Thriller has always been one of the most watched and loved genres of films. Ever since narrative structures came into existence, the ‘story’ became more of a basic idea of what the film revolves around, but its execution became the driving force. After all these years, storytelling has come a long way, and so have the genres in films.
These days it’s not just about ‘Drama’, ‘Horror’, or ‘Romance’ anymore, since various sub-classifications such as Rom-Com, Crime Drama, and Murder Mystery have been introduced to the audience. Today I will be talking about a film, which is one such instance, where sub-genres are added to a film, making it open to follow multiple paths of storytelling. The film is called ‘Mea Culpa’, and it is available to watch on Netflix.
‘Legal Thriller’
When I googled this film’s name, the description of the genre was stated as ‘Legal Thriller’. It might not sound odd at first, but this film starts with a defense attorney’s choice of defending an artist, who is under investigation for the murder of his girlfriend, and after throwing a few words related to the judiciary, the film follows an entirely different path that a ‘Legal Thriller’ would actually do.
In the beginning, we are introduced to Mea Harper, the Defense Attorney, who, despite their reputation in her field, is having a difficult time with her marriage. Then, she is given a choice. A choice to defend Zyair Malloy, an artist who is accused of the murder of his girlfriend, and also the person whose case is her D.A. brother-in-law about to prosecute.
The Artist That Everyone’s After
Zyair Malloy, a painter by profession, is a charismatic person who is always chased by women. Being an artist, his creativity, and attention to detail is beyond comprehension. He is shown as a guy who lives as per his whims and wishes and achieves whatever he targets, obviously, with swag. Malloy is being prosecuted by D.A. Ray Harper (Mea’s Brother-in-law), as he aims to prove Malloy guilty, and reach the last milestone in his campaign of becoming a mayor.
Related: Mea Culpa: Summary And Ending Explained In Detail!
The Turn Of Events
During the time of her sessions with Malloy, Mea starts to get a feeling about him, that she doesn’t want to admit, but in some corner of her conscience, wants to pursue. Turns out, she is attracted to him, and irrespective of her staunch personality, she has fallen right for what Malloy wants as well.
A cat-and-mouse game of denying the truth leads Mea to temptation, and she commits a sin that would break every string of trust that anyone has in her.
Where Is The ‘Legal’ Part?
We see a lawyer, we see a law firm, we see a private investigator, we see case files, we also see the suspect, but all of that is shown to us for like 20-25 minutes. After that, it is only the chemistry, and ultimately the stages of temptation for Mea and Malloy. There is no more ‘legal’ in there!
As a matter of fact, the film turns more toward the angle of failed relationships and situations. It was a total put-off!
Loops Becoming Loopholes
The film creates a number of events where something from the previous scenes would strike off as a motivation for the story ahead, but in making it possible, the writers have created several loopholes. These loopholes might not appear as clearly while watching the film, but as you start getting towards the climax, the writing gets absurd, and you realize, that everything in the story was probably undercooked, and made no actual sense.
The characters also do not stick to their ideologies, and personalities very often, and it would seem that the build-up to certain things, that led to a character development of some sort, was actually a lie. I mean, what type of layering is even that?
Why Is It Putting An Onion To Shame?
As I mentioned in the title, the film puts an onion to shame since it has so many layers, that too not as detailed as they should’ve been, that you would actually feel that you are peeling an onion, and it is making you cry. Except for the fact that an onion somehow adds value to the dish it is being added to!
The climax is also not something you will either be anticipating, or expecting while watching the film. The reason I’m saying this is because the film insults a noble method of storytelling called ‘Show, Don’t Tell’, and goes on to slap the audience with 5 or 10 new twists that are neither believable nor logical in any context.
Conclusion (Sighs)
I’m tired! I wanted to watch this film for its sort of fresh concept, but watching this one seems to be a mistake. I won’t say that the film is entirely terrible, but it is evident, that the writing in this one has been compromised a lot.
The parts where this film tends to draw attention to the chemistry between Mea and Malloy is still quite watchable, as compared to when it completely turns into an erotica. The characters don’t have a voice of their own, there is no arc to them, plus, everyone is lying about something, so obviously, the conviction goes to the bin. Out of all the characters, I liked Zyair the most, not because of his charming personality, but because of his unhinged honesty, and a spine of steel, to say what he want to say, not thinking even once about the consequences. And what makes it best is his confidence, which tells him that he is right about his observations.
The performances are okayish, and again, Trevante Rhodes, the actor playing Zyair Malloy takes the gold, and not because he has acted very well, but because the limited spectrum of his character lets him stay the same forever.
In the end, I would like to say, that if you want to watch an erotica, you can try finding something somewhere else. (This one will even disappoint the ones watching for the plot). I, personally, cannot recommend this film to anyone because it is wrong with so many elements, and gets unbearable after some time. However, if you really want to get to the depths of Netflix content, then you’re welcome!
You Can Check Out Mea Culpa on Netflix.
Follow us:
Pingback: Kritiker haben „Mea Culpa“ von Tyler Perry gesehen und halten sich mit dem Netflix-Thriller nicht zurück
Pingback: 2024 - Kritiker haben „Mea Culpa“ von Tyler Perry gesehen und halten sich mit dem Netflix-Thriller nicht zurück
Pingback: Mea Culpa: Summary And Ending Explained In Detail! - Spotlight Central
Pingback: Критики видели «Mea Culpa» Тайлера Перри и не скрывают своего триллера от Netflix - TVPOST