Just when it seemed like Tyler Perry had stepped up his game with Mea Culpa and Divorce in Black after his previous streaming flicks, A Fall from Grace and Jazzman Blues, which didn’t exactly get rave reviews, it looks like the One Man Show filmmaker might be slipping again with his new drama series, Beauty In Black now streaming Netflix.
Perry's trying something different, moving away from his usual heartfelt, inspirational, social issue vibe. This 8-part series explores interwoven stories from two characters: Kimmey (Taylor Polidore Williams), a stripper trying to escape her rough life but constantly hitting roadblocks, and Mallory (Chrystle Stewart), a rich, rude woman helping her irresponsible, drug-addicted husband, Roy (Julian Horton), run a family cosmetic empire that’s facing a major lawsuit that could take them down.
Now, while Kimmey and Mallory's stories are twisty enough to keep you hooked, the writing isn't the strongest, and brace yourself—the excessive profanity, especially the F-words, was just over the top. It felt like Perry missed the mark with this one. The casting and acting were okay, but a better script could’ve elevated the performances. Williams and Stewart did shine, though—Williams made you feel for Kimmey, really rooting for her to break free, while Stewart made you genuinely dislike the rude Mallory, who, with her tiny 5’4” frame, can still look a masculine 6-footer man bold in the face even after …. and say “you’re fired.
All in all, the twisty plot and decent acting come together to deliver a somewhat intriguing series that might keep you waiting for Spring 2025. And you just might be left asking Tyler Perry, “Bro, how you gonna do me like that?”
- Jimi D Baldheaded Guy