A Review of ‘Betray: Thirst’: Lawyers’ morals are put to the test in this moderately affecting drama
A diligent lawyer’s life starts to go awry when he takes on a case involving a cripple and his wife.
‘Betray: Thirst’: Lawyers’ morals are put to the test in this moderately affecting drama
Cast: Kenon Walker, Everrett Anderson, Bre Hassan, Jai Johnson, Sherika Woodard, Michael Gordon III, Wyndie Oliver, Kenneth Farmer, Zakary Taylor, John Dylan Atkins, Chloe Howard, Dominique Adams, Nichole Tate-Jackson, Monica Johnson, Vernell Woods, Ne’kya Mabyr, Allonya Payne, Jeff Haltom, Tee Rainer, Trasa White, Prince Djae, Gary G-Billa Bills
Critic’s Rating: 3 Stars out of 5
Director: Jaron Lockridge
Duration: 1 hour, 51 minutes
Genre: Drama, Crime
Language: English
Release: 2025
What’s it about?
A diligent lawyer’s life starts to go awry when he takes on a case involving a cripple and his wife.
Review:
Viewers are in for a low-key but fairly absorbing crime drama involving legal ethics, temptation, remorse and retribution. The paradox of morality and impropriety and the onset of compelling irony also play a role in this narrative, which works effectively most of the way. However, a well set-up plot with a moderate amount of character development, only delivers a partially rewarding pay-off. Still, this tale about two lawyers and their relationship with their wives and clients while endeavouring to build a case, is guaranteed to retain the audience’s attention. One is also left wondering whether people are guilty of their own actions or they are victims of circumstance and fate.
Betray: Thirst opens with Jamal Wiggins (Kenon Walker) and his wife Shavonne (Jai Johnson) dropping in at the house of their friends - Darren Tate (Everett Anderson) and his spouse Ebony (Sherika Woodard). Some conversation later, we discover that Ebony is resentful of her Better Half’s bad habits. However, even the Wiggins’ relationship is not quite as picture perfect as it appears to be. Meanwhile, the hubbies - Jamal and Darren - are running a successful law firm for personal injury and civil cases. But while the former is compassionate and conscientious, his partner possesses looser morals and an eye for attractive young women.
The earnest Jamal’s life takes a turn for the worse when he is approached by Jada Campbell (Bre Hassan), a woman seeking monetary compensation for her invalid husband Xavier (Michael Gordon III). One thing leads to another, imperilling Jamal’s reputation and that of his firm - even after he passes on the case to Darren. Soon, troublesome evidence surfaces - courtesy a wily city attorney (Amy Taylor). Then, a potentially scandalous video emerges, coercing Jamal and Darren to confront the situation head on. The tension escalates, leading to treachery, confessions, violence, bloodshed and public disgrace. However, in a somewhat refreshing ploy, revelatory dialogue takes the place of visible aggression.
Writer-director Jaron Lockridge explores themes of marital tensions and lawyer-client relations with some amount of success. However, in so doing, the lawyer-duo’s case gets shoved into the background and a slightly awkward catfight takes centre stage towards the conclusion. However, the film winds up on a pensively inconclusive note, questioning whether wrongs can be righted with time and forgiveness. While Lockridge’s earlier film and directorial debut – Cubic Zirconia (2024) – worked as a gripping mystery/thriller, this outing functions more as a moral drama than a meditation on law and crime.
Among the performances in the film, Walker’s turn as the sympathetic and conflicted advocate is perhaps the most noteworthy. However, Taylor steals her scene as a sort of a smiling assassin who springs a surprising confrontation on Walker and Anderson. Meanwhile, the roles of Jamal’s daughter Amiya (Chloe Howard), his confidante Uncle Chuck (Kenneth Farmer) and Darren’s significant other Ebony (Woodard), could have been fleshed out a little more. Still, the minimalistic cinematography, the literary quality of African-American slang, and the use of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata to embellish a pivotal scene, all serve as definite plusses for the film. If you are thirsty for a movie about betrayal, then Betray: Thirst is something of a quencher.
