Duplicity follows Marley, a high-powered attorney, as she seeks justice for her close friend Rodney, Tyler Perry’s Duplicity who was killed by the police in Atlanta. Determined to uncover the truth, Marley begins investigating his death to support Rodney’s wife, Fela, a TV news anchor. Assisting her in the case is her boyfriend, Tony, a former police officer turned private investigator, whom Marley once helped in the past. Together, they work to solve the crime and expose the truth behind Rodney’s murder.
Kevin who’s a veteran police officer is on the case along with a young police officer, Caleb where they responded to a potential break-in in an affluent side of town. However, Kevin told Caleb that they would go since they were few minutes away even though this was not their zone. As the officer’s approach, they give Rodney commands but, he had on his headphones and as he pulls out something from his pockets, the officers thought it was a gun and shot him.
This film offers nothing original, just another weak, predictable plot following the same familiar formula seen in all of Tyler Perry’s movies and shows. There’s no depth, mystery, or suspense, as the story becomes entirely predictable within the first 15 minutes. Likewise, there’s no character development or growth, making it difficult for the audience to connect with anyone on screen. While the plot is derivative, there was an interesting twist with the potential to elevate the story. However, it ultimately falls flat, resulting in yet another disappointing misfire that fails to captivate its audience.
There were too many plot holes, inconsistencies in something that could have been his first solid good film. However, he takes something as serious as police brutality and turned it into a trivial insignificant and hollow screenplay with no real structure.
Fortunately, one redeeming aspect of this film was the acting, which was tolerable thanks to veteran actors like Tyler Lepley and RonReaco Lee. However, even their performances couldn’t save the movie. That said, it’s not the worst choice if you have an hour and a half to kill on a lazy day. As long as you go in with no expectations of a true crime-police mystery thriller, it’s a decent, if forgettable, watch.
Lastly, I still can’t understand why so much money continues to be invested in Tyler Perry’s work, especially when his writing feels like it’s stuck at a middle school level. It baffles me that the industry continues to elevate him when there are far more talented directors, producers, and writers who are far more deserving of this level of recognition.
