Black Joy is the lightly ironic title of this British culture-clash comedy. Trevor Thomas heads the cast as a Guaynan youth who is under the delusion that life will be easier for him in London. No sooner does Thomas set foot in England than he gets tangled up in one disaster after another. The catalyst for most of Our Hero's travails is "assimilated" Caribbean Dave Beaton, who delivers an antic performance as a streetwise con artist. Black Joy has its melodramatic moments, but it's worth enduring the more intense sequences to get to the exuberant climax, wherein Thomas finally learns to stand up for his basic rights. Black Joy was adapted from Dark Days and Light Nights, a stage play by Jamal Ali.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide