Is this show appropriate for a 16-year-old?

Most likely not. Common Sense Media rates it for 17+, and the inclusion of graphic nudity and sexual trafficking themes makes it a heavy lift for most teenagers.

How does this compare to other Tyler Perry shows?

It is significantly more explicit. While Perry's other shows have drama and violence, this one includes full-frontal nudity and much more graphic sexual content.

Is there a lot of violence?

Yes, but it's often psychological or sexualized violence related to the trafficking and stripping themes rather than just action-movie violence.

Is the show finished or are there more seasons?

As of mid-2026, it is positioned as a series that could continue, but the initial season is a self-contained look at the intersection of the two main families.

Beauty in Black – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Beauty in Black

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

show2024

18%

WISE Score

5.8

IMDb

Tyler Perry's dark melodrama about a cosmetics empire and a trafficking ring is high-gloss, high-stakes, and strictly for adults.

5.8/10

74%

→

Beauty in Black

show

TV-MA, 2024

18%

WISE Score

5.8

IMDb

Tyler Perry's dark melodrama about a cosmetics empire and a trafficking ring is high-gloss, high-stakes, and strictly for adults.

5.8

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5.8/10

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Screenwise Verdict

If you're looking for a family watch, keep scrolling. Beauty in Black is Tyler Perry leaning into his most lurid, R-rated instincts. It’s a soap opera with the safety off, trading in trafficking, stripping, and corporate backstabbing.

Critically, it's a bit of a mess. Most reviewers have called it 'deleterious' and 'horrid,' citing one-dimensional characters and a plot that prioritizes shock over substance. It’s the kind of show you watch if you want a messy, high-budget soap and don't mind the graphic content, but it offers very little for an intentional viewer.

Age Fit

This is a hard 18+ show. Between the trafficking themes and the graphic nature of the adult industry scenes, there is zero crossover appeal for kids or even most high schoolers.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

The show centers on human trafficking, dysfunctional family dynamics, and the adult entertainment industry. It's intentionally gritty and cynical rather than emotionally healthy.

Imaginative

While it builds a specific world around a cosmetics dynasty, critics and viewers largely describe the plotting as haphazard and the characters as one-dimensional tropes.

Safe

Contains graphic nudity, sexual violence, and heavy profanity. The central plot involves a trafficking scheme, making it entirely inappropriate for children or younger teens.

Enriching

Attempts social commentary regarding class and power, but the execution leans heavily into lurid shock value and melodrama rather than meaningful insight.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

High production values give the show a slick, polished look that fits the 'cosmetics dynasty' setting.
Classic Tyler Perry melodrama for fans who enjoy high-octane soap opera twists and extreme character archetypes.
Explores class divides by juxtaposing the lives of street-level workers with the ultra-wealthy elite.

⚠

What to Watch For

Graphic nudity and sex scenes are frequent and far more explicit than Perry's previous network TV work.
The human trafficking plotline involves depictions of coercion and sexual violence that are genuinely disturbing.
Constant profanity is a major departure from Perry's traditionally more faith-adjacent or family-focused content.

Conversation Starters

"How does the show use the cosmetics industry as a metaphor for hiding ugly secrets?"
"Do the characters feel like real people or just exaggerated versions of good and evil?"
"Why do you think the creator chose to move into such dark, explicit territory compared to his earlier work?"

Deep Dive

The Perry Pivot

Tyler Perry has built an empire on a very specific blend of broad comedy and faith-based moralizing. Beauty in Black is a sharp left turn away from that brand. This is a Netflix-era Perry: uncensored, gritty, and seemingly determined to prove he can do 'prestige' dark drama. The problem is that it keeps the writing style of his daytime soaps while adding HBO-level nudity and violence.

Melodrama vs. Reality

The show attempts to tackle the heavy subject of human trafficking, but it often treats it as a plot device for shock value rather than a serious exploration of a global crisis. Compared to shows like P-Valley, which also explores the world of stripping but with far more character depth and nuance, Beauty in Black feels flat.

After watching this show, you're left with 'why'? I felt disturbed...

That sentiment from Rotten Tomatoes critics captures the general vibe. It’s a show that wants to be 'important' and 'edgy' at the same time, but usually settles for being just plain lurid. If you’re an adult fan of Perry’s work, you might enjoy the sheer scale of the drama, but for everyone else, the low IMDb scores and scathing reviews are a fair warning.