Tyler Perry’s latest Prime Video drama, Duplicity, is a slow-moving affair that promises mystery and conspiracy but ultimately delivers little more than an uninspiring political drama. Despite a premise that involves the police shooting of an unarmed Black man, the film often falters in its execution, offering a sanitized and melodramatic narrative that fails to resonate on an emotional or intellectual level.
At the heart of Duplicity are two Black women—successful lawyer Marley Wells (Kat Graham) and TV news anchor Fela Blackburn (Meagan Tandy)—who find their lives intertwined after the police shooting of Marley’s brother and Fela’s boyfriend, Rodney (Joshua Adeyeye). Rodney, a man out for a jog in an affluent neighborhood, is killed by police under suspicious circumstances involving a mysterious phone call. While the details of the shooting itself appear clear, the film lingers on the debate of whether the officer’s actions can be justified, repeatedly revisiting this question without delving into deeper complexities.
The film’s focus on moral ambiguity fails to drive the narrative forward, as the mystery surrounding Rodney’s death is resolved more through convenient plot revelations than actual investigation. Much of the drama unfolds through tedious conversations about duplicity—often with characters practically turning to the camera to deliver lines that directly reference the film’s title. However, the characters’ behavior often feels disconnected from these discussions, serving more as a means to push the plot than to offer any meaningful commentary on human nature.
Marley’s boyfriend, Tony (Tyler Lepley), a former police officer turned private investigator, becomes a key link between Marley, the rookie officer who shot Rodney (played by Jimmi Stanton), and Caleb’s supervising officer, Kevin (RonReaco Lee). This network of interwoven characters fails to evolve beyond their plot roles, making their interactions feel stagnant and unengaging. The film culminates in a series of rapid-fire twists in the final moments, each revelation coming through clunky dialogue that turns what could have been an intriguing conclusion into unintentional farce.
The actors, despite their potential, are given little room to truly explore their roles. For a film centered around the emotional fallout of a police shooting—a subject rich with the possibility for complex exploration—the drama remains emotionally shallow. Marley, in particular, feels more like an investigator than a grieving sister, with her personal connection to Rodney often taking a backseat. The only character who is allowed any real depth is Caleb, the white officer who wrestles with his role in Rodney’s death, though his internal struggle is underdeveloped.
Tonally, Duplicity struggles to find its footing, caught somewhere between a melodrama about racial inequity and a mystery framed by respectability politics. It attempts to address the complexities of police shootings and racial biases but does so without nuance. Perry’s direction is similarly muddled, with visual choices that only add to the film’s confusion. The frequent use of blue tones in every scene creates a cold, detached atmosphere, while the hazy digital effects detract from the film’s visual clarity.
The film’s failure to provide a coherent commentary on its themes is underscored by a scene where a character quotes Sidney Lumet’s Network, a reference that serves as the film’s only indication of a deeper understanding of media and politics. Unfortunately, Duplicity does little more than echo real-world issues without offering new insights or meaningful analysis. Instead, it settles for surface-level observations about the challenges facing Black America, offering simple solutions like reconsidering one’s initial judgments.
Ultimately, Duplicity is a disappointing effort from Perry. It attempts to tackle timely and important issues but fails to provide the emotional depth or intellectual engagement required to make those issues resonate. Instead, it lingers in a state of half-formed ideas and missed opportunities, leaving viewers with little more than a sense of frustration.
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