‘Fatale’ is more entertaining than melodramatic, which makes it a better film than most of its genre predecessors.
‘Fatale’ is more entertaining than melodramatic, which makes it a better film than most of its genre predecessors.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Rundown: Director Deon Taylor and Writer David Loughery have spent the last few decades creating movies aimed at black audiences. While Loughery has written a handful of notable films, such as “Lakeview Terrace” and “Passenger 57,” Deon Taylor is still looking for his breakout hit. The duo last teamed up in 2019’s “The Intruder,” a film starring Michael Ealy as an obsessed widower who seeks to destroy his household and take his place.
This brings us to 2020’s “Fatale,” a film also starring Ealy about an obsessed woman who seeks to destroy his household and take his wife’s place. Loughery isn’t just swapping gender roles, but he has a clear-cut formula when it comes to writing stories. “Fatale” stands out in a roller-coaster fashion due to the morality (or lack thereof) of the film’s characters.
The Story: “Fatale” is the story of a wealthy Los Angeles sports agent named Derrick Tyler (Michael Ealy). Derrick is on the verge of a big-time buyout of his agency, which would land him and his partner millions. Derrick, however, is reluctant to surrender the rights to his name while he is dealing with a rocky marriage. Looking to clear his head, he takes a vacation to Las Vegas, where he meets a mysterious woman (Hilary Swank) in a nightclub and takes her home for a one-night stand.
Months later, Derrick is attacked in a failed home invasion and to his shock, the lead investigator in the case is the woman he slept in Vegas. His life is turned upside down and inside out as a trail of lies consumes him from all angles. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Bright Spots: “Fatale” is the cinematic equivalent of a “choose your own adventure” book. Its protagonists and antagonists have clearly defined motivations. The film creates so many shades of gray that there is no good/bad dynamic because everyone in it is bad in their own way.
While this sounds like criticism at face value, a film like this turns it into a positive by giving audiences a subjective choice of hero and villain. Whether you root for the rich adulterer or the psychopathic cop makes the twisted game of lies and betrayal that much more entertaining. The choice of whom to sympathize with means that audiences will have polarized reactions to the curveballs the film throws.
Hillary Swank is a piece of work that makes the film work. Swank’s portrayal of a dirty cop that stays one step ahead of everyone makes her a de facto protagonist. You could be led to believe that this is simply another “Fatal Attraction” knockoff. Without going over the top, Swank sells the conviction of a person who has no line she won’t cross to get what she wants — someone who uses a hapless man in over his head to get what she wants, rather than win his heart.
Weak Sports: The film is short on supporting characters with more than one note. With a complete absence of morality, “Fatale” makes it difficult to connect with anyone emotionally. As a writer, Loughery focuses more of his time fiddling with the plot than building a connection with characters on screen. Ealy has a strong enough screen presence to be a recognizable figure in black cinema, but he ends up playing second fiddle in his own movie. Mike Colter, who plays Derrick’s shady business partner, has a good setup for his character; however, his screen time is cut too early, leaving his performance as mostly wasted potential. There is an underlying theme of a white cop trying to set up an innocent black man inserted to appeal to black audiences, but with the number of twists the film has, the plot point feels more shoehorned than relevant.
The Takeaway: “Fatale” is ultimately more entertaining than it is melodramatic, which makes it a better film than most of its genre predecessors. The performances of Swank and Ealy sustain audience interest by asking: “How much further downhill can this roller coaster go?” The answer is a film that changes the answer with every question.
See Or Skip: “Fatale” is perfect to watch at home on Video-On-Demand. Just don’t watch this with your spouse — unless you want to answer questions about your relationship.
(Edited by Carlin Becker and Fern Siegel)
