Netflix.
You gave them a budget. You gave them a co-sign. Meanwhile, it's stluggling directors out here
who need a chance. It's writers who need a chance. How bout you refund me for the month,
Netflix? How bout you run me my 13 -- what is it? $14.06, run me my $14.06.
(Nigerian Accent) Compensate me
(American accent) for giving "Fatal Affair" the green-light.
Hey YouTube world. It's me, Evelyn. "Fatal Affair" is a movie that's on Netflix. It's directed
and co-written by Peter Sullivan. There was a Black screenwriter. Is her name Rasheeda?
Rasheeda Garner. But she was brought on after Nia Long was casted in order to write it -- give
it a little bit more, make it a little bit better for a Black female lead.
Whatever that means.
So, we not. Rasheeda, you're doing great sweetie. You did the best you could
with what Peter Sullivan gave you. This is Nia Long's production debut, producer debut.
This is her first producer credit. We stan. We love that for you. I just ... I want to
read the script. I wanna read it. I wanna read it.
"Fatal Affair" was bad. There are movies that are good. There are movies that are not my
thing. And then there are movies that are bad. It was bad. (Kenyan accent) Come on now.
This is not fair now. You can't do this to us now. (American) "Fatal Affair" is a movie
about Ellie, played by Nia Long, who is ... I mean, wealthy. She lives in the same universe
as the "Big Little Lies." She's a lawyer, as evidenced by the phone call she has. "No,
we're gonna close the deal, close the (laughing) deal." That's how you know she's a lawyer.
Nice pencil skirts, nice pencil skirts. She looks amazing. Runs into an old college friend,
David, played by Omar Epps. Shenanigans ensue because we find out Omar Epps is crazy. He's
crazy and he's stalking Nia Long because he's (laughs) crazy.
I'm so tired of that plot line. There are plenty of people who need pills who don't
stalk people. Okay, so this idea of, "Why is he this way? Why is he so obsessive? Why
did he kill his ex-wife?" It's 'cause he's crazy. We gotta do better. Not only that,
I didn't even get enough answers. Did the psychiatrist know he was a murderer? What
is your responsibility? They all say "patient confidentiality" unless you are going to harm
yourself or others.
So, you're fired. You're honestly fired. Revoke your license. Send
it back. Send it in the mail. All you asked was 2.5 questions. When it comes to stalker
(laughs) when it comes to stalker movies, our society has to be honest, groomed us for
a level of stalking to be acceptable. To find a level of obsession okay. From jump. You
know what I'm saying?
♪ Baby stalk, do-do do-do do-do ♪ (laughs).
Stalking? It's okay to a point. But when Omar
Epps is in the shadows, you know I'm sayin', of your beachside home: it's a problem. Ion
even know how this review is gonna pan out. But I have so many emotions. Mostly deep disappointment.
This movie never lets you sit in a scene. Every scene is transitional. In general, we
appreciate when a scene is allowed to breathe. In "Fatal Affair," and maybe this was on purpose,
but who likes this? Everything was more of a vignette.
Boom.
It was just boppin' from scene to scene, is that Estelle?
Where am I? Which dimension do I exist in?
And then the problem was, you didn't really care about anybody. The only person you really
cared about was Nia Long and that's because she talked the most.
So, you don't care about her husband. You don't care about her daughter. She had maybe,
maybe 10 lines. (Laughing) I don't -- You know who I did care about? Scott. Her daughter's
boyfriend. What happened to him? Here's the thing about movies. Whenever you show something,
there has to are a reason. There was truly no reason for Nia Long's character to have
a daughter. What purpose? The plot was predictable. Predictable is okay. But it's levels. Issa
spectrum of predicability. Now, horror movies, thrillers, are full of mistakes. If someone
does not make this mistake, then the movie ends. I understand that. You have to explore,
you have to move forward. I get it. Whatever. But if Nia Long is married to her husband,
Nia Long's character is married to her husband for so long, they got a kid in college:
She can't just tell her husband that things got a little inappropriate with a guy at work?
You gotta nip it in the bud! You gotta nip it the bud. And she ain't nip it in the bud.
Okay, and she almost got nipped. (Laughing) She almost got nipped. I'm not trying to victim
blame though. Because remember, Omar Epps is crazy.
That would have been a more interesting movie.
And if it was more of a movie about a tag team husband and wife duo tryna take
out a stalker, I'm down. I'm down. Press play. But they didn't do that. They didn't do that.
