When is a Tubi Original film secretly a Lifetime film? The answer is director Kevin Arbouet’s Toxic Harmony, which has all of the familiar beats of a low-stake thriller but only some of the enjoyable aspects.
Set in the LA music industry, Briana Cole and Patricia Cuffie-Jones’ screenplay begins with a standard cold open in which an unnamed woman (Reesa Ishiyama) is attacked and murdered in her apartment.
This will eventually be revealed to be Omni, but just like the second character introduced – Darla (Lauren Darlene) – she’s little more than a plot point. The film’s main focus is on aspiring singer Constance (Ashley Love-Mills), who has the raw talent and ambition but none of the connections to find her big break.
Constance’s manager/boyfriend Lucas (Donovan Carter) has good intentions, but he lacks the finesse to get her an audience with execs like Tyree (Barton Fitzpatrick) and J Money (Jamal Lloyd Johnson), the successful businessmen who run Arbor Way Records.
Constance persists in chasing her dream, winning over everyone from security guard Raheem (Nican Robinson) to Arbor Way’s other up and coming female artist, V Shaw (Miah “Blvke” Blake). Unsurprisingly, however, there’s something nefarious going on and Constance quickly finds herself in over her head and in danger.
The weakest aspect of Toxic Harmony is how familiar and safe it feels. By opening with two variations of women in danger (one murdered, one escaping from rehab), there’s little doubt that something is awry at Arbor Way. Cole and Cuffie-Jones make little to no effort to disguise that there’s sexual impropriety and drug abuse at the record label, so although Darla is presented as unhinged and drug-addicted when she tries to warn Constance, it’s evident that she’s telling the truth and should be believed.
The lack of mystery and suspense about what is occurring at the record label is a huge problem for the film. Toxic Harmony is incredibly straightforward: what audiences suspect is happening is exactly what’s happening, and the people involved are the ones we suspect. There’s no subversion in the story, which makes Constance’s reluctance to investigate and accept what’s going on extremely frustrating. At one point it’s hinted at that she may join forces with V Shaw, who is also being abused, but their relationship veers from hot to cold based on the needs of the story. Ultimately V is given very little to do, especially in the last act, which feels like a missed opportunity to explore something new.
Love-Mills is the film’s MVP. Although her voice is a little thin; an early audition for Tyree without backing is wobbly and the other songs are heavily auto-toned and radio friendly. Still, it’s easy to root for Constance, particularly because the actress is so winsome. She is equally adept at playing both the funny and dramatic bits and her chemistry with Fitzpatrick is solid, which is vital to selling the middle section of the film when Constance willingly compromises on her artistic integrity in return for a quick taste of fame.
Alas this is a tale as old as time and Toxic Harmony doesn’t have anything new to contribute to the dialogue. There’s an unsubtle #MeToo element in the way that female artists are targeted and abused, but it’s all too expected; everything plays out exactly as anticipated.
Visually, Arbouet’s direction is perfunctory. There’s a neat moment wherein an inebriated Constance is captured in blurry time lapse as she stumbles to the couch to pass out after a boozy industry event. It’s a nice moment of flair that stands out for its unexpectedness.
Considering the contained scope of the film and the small-ish cast, Toxic Harmony has a surprisingly high body count. Oddly, though, several murders happen back-to-back at the end of the second act, which is unexpected, but feels rushed. None of the violence is explicit (it’s typically captured off-camera or in shadow), though a brief flash of blood in the climax stands out as a result; it’s a visceral moment that feels welcome.
Overall Toxic Harmony is a decent, albeit too familiar thriller. The narrative plays it safe and fails to shake things up enough to be memorable. Love-Mills holds the film together and her chemistry with co-star Fitzpatrick is solid, but neither can overcome a fairly pedestrian plot. It’s an easy 90 minute watch, even if it’s hard to shake the feeling that it’s a bit of a missed opportunity.
Toxic Harmony is now streaming on Tubi.