After a lifetime of trouble, a man has the chance to turn things around with the love and support of his family. He finds himself spiraling back into the dark place he overcame as he tries to do right.
In “The Devil You Know,” several talented actors are forced into Telenovela performances amidst one of the most boring scripts of 2022. Charles Murray, who wrote and directed, is normally a producer, and he must have called in some favors to get this cast together. Murray’s screenplay reaches for gangster melodrama but collapses under its clunky sincerity.
The story kicks off when a family of three is killed for their low six-figure baseball card collection. Marcus (Omar Epps) is recovering from alcohol abuse and looking to turn his life around after finishing a prison sentence. He gets a job as a bus driver, making an underwhelming salary. As it just so happens, Marcus’ brother Drew (William Catlett) is holding an album full of valuable baseball cards for an anonymous gangster. While it would not take Sherlock to connect these dots, Marcus grows suspicious of Drew and his shady friends that hang out and work at a local barbershop.
A local detective (Michael Ealy looking like he was hungover or annoyed) begins poking around, causing a rift between Marcus’ family and the sociopathic Al (Theo Rossi, aware of the assignment having a good time as a nasty criminal). Thankfully the bleach-haired Al is charismatic, bringing some much-needed swagger to the screen. Al accuses Marcus of snitching on their nefarious deeds with gritted teeth and wants to settle the score in the streets.
It’s a shame to see a solid cast rounded out by Glynn Turman, Vanessa Bell Calloway, and Erica Tazel get squandered for this. Murray’s direction lacks any sense of blocking, leaving his performers awkward and stilted. This lack of cohesion has both leads and extras looking out of place, waiting for someone to yell cut. Its theme of strained family ties, where characters refuse to snitch on each other, could have been further explored in a meaningful manner. I hope the performers, especially Epps, get a better project immediately.
In Theaters Friday, April 1st
