Meagan Good and Tyler Perry have teamed up with Amazon Prime Video for their first film collaboration Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black.
The romance-thriller also stars Cory Hardrict, Taylor Polidore, Richard Lawson, Debbi Morgan, Shannon Wallace, Joseph Lee Anderson, and was co-produced by Angi Bones, Will Areu, and Dianne Ashford. The film had it’s black carpet premiere on Monday July 8, at the Regal Times Square in New York, which alongside the cast and producers was attended by Gayle King, Sherri Shepherd, Melissa and Joe Gorga, Kalen Allen, Brandon Blackwood, Estelle, Aaliyah Jay, Angie Martinez, Armani Ortiz.
The premise of the film follows a married pastor’s daughter named Ava (played by Good) whose husband Dallas (played by Hardrict) asks for a divorce after decades in their turbulent marriage. After Ava realizes that she stayed in the marriage for far to long thanks to her family and friends she decides it’s time to be open to giving real love a chance, recognizing that someone from her past was the better companion all along. But Dallas and his family aren’t gonna let Ava have happiness, while Ava’s family and friends will protect her happiness at any cost causing a war not just between Ava and Dallas but between their families.
The film’s opening scene which puts a comedic spin on a dark dramatic moment is one of the best and most creative from Perry. As the film moves along viewers will recognize that the plot draws from elements of prior Perry films like Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Mea Culpa. While Ava is the led, viewers will definitely also be gravitating to Taylor Polidore Williams’ character Rona as the best friend that anyone would want. Aside from Williams’ character Lawson who plays Ava’s tell it like it is no holds barred pastor father Clarence, Debbi Morgan who plays Ava’s mother Gene, and Joseph Lee Anderson who portrays Benji, Ava’s love interest give strong standout performances.
Anderson and Good’s chemistry especially the romantic tension is the key that makes their character’s dynamics work at least when they are first paired together. Hardrict stays consistent as the villain Dallas throughout never having any redeeming moments, or moments where the audience could empathize with him, but from the scant line or two that reveals some of his backstory we get to understand possibly how he got to be how he did, although more of his backstory could have been included to add new dimensions to his character.
Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black is now available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
Photo Courtesy of Todd Williamson for Amazon MGM Studios
