Sorry for the brief absence kids, but I’m back with a vengeance. I had the opportunity to check out last weekend’s #1 movie “Obsessed,” starring Beyoncé, Idris Elba, and Ali Larter. I’ll start by saying that it’s nice to have a movie with minority leads get the top spot at the box office. However, next time I’d prefer a flick that was 90% more original and did not feature the entire story in the 2-minute trailer.

*spoilers ahead*

Idris Elba, enjoying an amazing year of work, plays Beyoncé’s super successful, super suave, super naive husband Derek Charles. He is an asset manager; Jerry O’ Connell is his best friend; and everything is right with the world. Until Ali Larter’s character, “Lisa,” starts working at his firm as his temp. She is immediately attracted to Derek, and who wouldn’t be, he’s attractive, successful, a loving family man, and just naive enough to not see that Lisa has become, well, obsessed with him. Beyonce plays Sharon, a no-nonsense housewife, who used to be Derek’s assistant at the office. Lisa takes sexual matters into her own hands at the company Christmas party by sneaking into the bathroom while Derek is taking a leak and proceeding to seduce him. After this the shit pretty much hits the fan. Lisa begins to stalk him, gets access to his car and hotel room during a business trip, and proceeds to try to make the man her own.

The movie is being touted as “Jungle Fever’ meets “Fatal Attraction” — huge comparisons to live up to. The derivative story  gave a promising cast nothing to work with. At times, the audience’s comments during the screening made the movie more interesting. For other movies this would have spelled the kiss of death, but in this case public opinion was very welcomed. It’s nice to see a diverse cast but it’s even nicer when you don’t feel like your demographic is being mocked. Screw the Madea effect, where the studios now believe that Black people will watch anything starring Black people. It’s insulting. I hope the next time a disposable interracial suspense thriller is greenlit, the studios remember that it’s not just casting that’s important, a decent script is a necessary requirement as well.