Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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General Information
| Director(s) | Jaira Thomas |
| Screenplay By | Gregory R. Anderson |
| Based On The Book “Redbone” By | Ron Stodghill |
| Date Released (BET Plus) | September 28, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Comedy, Crime, Biopic |
| Film Length | 1 Hour 34 Minutes |
| Content Rating | Rated TV-MA |
| Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Lance | Taye Diggs |
| Blair | Keesha Sharp |
| Sophia | Ciera Payton |
| Chloe | Nicole Lyn |
| Harmony | Apryl Jones |
Content Rating Explanation
“Love and Murder: Atlanta Playboy – Part 2” contains:
- Dialog: Some Cursing
- Violence: Depiction of blood, post-murdered body, and the act of murder
- Sexual Content: No nudity, but implied sexual situations
- Miscellaneous: Drinking
Film Summary
This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text in this post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made from those sites, we may earn money or products from the company.
Focused less on who Lance was and how he built his empire, as seen in part 1, part 2 is almost purely about the murder investigation, with a special focus on the motives of all those who could potentially kill Lance.
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.
Lance
Lance is a womanizer and a businessman who understands the art of the deal requires not only the person facing a client to have their stuff together but the one on their arm.
- The actor is also known for their role in “The Best Man Holiday” and their role in “The Wood.”
Blair
Blair is Lance’s soon-to-be ex-wife, surprisingly the only woman he has a known child with and someone whose motive could be revenge for being cheated on repeatedly or how cruel he was to her early on in their relationship.
- The actor is also known for their role in “A Christmas Surprise.”
Sophia
Sophia, the high-maintenance but excellent arm candy, is probably the least distraught of any of the women that Lance died. Especially since he was cheating on her, and she believed other women were wearing her clothes and panties.
- The actor is also known for their role in “A Madea Family Funeral” and their role in “She’s Gotta Have It.”
Chloe
The star of the film, Chloe, finds herself the only one without a solid alibi, and as her past comes out, she becomes one of the prime suspects.
Harmony
With falling in love with Lance and having a violent partner, Harmony could have killed Lance. A crime of passion, being upset she had been seduced away from her bank job, now she works and sleeps with Lance and feels unappreciated? The reasons are there to look Harmony’s way.
- The actor is also known for their role in “For The Love of Jason.”
Review
Our Rating: Negative (Acquired Taste)
Low Points
It Has Zero Desire To Be Taken Seriously
“Love & Murder: Atlanta Playboy, Pt. 2” takes itself even less seriously than part 1 as it seems to damn near be a farce of a biopic. Yes, it does touch upon who ultimately was convicted, or rather took a plea deal, regarding Lance’s murder, but the madness on the journey there will make you question why did someone even use Lance’s story and not just make something entirely fictional?
Perhaps the best example of how much of a hot ass mess this entry is, we watch as Blair, Sophia, Chloe, and Harmony, in a police station, start talking crap about each other and eventually get into a massive girl fight – all while wearing clothes like they are about to head to the club. It’s so ridiculous that it ultimately pushes you to question what is fact or fiction, and considering someone was murdered, it almost makes you want to shame BET for not having a factual documentary attached so you can get the whole truth, or at least what is available.
With Less Taye Diggs, The Second Part Loses The Credibility The First Part Had
Taye Diggs takes a major step back in part 2, and now three detectives, and those they suspect, take center stage. This is likely why part 2 loses any sense of being respectable, as, without Diggs, you don’t have anyone here who seems to want the movie to even feign the tone of seriousness.
Either they are over the top, like Sophia and Harmony, pushed to fulfill a certain narrative, like Chloe, or in the case of Blair? While her dialog and scenes aren’t as ridiculous to cringey as the others can be, being the best written and performed amongst this sensationalized take on Lance Herndon’s murder is hard to treat as a genuine compliment.
Who Is This For?
Those who like the drama and madness of a biopic but are willing to watch something that seems to take potentially excessive liberties with the truth.
Recommendations
If you like this movie, we recommend:
- The United States vs. Billie Holiday: At times, it is dramatic, but it feels far more truthful and has wonderful performances across the board
- Little Richard: I Am Everything: A documentary about Rock and Roll’s architect and wild child
- Zola: Like “Love and Murder,” this is based on a true story that seems too wild to be true, but thanks to the writing and performances, while the shock wears off quickly, you can still enjoy this
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