Okay. What else? When Nia Long and Omar Epps was in the club, it was 30 people in the club
(laughing). It was 30 people in the club. You know when you watch a sit-com and they're
in a classroom and you can tell the way they've angled it, it's six people in the classroom?
That's what it was in the club. I've never been to a club with a dance floor where everyone's
in business, business casual (laughs).
They're dancing in slow motion. Mmm. Yeah. The music: bumping, bumping. They go into
the restroom. They go into the restroom for some shenanigans and the music cuts off. It's
the most uncomfortable ... breath moment that I've (laughs) ever, that I've ever experienced.
You know those memes?
(Only feet tapping heard throughout memes).
Omar Epps as a stalker,
as a violent stalker. No. No. First of all, his character was supposed to be a hacker.
All he did was delete emails. That (laughing) does not make you hacker. I don't know if
you watched that movie, what was it called? With Meagan Good, Michael Ealy as the good
guy, 'cause there's Michael Ealy as the stalker, and Dennis Quaid as the obsessive guy. Dennis
Quaid. And that's how I felt watching Omar Epps. I was like, I don't wanna box you in,
but please go talk about sarcoidosis. You know what I'm saying? Talk about a diagnosis.
That's what we need.
We need dialogue.
The thing is, he ain't really have no dialogue. All around, I would say, my main feedback:
more words.
Here's the thing. Nia Long can do it. That's not what anybody is doubting,
but the script. The way the story moved along was very. Ion even wanna do Lifetime dirty
like that. It was Lifetime, but even Lifetime I can kinda get enthralled (laughs) do you
know what I mean?
My microphone cut off, so I apologize for that.
The intruder, you know,
stalker movie with Meagan Good and Dennis Quaid was still, was better than Fatal Affair.
And then the friend, the friend. Friend.
The friend who didn't believe Nia Long's character
after knowing Omar Epps for a week. How much time has passed? Ion know how thirsty someone
has to be. Again, if we had known that maybe she's been looking for someone for a long
time, and she has trouble dating. These things could help us sympathize with someone who
makes a crappy decision.
But instead, best friend is just outta pocket. But you want me to come save you when Omar
Epps is finna (imitates "Psycho" music) ee ee ee! Make it make sense.
Overall, I give "Fatal Affair" ...
(thinks)
a ... a two,
one, a 1.5
(thinks more)
... a 2/5. I give "Fatal Affair" 2/5.
The original screenplay. Rasheeda tried, I bet. I bet Rasheeda tried. But the original screenplay and the
directing. Let you me tell you sum (laughs) let me tell you sum. My mom watches true crime.
Period. That's it. News and true crime. And news is true crime. You feel me? I have watched
many a murder reenactment in my day. I would rather watch (laughs) a show called,
"Help, I Killed My Husband!"
I would rather watch true crime.
It's unfortunate because I need
everyone to get another chance. And I just want that same grace extended to, you know
what I'm saying, my brethren. You know what I'm saying, my sistren.
That's all I got to say about that.
While the views expressed are my own, this video is sponsored by Audible.
Audible has a huge selection of audiobooks including Audible Originals, which are exclusive titles created
by storytellers in different genres like theater, journalism, and literature. Get your first
audiobook, plus access to a monthly selection of Audible Originals for free when you sign
up for a 30 day trial membership. Visit audible.com/evelyn, or text EVELYN to 500-500. Let me show y'all
what I'm gettin' into. I'm listening to "My Sister, The Serial Killer" by Oyinkan Braithwaite.
It's already giving me more suspense than "Fatal Affair." Okay, out the gate. In this
story, the narrator is the sister of a girl who kills her boyfriends. The sister is the
one who cleans up afterwards. I'm into it. I'm just starin' at the wall like.
Oh my God.
Oh my God (laughs).
I'm not even tryna multitask, okay, when I listen to this audiobook. That's what it's
giving me. Peter Sullivan take notes. I'm loving it. It has, I think, four and a half
stars on Audible. Get into it! You can choose the audiobook that I'm listening to right
now, "My Sister, the Serial Killer" by Oyinkan Braithwaite. Or you can choose your own. You
can pick whatever tickles your fancy, okay, piques your interest. To get started on your
free 30 day trial membership, and get your free audiobook plus a monthly selection of
Audible Originals, visit audible.com/evelyn or text EVELYN to 500-500. In the comments
below, let me know what you thought of Fatal Affair. Be honest. If you liked it, I'm not
gon be mad. I just wanna know why.
And I will see you on the internet somewhere. Bye!
(light, fun guitar music)