Posted By: Amanda

I just got finished watching The Maintenance Man (2025), directed by Shannon Washington, and let me tell you — this movie was a complete mess. I went in hoping to see a solid Black-led thriller, but what I got was one of the worst movie experiences I’ve had in a long time. I’m not trying to be hard on creators, especially independent ones, but as an African American woman, this was disappointing on so many levels.

First off, I truly wanted to support this film because I know how hard it is to get projects off the ground, especially for Black filmmakers. But at some point, we have to start caring about the quality we’re putting out there. There has to be some pride in the work. It felt like this film was just thrown together without any real direction or purpose. The story made no sense, the sound was completely off, and the acting — outside of a couple of roles — was flat.

Let’s start with the biggest issue: the sound quality. That was honestly the dealbreaker for me. The sound kept cutting out in random scenes. There’s a part where one of the women walks into a room after another character is crying on the couch — and you literally can’t hear her voice until she’s standing right next to them. I thought maybe it was just my phone at first, but nope, it was the movie. Then there’s another scene where a woman is sitting in the car with a man she just slept with, and you can’t hear a word they’re saying. The phone call that happens right after? Totally inaudible. It’s like no one even checked the audio before uploading it.

Sound is one of the most important parts of filmmaking. You can have a weak story, but if the sound is clear and the editing is clean, people will at least stick around. But when you can’t even hear what’s going on, that’s when people check out — and that’s exactly what I did.

Then there’s the presentation of the women in the film. I don’t like saying this, but I’ve got to be honest — the women did not look presentable at all. I understand that Tubi is a platform for new creators and not every film has a huge budget, but that’s still no excuse. I’d like to see Black women on screen being represented with class, looking like they took some pride in how they’re presented. Too often, it feels like these low-budget films are content showing women looking run-down or unkept, and it’s becoming a tired trend. I’m not saying everyone has to look glamorous, but a little bit of effort goes a long way.

The pacing was also terrible. Some scenes dragged on for no reason, while others felt rushed like they were trying to get to the next point without explaining what was even happening. Half the time I didn’t even know what the story was supposed to be. It jumped from scene to scene with no real build-up or payoff. It’s like the film wanted to be a thriller, but it forgot to actually include suspense, logic, or continuity.

Now, I will give credit where it’s due — the actor who played the maintenance man himself did a decent job. He was believable and seemed to understand his character, even when everything else around him was falling apart. The young lady who played the detective (or cop, I couldn’t tell which) also did well with what she had. Those were the only two performances that felt natural. Everyone else either overacted or looked like they were just trying to remember their lines.

It’s sad because I know how much potential Black filmmakers have. We have the talent, the creativity, and the stories that deserve to be told. But films like The Maintenance Man make it harder for audiences to take independent Black cinema seriously. We need more care in how our stories are told. We need filmmakers who actually take the time to make sure the movie has a point, that the production isn’t sloppy, and that it respects the audience enough to give us something worth watching.

I couldn’t even finish the movie. That’s how frustrating it was. I tried — I really did — but it was hard to sit through another minute of bad sound, confusing cuts, and unpolished acting. Maybe Tubi needs a better review process before approving these films for streaming because if they keep putting out content like this, they’re going to lose the viewers who actually want to see quality Black storytelling.

If you’re thinking about watching The Maintenance Man, I’d honestly say save yourself the time. It’s just not worth it. I love supporting Black creators, but this movie was one of those moments that made me shake my head. It’s time we raise the bar and expect better from ourselves — both behind and in front of the camera.