Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black

feels pieced together from several conflicting scripts, making it almost impossible to follow the film’s weighty emotional throughline. What could be a sincere take on the experiences of people in cycles of abusive relationships becomes a story that pivots in tone so many times it’s hard to take seriously. Tyler Perry’s movies fall into many genres, but Divorce in the Black treads no new ground compared to his other dramas. Even in the film’s most shocking moments, its narrative is part of a common formula.

Meagan Good and Cory Hardrict play Ava and Dallas, a couple with no reason to be together, and who seem to have gotten married out of pure happenstance. Dallas is depicted as a cartoonishly evil man who shows no signs of redemption or remorse for his actions. Ava’s parents and her best friend, Rona (Taylor Polidore), continuously remind her that Dallas has never been anything but terrible. It’s no surprise considering the movie’s title that Ava and Dallas get a divorce, but this feels less like an inciting incident than the final nail in the proverbial coffin.

Divorce In The Black’s Emotional Highs & Lows Offer No Breathing Room

With poor pacing and a weak script, it’s difficult to keep track of the movie’s threads

Morality is black and white in Divorce in the Black, a movie that fails to comment on the clear connection it makes between socioeconomic class and violence. Dallas’ family doesn’t have the wealth or influence of Ava’s, and instead of acknowledging this and viewing his family with nuance, they are simply villains. In a brief flashback, we’re shown a glimpse of the moments Ava is trying to hang onto with Dallas. However, like most of Divorce in the Black, we’re told that happiness happened, but we never gets to witness this first-hand.

The rule of show, don’t tell only comes into play when things escalate past the point of no return, when we finally see the action that has predominantly been happening offscreen. In an opening scene that must be seen to be believed, the movie successfully pits the entire town against Dallas and his family from the start. It wouldn’t have taken much for me to immediately be on Ava’s side, but Divorce in the Black ensures that no one could conceivably have sympathy for Dallas. There are moments of surprisingly graphic violence, culminating in a standoff of epic proportions.

In some ways, Divorce in the Black has everything a person could want out of a movie, whatever that may be — religion, sex, violence, revenge, action. Christianity is a deep theme throughout the film, as Ava’s father is a preacher, and she feels compelled to stay in her marriage for the sake of her faith. Ava’s crisis of faith blossoms into a sweet moment between Ava and her mother (Debbi Morgan). This speaks to the very positive portrayal of a support system that does right by Ava no matter what.

Images and actions of support are hugely important in the story. However, when Dallas enters the frame, it’s like a bucket of ice water has been thrown at the actors. His presence causes the tone to shift in such a dramatic way that it’s overtly off-putting. It’s expected that different scenes use different thematic language, but the juxtaposition between Dallas’ extreme cruelty with Ava’s rediscovery of herself and her sexuality is jarring. Aside from the story elements, it’s a technically competent movie, using Georgia’s lush greenery to its advantage, which softens the blow of the unfortunate pacing.

Watching Ava’s Character Development Is The Best Part

Meagan Good does her best to give Ava the power she deserves

For the first 30 or so minutes, it’s slightly demoralizing to see how determined Ava is to stay with a man who offers her nothing. It’s a natural part of many survivors’ experiences. However, it’s exciting to see her turn over a new leaf and start coming into her own. Good has the hardest job in the film, as she carries the entire emotional thrust of the story on her shoulders, and the scenes she isn’t central to are few and far between. Good’s ability as a performer is wasted on the script and character.

Ava has few traits and experiences outside of her romances, but in the final act, she takes her life into her own hands, which is refreshing. There are moments of light and strong story beats, but they’re too far apart and loosely connected. Divorce in the Black had the potential to be diverting and fun at the very least, but its pacing throws the narrative so far off course that it fails to maintain our attention. If anyone is looking for a drama that could easily pass as comedy, Perry’s new movie will do the trick.

Divorce in the Black is currently available to stream on Prime Video.