Watermelon Man (1970)

In the heart of a quintessential suburban neighborhood lives Jeff Gerber, a seemingly ordinary insurance agent with an extraordinary fitness obsession and a deeply ingrained racist mindset. Delighting in the cruel sport of tormenting black individuals both within and beyond his professional life, Jeff finds himself flung into a spiraling chaos when he awakens one day to discover his skin has mysteriously darkened overnight. The transformation plunges Jeff into a whirlpool of confusion as he grapples with this bewildering turn of events. Suddenly, he finds himself on the receiving end of the prejudice he once dished out, as former friends and neighbors pivot from comrades to tormentors. This seismic shift in social dynamics takes a toll on his marriage, pushing his devoted wife Althea to the brink of despair. Despite desperate attempts to reverse his condition medically, Jeff is eventually forced to confront the harsh reality: his past bigotry has come back to haunt him in the most dramatic way possible. Embracing this shocking twist of fate, Jeff embarks on a journey of enlightenment, guided by the wisdom of new black companions, some of whom he had previously subjected to his bigotry. Striving to find a glimmer of hope in a world drenched in prejudice and segregation, Jeff Gerber's tale is a testament to the biting sting of karma and the transformative power of empathy.

Watermelon Man is a comedy movie featuring Godfrey Cambridge and directed by Melvin Van Peebles.

Watermelon Man is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Tubi TV and it's also available on fuboTV.

It is also possible to buy Watermelon Man on Amazon Video, Apple TV, DIRECTV, Google Play Movies, Microsoft Store, Vudu and YouTube.