Tyler Perry's Duplicity

It started out okay. The premise wasn't amazing, but it had just enough going on to keep me watching. The setup hinted at something interesting-maybe a decent thriller-but that potential quickly fades.

The plot becomes painfully predictable. Every twist is telegraphed well in advance, and what should've been suspenseful ends up feeling like a checklist of overused tropes.

I felt sorry for Kat Graham being surrounded by such bad actors. Some of the acting is just dire. Honestly, it feels like half the cast is reading lines off cue cards.

Kat Graham stands out as the only actor who seems to be trying, and it's a shame she's surrounded by performances that drag everything down. She deserves better.

The dialogue doesn't help. At times it's melodramatic, at others it's painfully flat. Combined with inconsistent pacing and clunky scene transitions, the whole thing starts to feel like a rushed soap opera.

And then there's the ending. Ridiculous doesn't even begin to cover it. Implausible, rushed, and honestly kind of insulting. After sticking it out, you're rewarded with a conclusion that doesn't make sense and completely undermines whatever buildup there was.

In short: a forgettable, frustrating film that wastes both its audience's time and Kat Graham's talent. Tyler Perry has done better. This one misses the mark by a mile..

I recently watched Tyler Perry's new movie "Duplicity," and I'd like to share my thoughts without giving away any plot details for those who haven't seen it yet. From the outset, the film's direction is fairly predictable, adhering to a familiar formula seen in many of Perry's previous works. As such, there isn't much suspense, and it's easy to foresee how the story unfolds.

While the cast comprises talented actors, the film ultimately falls short for me. Many of the issues presented are glossed over, lacking the necessary buildup and depth. I believe the movie would have benefited from more background information and character development, allowing viewers to connect more deeply with the characters.

The ending offers some action, but it's limited to the last 20 minutes of the nearly two-hour runtime. This leaves the rest of the movie feeling drawn out, with many moments where more development could have enriched the story. Unfortunately, this seems to be a case where Tyler Perry missed the mark.

The film had the potential to be great, but its lack of character development and predictability hindered its impact. One central theme, the issue of police shootings of unarmed Black men and the societal response to such events, deserved more attention and exploration. This aspect, in particular, could have been a powerful focal point.

I admire Tyler Perry as a director, but I feel that both he and his team often miss opportunities to delve deeper into important themes and character arcs. There are numerous elements in his films that could take center stage but remain underdeveloped. As a result, "Duplicity" didn't quite resonate with me as much as I had hoped.

Okay, the film isn't Oscar worthy, but it's also not 3 hrs long. Yes, the acting wasn't the best, and some parts were very well over acted, but the plot twists more than made up for its deficiencies. It's "free" on Prime and worth the watch, so enjoy the movie. It's just over 90 minutes long.

I think it also did well addressing current social issues with a positive message, like we can all do better. Thank you Tyler Perry for addressing issues that most filmmakers don't.

While I appreciate the comments to help me gauge a movie, some 5's are on the cusp of becoming a good to a very good movie.

I'm calling on all script writers and movie directors to take a little bit more time and flesh out a better "ending" for your films TV projects. A lot of of the shows and movies that I watch nowadays, including this particular movie, starts out interestingly enough and pique your interest with a plot that is filled with potential only to sputter out at the end. I mean, come on, let's just do a little bit better. Let's just put a little bit more effort into the endings of films and shows. These film developers are getting millions of dollars to create these projects and it's like - when it's time to write an ending or shoot the conclusion they just rush to the finish line. It's not impossible. I remember watching episodes of Game of Thrones or episodes of Better Call Saul and/or the Ozark and by the end of the episode, right before the credits roll, you just sit there with your mouth wide open. More shows and movies could strive to make people have that feeling, it's not hard. And everything does not always need to be tied into a pretty little bow - you can be a bit daring and shocking in your art, it's OK. These movies and shows lure us In with a good plot potential and then we get let down over and over and over again. It's getting tiring and folks are pretty soon, just going to stop caring (at all) about the projects you develop.

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Marley Wells (Kat Graham) is a high flying attorney, with a loving husband, Tony (Tyler Perry, also starring?!!) and her best friend, Fela (Meagan Tandy.) However, when Fela's partner, Kevin (RonReaco Lee) is slain in a police stop, by new recruit Officer Caleb (Jimi Stanton), under the supervision of family friend Shannon (Shannon LaNier), Wells's life is thrown into a whirlwind of disarray, with a devastating truth where everything may not be as it seems.

For the fourth time in the space of a year (including his two and a half hour unseen farrago Divorce in the Black), writer/director Tyler Perry has another passion project on the go that he can't wait for us all to see. Featuring a no name cast, including, it seems, the man himself, here he has a stab at a suspense thriller with a social justice slant thrown in ('cos that's still an in thing), but if at first he didn't succeed, trying, trying and trying again really hasn't worked for him.

The theme of black men being shot dead in police stops still holds a great deal of passion for many, and so it's still a fairly inspired premise on which to base a new film, but here it's delivered in such a ham fisted, heavy handed manner that it has no effect. There is the slightest hint of genuine suspense and mystery to the story, but it's quickly drowned out by descending into a preposterous, drawn out ending that pollutes the rest of the project.

Missieur Perry would do well to consider the likes of Uwe Boll, and even the 'legendary' Ed Wood, and consider his present trajectory in their direction before he gets carried away again. **