Acrimony is a 2018 American psychological thriller film produced, written, and directed by Tyler Perry. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Lyriq Bent and Crystle Stewart, and follows a loyal wife who decides to take revenge on her ex-husband. Principal photography began in October 2016 in Pittsburgh. Acrimony was released in the United States by Lionsgate on March 30, 2018. It received generally negative reviews from critics and has grossed $46 million worldwide.
Plot
Melinda Moore is a steadfast, hardworking wife who supports her husband, Robert Gayle, an engineer trying to sell an innovative battery design. A running total/dwindling balance of the proceeds Melinda receives after her mother’s death is portrayed as the couple gets in over their heads in debt, which fractures their marriage over time. The film is divided into categories based in the emotional spectrum that Melinda experiences, as follows:
Acrimony
Melinda bumps into engineering student Robert during college, goes into a rage and assaults him physically and verbally, revealing her normal tendencies. Later that day he appears at her dorm room to return some papers that got mixed up when they bumped into each other earlier in the day. He offers to help her with a report due for submission and they become close. On the day of her mother’s funeral, Robert comforts Melinda, leading to them having sex – her first time. They start dating. But one day, after not hearing from him in two days, Melinda decides to call him. When he picks up, she asked why she hasn’t heard from him, and he says he is busy doing something and then hangs up. So Melinda goes over to his RV to see what he is doing. After an hour of waiting, she decides to leave but she suddenly hears moaning and see a woman’s hand on the RV window. She realized that Robert was cheating on her with a woman named Diana Wells. She goes into another rage and rams the RV with her car with both the two lovers inside, seriously injuring herself in the process. Melinda gets out of the car and destroys Robert’s car. Then, Robert makes it out safe and Melinda confronts him about cheating on her and passes out after her accident and is rushed to the hospital for an emergency full hysterectomy, rendering her unable to bear children. Melinda and Robert reconcile and marry, despite the objections of her sisters, June and Brenda. Brenda warns Melinda not to tell Robert about the amount of money their mother left her.
Years later, Melinda supports them both, as Robert is unable to find work because he was a felon and spent two years in prison for robbing a grocery store. June and Brenda are leery of Robert’s intentions with Melinda’s inheritance. Robert talks Melinda into mortgaging their house so he can build a prototype of a revolutionary battery he has been designing since prison, which he hopes to sell to Prescott, a venture capitalist. Diana, now working as an assistant to Prescott, arranges for Robert to have a meeting with him. After finding Diana’s wallet in Robert’s truck, June and Brenda tell Melinda that Robert is cheating on her. Melinda’s family runs a catering business and they offer Robert a job. They warn him that if they miss out on delivering to a client they will lose their truck contract. As Robert is in route to his delivery, he gets a call from Diana saying Prescott wants to reconsider his deal. This causes Robert to abandon his delivery job during mid-route. Prescott offers Robert $800,000 for the design, but Robert wants to license the technology to them instead and declines the offer. Melinda, furious at both Robert’s declining of Prescott’s offer and his interaction with Diana, files for divorce and moves in with Brenda. Robert moves into a homeless shelter, but Diana finds out and insists that he live with her.
Sunder
Prescott reconsiders and offers Robert a multimillion-dollar deal while allowing him to keep the intellectual property of the battery technology proprietary, which he accepts. Robert visits Melinda at work, although she refuses to reconcile. Robert accepts her decision but, as an apology to her and much to Melinda’s surprise, gives her $10 million and buys back her home.
Bewail
After showing her sisters the money Robert has given her and berating them for their influence, Melinda visits Robert in his new penthouse apartment and attempts to seduce him and rekindle their relationship, but Diana comes in and introduces herself as Robert’s fiancé.
Deranged
Angry and hurt, Melinda becomes obsessed with the couple and swears to destroy them. Melinda sues Robert and Diana, claiming that the deal with Prescott happened before their divorce, but the case is dismissed. Robert and Diana file a countersuit against Melinda and obtain restraining orders. Melinda retaliates by visiting the bridal shop and destroying Diana’s wedding gown with hydrochloric acid, although she is caught and sentenced to court-mandated counseling, where she tells her therapist that Robert took advantage of her. Her therapist suggests that she may have borderline personality disorder. Melinda’s mental state further deteriorates after learning Diana is pregnant. On Robert’s wedding day, her family and friends are forced to prevent Melinda from leaving her house and ruining the wedding.
Inexorable
Robert and Diana leave on their honeymoon cruise. Melinda sneaks onto the boat, shoots Robert, and makes the crew of the boat jump overboard. Melinda attempts to shoot Diana but Robert tells Diana to take the dinghy and rescue the crew before a fight emerges that causes Robert to overpower Melinda and throw her in the water. Melinda returns and attempts to kill Robert with an axe but is trapped by the anchor that pulls her off and into the ocean, thus she drowns. Diana returns with the crew and comforts a bleeding Robert.
Cast
Taraji P. Henson as Melinda Moore Gayle
Lyriq Bent as Robert Gayle
Crystle Stewart as Diana Wells
Ptosha Storey as Brenda Moore
Jazmyn Simon as June Moore
Ajiona Alexus as Young Melinda Moore Gayle
Antonio Madison as Young Robert Gayle
Bresha Webb as Young Brenda Moore
Danielle Nicolet as Sara
Nelson Estevez as Casey
Kendrick Cross as Kalvin
Racquel John as Young June Moore
Douglas Dickerman as Mr. Prescott
Shavon Kirksey as Young Diana Wells
Reviews
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