunt Audrey
Tyra Ferrell
Jessie
Khandi Alexander
Simone
Ché J. Avery
Thug #2
Lloyd Avery II
Thug #1
Kimberly Brooks
Kim
Rico Bueno
Ticket Taker
Maia Campbell
Shante
Jeff Cantrel
Policeman #4
Michael Colyar
Panhandler
Kina Cosper
Female Cousin
Release History & Theatrical Window
Beverly Hills, California
Festival / Special Debut
July 23, 1993
Wide Cinema Exhibition
December 6, 1994
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$14M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$27.5M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.97x
+$13.5M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Singleton
- Screenplay & Story
- John Singleton
- Original Score
- Janet Jackson, Stanley Clarke, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis
- Original Title
- Poetic Justice
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 49m
- Production Budget
- $14M
- Worldwide Gross
- $27.5M
- Production Studios
- Columbia Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Singleton
John Singleton
Janet Jackson, Stanley Clarke, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis
Peter Lyons Collister
Bruce Cannon
John Singleton, Steve Nicolaides
Department Leadership Roster
John Singleton
Director
John Singleton
Producer
Steve Nicolaides
Producer
Peter Lyons Collister
Director of Photography
Bruce Cannon
Editor
Janet Jackson
Original Music Composer
Stanley Clarke
Original Music Composer
Jimmy Jam
Original Music Composer
Terry Lewis
Original Music Composer
John Singleton
Writer
Bob Minor
Stunt Coordinator
Keith Brian Burns
Production Design
Darryle Johnson
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Suitable only for 15 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Poetic Justice.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Poetic Justice
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Poetic Justice about?
Still grieving after the murder of her boyfriend, hairdresser Justice writes poetry to deal with the pain of her loss. Unable to get to Oakland to attend a convention because of her broken-down car, Justice gets a lift with her friend, Iesha, and Iesha's postal worker boyfriend, Chicago. Along for the ride is Chicago's co-worker, Lucky, to whom Justice grows close after some initial problems. But is she ready to open her heart again?
Who directed Poetic Justice?
Poetic Justice was directed by John Singleton.
Who stars in Poetic Justice?
The principal cast of Poetic Justice includes Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, Regina King, Joe Torry, Roger Guenveur Smith.
When was Poetic Justice released and how long is it?
Poetic Justice was released in 1993 with a total runtime of 1h 49m.
What was the box office and production budget of Poetic Justice?
Poetic Justice had a reported production budget of $14M and grossed $27.5M at the worldwide box office (1.97 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for Poetic Justice?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Poetic Justice was composed by Janet Jackson, Stanley Clarke, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Poetic Justice?
Poetic Justice holds official age classifications: AU: MA 15+; DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); GB: 15 (Suitable only for 15 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).