Chloe Bailey Is Trapped in a Gilded Nightmare in Tyler Perry’s New Psychological Thriller on Peacock

Tyler Perry and Jason Blum joining forces on a psychological thriller was always going to be a headline-worthy event, and their collaboration has now officially landed on Peacock. ‘Strung’ is a psychological thriller film directed by Malcolm D. Lee and written by Alan B. McElroy, starring Chloe Bailey, Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Anna Diop, Coco Jones, and Romy Woods. It is one of the more intriguing genre swings to hit streaming this summer.

Produced by Tyler Perry and Jason Blum, ‘Strung’ centers on Layla, a talented violinist trying to survive in expensive Los Angeles, who takes a prestigious job as a music tutor for the gifted daughter of an influential and enigmatic family. As she becomes entangled in their opulent world, unsettling secrets begin to surface, forcing her to question her safety, her dreams, and even her sanity. The premise is sleek, tightly wound, and dripping with tension from the very first frame.

The Unlikely Origin of the Tyler Perry and Blumhouse Collaboration

Originally announced back in 2021 as ‘Help,’ Jason Blum and Tyler Perry’s first co-production is now titled ‘Strung.’ It is directed by Malcolm D. Lee and written by Alan B. McElroy, whose screenplay credits include ‘Wrong Turn’ and ‘Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.’ The journey from concept to screen took nearly five years, which tells you something about the care invested in getting it right.

Principal photography was reported to be beginning in Cape Town, South Africa on March 7, 2025, prior to the announcement of the cast, with Tyler Perry and Jason Blum serving as producers through their Peachtree and Vine and Blumhouse Productions banners, respectively, in association with Blackmaled Productions.

After the pair of moguls had developed the script, Lee and his producing partner Dominique Telson were hired to make it their own, with minimal intervention during the production process. That creative freedom proved significant, giving the director room to put his stamp on a genre he had never worked in before.

The film made its world debut at the American Black Film Festival on May 27, and became widely available on Peacock starting Friday, June 26.

A Career-Defining Shift for Director Malcolm D. Lee

Best known for directing ‘The Best Man,’ ‘Girls Trip,’ ‘Night School,’ and ‘Space Jam: A New Legacy,’ Lee said every project begins with finding a story that genuinely excites him. While Lee has built his career directing hit comedies and dramas, ‘Strung’ marks his first psychological thriller. Stepping outside a genre you have mastered is a gamble, but one Lee clearly felt ready for.

Lee shared an open letter to audiences ahead of the premiere, writing that he loves a good suspense thriller and a solid narrative that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats, and that when he read Alan McElroy’s script, he knew he had to dip his toe in this water.

Lee recalled his earlier experience opening the American Black Film Festival with ‘Girls Trip,’ saying it went over like gangbusters, but noting that ‘Strung’ would inspire a different type of reaction because it is a different movie. He seems fully aware that audiences are coming in with completely different expectations this time around.

Lee said of the script, “When I read the script by Alan McElroy, I couldn’t put it down. It was a page-turner, and you don’t always get those in this industry.”

Chloe Bailey Leads a Star-Studded Peacock Original Cast

Headlining her second Peacock Original movie, Chloe Bailey stars as Laila, a violinist who takes a prestigious job as a music tutor for the gifted daughter of an influential and enigmatic family. Bailey started out performing with her sister Halle Bailey in their singing duo, Chloe X Halle, and also starred in the Peacock Original ‘Praise This’ and was a cast member of ‘Grown-ish.’

Emmy Award-winner Lynn Whitfield, best known for films such as ‘The Josephine Baker Story’ and ‘Eve’s Bayou,’ plays Audra, while Coco Jones, most recently seen on Peacock’s ‘Bel-Air,’ plays Jasmine. The ensemble also includes Anna Diop and Lucien Laviscount, the latter known widely from ‘Emily in Paris.’

Lee spoke warmly about the youngest cast member, newcomer Romy Woods, saying the Blumhouse team is very good at finding little kid actors and that Romy just shined through whenever she came on audition. He noted that after a chemistry read with Chloe, Bailey was over the moon when done with the audition, leading the team to confirm she was the one.

What Critics Are Saying About ‘Strung’ on Peacock

According to Variety, ‘Strung’ features a strong cast and some tantalizing scenes, yet after a major turning point just beyond the film’s halfway mark, the plot collapses in on itself, culminating in a bizarre and wholly unrealistic climax, ending almost exactly as one would expect. That is a pointed critique from one of the industry’s most respected trade outlets.

The Variety review suggests the film has a lot of glitz and glam but lacks the moxie to hold the right notes to make it a truly engaging psychological thriller, though it acknowledges that Chloe Bailey’s earnest portrayal and the presence of the iconic Lynn Whitfield make the movie fun to watch even as the narrative completely unravels at the seams.

Director Lee, for his part, called the movie a “thrill ride” that will keep audiences guessing until the very end, saying he thinks people are going to watch it again to see what they missed and that they are going to be trying to guess the entire time. Whether audiences agree with the critics or side with the director may well come down to how much they are willing to surrender to the film’s glossy, high-voltage atmosphere.

Lee acknowledged streaming as a new frontier for his filmmaking, noting that what is happening with streaming platforms and television in general is that movie television is increasingly cinematic, and expressing hope that audiences would bring friends over to watch and live tweet about it. ‘Strung’ is now streaming exclusively on Peacock, and the conversation around it is only just beginning. Are you siding with the critics who felt the story unraveled, or did Chloe Bailey’s performance keep you fully hooked all the way to that final, unsettling note?