Mixxyville

Beauty in Black is a saucy new Netflix drama series created and executive-produced by Tyler Perry. It follows two women from very different worlds: Kimmie, played by Taylor Polidore Williams, and Mallory Bellarie, portrayed by Crystle Stewart. Kimmie is a stripped-down exotic dancer determined to break free from a brutal life, while Mallory is a polished entrepreneur married into the powerful Bellarie cosmetics dynasty.

Other key players round out the ensemble. Charles Malik Whitfield stars as Jules, the violent Bellarie enforcer. Amber Reign Smith and Xavier Smalls appear as Rain and Angel, Kimmie’s loyal friends. Ricco Ross commands the screen as Horace, the Bellarie family patriarch. Debbi Morgan returns with gravitas as Olivia, the long-suffering ex-matriarch. Richard Lawson gives bite to Norman, Horace’s scheming brother. Each character is vividly drawn, from Jules’ ruthless protection of family secrets to Olivia’s quiet resilience, creating a colorful, larger-than-life supporting cast.

The Main Characters

Kimmie, played by Taylor Polidore Williams – A young dancer with entrepreneurial dreams. She idolizes Mallory and tries to leave her violent pimp behind. Mallory Bellarie, played by Crystle Stewart – A small-town woman who married into the Bellarie empire. As the face of the Beauty in Black haircare brand, she wields influence but constantly has to prove herself to her powerful in-laws. Jules, played by Charles Malik Whitfield – The Bellarie family’s ruthless head of security. A former military man turned pimp, he protects the family’s secrets with menace. Rain and Angel, played by Amber Reign Smith and Xavier Smalls – Kimmie’s best friends and fellow club workers who stick by her through thick and thin. Horace, played by Ricco Ross – The patriarch who built the Beauty in Black cosmetics brand. He holds the purse strings and demands loyalty. Olivia, played by Debbi Morgan – Horace’s ex-wife and the family’s matriarch, still tied to the business despite her diminished role. Norman, played by Richard Lawson – Horace’s scheming brother, a former gangster eager to cash in on the family fortune.

Plot Overview

The series begins with Kimmie trapped in a desperate life under Jules’ control. In the opening episode, she applies for a scholarship at the Bellaries’ prestigious Beauty in Black salon school, hoping to escape her circumstances. Her decision forces her world to collide with Mallory’s. Mallory was born poor but now reigns as the glamorous face of the Beauty in Black empire, though her marriage to Roy is unraveling and her family is steeped in dangerous secrets.

The dual storylines carry the early episodes: Kimmie fights to survive her violent pimp, while Mallory juggles a polished corporate image with cutthroat family politics. As Netflix describes it, an exotic dancer’s fate takes a turn when she crosses paths with the dysfunctional family behind a cosmetics dynasty and a devious trafficking scheme. Across its first season, Beauty in Black unleashes cliffhangers that include kidnappings, betrayals, and hidden pasts, yet the core remains Kimmie’s quest for freedom and Mallory’s fight to defend her empire. The tone is operatic, moving seamlessly from strip-club intrigue to high-society blackmail with every episode raising the stakes.

Editor’s Take

Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black is unapologetically pulpy and melodramatic in the best way. Taylor Polidore Williams and Crystle Stewart anchor the show with fiery performances that make you feel Kimmie’s desperation and Mallory’s steely resolve. Setting the drama inside a Black-owned beauty empire in Atlanta gives the series a refreshing cultural flavor while celebrating strong Black women at the helm of both business and body.

The storytelling is wild, mixing soap-operatic twists with family betrayals and corporate intrigue. It has echoes of Pride and Prejudice colliding with Dallas, all while layering in sex, violence, and unshakable secrets. Perry leans into excess — there is swearing, scandal, nudity, and betrayal at every turn — but beneath the chaos lies a warm heart. Themes of sisterhood, resilience, and self-worth shine through. The series may not be subtle, but its bold storytelling and compelling characters make it addictive.

Where to Watch

Beauty in Black streams exclusively on Netflix. Season 1 premiered on October 24, 2024, while Season 2 launched September 11, 2025.

Mixxyville Score

8/10 — Storytelling: 8 | Performance: 9 | Impact: 8

Entertaining soap-opera thrills with standout performances, even when the melodrama spills over.